Sustainable Infrastructure Construction and Management
Credit points
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
Location
Prerequisites
Co-requisites
(Corequisite units must be studied concurrently with this unit)
Overview
Given the adverse environmental impacts of conventional construction, the industry must transition to green building practices to meet national and global sustainability targets. This unit of study equips students with a critical understanding of the barriers to sustainable construction in the infrastructure sector and the management and communication skills needed to overcome them. Students will analyse resource consumption and the environmental impacts of construction processes and materials while gaining industry-standard knowledge of modern and innovative technologies. The unit also covers methods for maximising social outcomes and implementing sustainable procurement models. It prepares students to lead the shift towards sustainable infrastructure construction and management in their professional careers.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- Analyse the impact of infrastructure construction and operation on climate change, planetary health, and assess its alignment with relevant sustainability standards;
- Evaluate the environmental impacts and resource consumption of various materials in infrastructure projects using life cycle assessments;
- Assess sustainable procurement strategies to minimise risks and optimise environmental and social outcomes during contractor selection and management; and
- Exemplify communication skills, collaborative teamwork and leadership to drive stakeholder adoption of sustainable practices, circular economy principles, and the use of green materials.
Assessment
For Melbourne campuses
Assessment type: Case Study | Grade: 50%
Critical analysis using life cycle assessments – Progress Report (10%) and Final Report (40%) (Individual)
Assessment type: Project | Grade: 30%
Development of a sustainability framework report for a large-scale infrastructure project (Group)
Assessment type: Presentation | Grade: 20%
Sustainability framework presentation to key project stakeholders (Group)
Case Study- This secure assessment requires students to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) on a student-selected infrastructure asset to quantify environmental impacts and resource consumption. It includes a Progress Report (10%) and a Final Report (40%). The former functions as a milestone check ensuring students are prepared to begin modelling their LCA. The Final Report is verified by an in-class demonstration of their LCA model prior to submitting the final report. This demonstration is mandatory to ensure assessment integrity and verify achievement of learning outcomes.
Project – This open assessment requires teams of students to develop a sustainability framework report for a large infrastructure project. The Project includes an evaluation of the contributions made by each member of the team to facilitate the assessment of students' achievement of learning outcomes.
Presentation – The presentation is a secure assessment in that it includes a Q&A session on the groups’ sustainability framework. It individually assesses each student’s critical reasoning and communication of sustainability concepts. The unpredictability of the Q&A ensures authentic engagement and provides assurance of individual understanding and professional judgement.
Required reading
Required readings will be made available on VU Collaborate.
As part of a course
This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):