Including Constructability as Optimization Criteria for District Energy Systems

Research Overview

Observed Problem: 

Design of new district-scale energy systems do not account for critical dimensions of constructability.

Primary Research Objective and Solution: 

Extend current district energy system models to encompass constructability as part of the multi-objective optimization design process.

Anticipated Value to CIFE Members and Industry: 

CIFE members are the leading design and construction firms in the world and will likely build district systems as they become more widespread. By embedding constructability directly into the design process, they will ensure such projects are efficient, affordable and delivered on time.

Proposed Research Approach and Methodology: 

We propose using an array of methods (interviews, Delphi, simulation, sensitivity analysis) to quantify holistic constructability and embed it into design optimization.

Method for measuring industry impacts from research: 

Development of metric(s) for constructability of district-scale infrastructure (e.g., energy) systems.

Anticipated Research and Theoretical Contributions: 

Insights into the impact (cost, feasibility, efficiency) that constructability has on district scale energy systems.

Industry and Academic Partners:

Engie, DPR Construction

Overview & Observed Problem

Design of new district-scale energy systems do not account for critical dimensions of constructability.

Theoretical & Practical Points of Departure

Compared to building construction, research efforts concerning constructability in the realm of urban infrastructure were rather scarcely segmental [3], including nuclear power plants [11], biofuel production facilities [12], encasing energy piles [13-15], smart photovoltaic blinds [16], and other transportation infrastructure [8, 17-20]. It is indicated that among all the factors affecting constructability rated in a survey, the most influential factor is project complexity [4]. And the most observed constructability issues involve public utilities, traffic control, and geotechnical issues [8]. These are all external impacts that are closely related to the construction of a complex infrastructure system, and therefore are of critical importance for newly emerging infrastructure types such as district energy systems.
For a district energy project, many stakeholders are involved in the construction stage. Active players like the governments, owners, investors, constructors, operators and other contractors have direct interest linked with the construction project, while a broader range of stakeholders (citizens, society, environment) are passively and negatively impacted without their consent. Foreseeable negative impacts include (but are not limited to) carbon emissions, increased outdoor temperature, air pollution, noise, traffic flow disruption, pedestrian movement change, worsened commercial environment, etc.
These impacts are interdependently linked to each other. Second-order effects of these impacts will in turn affect and/or alter the construction process. As people start to realize the negative construction externalities, additional countermeasures are set up to make the beneficiaries compensate for the negative impacts (e.g., carbon tax, green certification, additional facilities to decarbonize, or cost to deal with citizen complaints, etc.) [21, 22]. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important for AEC companies to account for not only the direct impact of construction uncertainties on their company (cost, time, quality, etc.) but also construction externalities on citizens, community, and environment [22-27]. A complete evaluation of constructability that includes both the direct external impacts on construction and its externalities could further help us make informed decisions and prepare for an integrated optimization approach.
 

Research Methods & Work Plan

We propose to comprehensively analyze the direct and indirect impacts of construction of district energy systems, define a quantifiable methodology to model constructability, and develop an analytical framework that optimizes the district energy system for comprehensive efficiency by incorporating constructability in the evaluation of efficiency. The frameworks will aid AEC companies, urban planners, policy makers optimize design and make more informed decisions. The proposed research will consist of three steps:
(1) Define the constructability metric(s) and develop the quantification framework for measuring various external impacts on construction of different kinds of energy infrastructure.
(2) Develop a systematic pipeline to quantify the impacts of construction externalities.
(3) Formulate an optimization framework that incorporates constructability in the evaluation criteria.

Expected Contributions to Practice/Theory

The most significant anticipated outcome from this work is the modeling framework for measuring constructability for district energy systems. This modeling framework would provide a basis for AEC companies to evaluate the direct and indirect dimensions of constructability related to this type of large scale infrastructure project. If successfully translated to practice, this comprehensive modeling framework could help not only AEC companies but also investors, designers, owners, governments to have a more holistic overview of the costs and implications of a district energy system project and to optimize for its respective profitability. Governments could also adopt the methodology and leverage the result of this research to evaluate different district scale construction projects and make informed decisions that meet its interest and long-term sustainability goals.
 

References

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Funding Year: 

2022