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1 Sustainability is an often-used term for an ancient concept that expresses the human desire to achieve health and happiness within the context of a healthy planet over the long term. While sustainability guidance exists for construction as a general practice, there is little for the sub-discipline of highway construction, an $80 to $90 billion annual industry. This guidebook defines highway construction sustainability and provides guidance on how to meaningfully incorporate it into highway projects. It is meant to be used by practitioners as an aid in communicating, implementing, and evaluating sustainable highway construction. Specifically, this guidebook can be used to: ⢠Define a common meaning for sustainability when included in construction procure- ment and contracting, ⢠Describe owner sustainability goals and objectives more precisely in project procurement and contracting, ⢠Identify what construction categories and practices best address what sustainability components, ⢠Provide a source of sustainable construction practice ideas, ⢠Evaluate any construction practice for sustainability, and ⢠Aid in procuring and contracting sustainability. Key features of the guidebook are: ⢠A list of sustainable construction practices. These practices are identified by the indus- try as viable and, in the right context, ready for implementation. Chapter 3 presents this list of 77 SCPs along with a construction and sustainability framework to organize it, and Chapter 9 expands on the list with more details and rating of each SCP. ⢠A method for using sustainability as a criterion to evaluate any highway construction practice. Chapter 4 presents a straightforward evaluation method that can be used as the industry evolves and new practices are developed. This method helps identify (1) which sustainability categories are impacted by a construction practice, (2) the relative magni- tude of impact, and (3) whether those impacts are confined to construction or extend through the life of the facility. ⢠Suggestions for how to procure and contract sustainability. Research for this guide- book suggests that addressing sustainability as an above-and-beyond concept in pro- curement and contracting can be inconsistent and overly generalized, which can lead to misinterpretation, low impact, and unreliable follow-through. Chapters 5 and 6 provide basic guidance for procurement practices and contracting methods including a template for a sustainability management plan (akin to a quality management plan, but for sustain- ability) that defines project sustainability goals/objectives, associated sustainability com- mitments, and key reporting metrics. S U M M A R Y Sustainable Highway Construction Guidebook
