Application of a sustainability model for assessing water main replacement options

Sustainable development, conceived as a new and multidisciplinary paradigm, is receiving much attention throughout the global community. The purpose of this paper is to apply the sustainability assessment model (SAM), an assessment and decision making methodology, to a water main replacement project in an urban environment to determine the most sustainable project alternative among three possible options. This case study presents the use of SAM in considering various multicriteria sustainability indicators while working towards achieving sustainability enhancement. Objectives of sustainability enhancement include: (1) minimizing environmental impact; (2) maximizing economical benefit and output; (3) social and cultural conservation and promotion; and (4) satisfying basic requirements such as structural soundness and capacity. Six assessment methods including the analytic hierarchy process, cost, pollution, energy, time estimation, and natural resource depletion analysis are used for both qualitative and quantitative sustainability indicators. The weighted sum model is then utilized to integrate the six independent assessment results to elicit the final decision.