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Sustainability and Design for Environment

ME415, ENVIR 415, and CEE 495

Winter Quarter 2011

2011 Project Description: Sustainable Infrastructures

Background

Here, we investigate the sustainable design of infrastructures, where "infrastructures" are defines as the basic physical and organizational structure needed for the operation of a service society or enterprise, or service.  For example, the infrastructure for managing waste monitors (e-waste) involves organizations that facilitate monitor reuse, refurbishment and reuse, disassembly with materials recycling and disposal, and logistics throughout.  Within this context, the state of the current infrastructure for the management of waste monitors can be characterized by materials and energy use and waste by the infrastructure organizations and the life cycle impacts of these organizations can be assessed in a way that allows recommendations for infrastructure improvement to be made.

During the quarter, students work in interdisciplinary team to prepare a set of interim reports that combine to form a final report on a sustainable infrastructure, as:

Submit to the drop box by midnight on the due date

Suggestions for project topics and background information for proposals are provided HERE, and student teams may also suggest alternative topics (which much be approved by the instructor).   

What to include in each project report

Your final project report will combine all interim reports prepared throughout the quarter.  Each student must prepare at least one appendix to support the team project and all appendices must be referred to within the text of the document.  Your name alone must be in the title of the appendices you work on.  This will have an impact on how you manage your team, so think carefully about this.

SECTION 1: Proposal

Include the following:

Title Page: Identify the project topic and list team members, home department, degree sought, professional or academic experience

SECTION 1.1: Describe the situation (one paragraph, why is this important and interesting)

SECTION 1.2: Describe the project goal including the basis on which recommendations will be made (i.e., what impacts will be assessed) and who the intended audience of the project is.

SECTION 1.3: Describe the project scope including identification of the geographic and temporal specificity, definition of the functional unit of the infrastructure (an appendix might be used to show functional unit calculations and data related to the current state of demand and supply), and a description of the infrastructure system boundaries (as in defining what is coming into the infrastructure, the organizations/ technologies/ activities within the infrastructure, and what is coming out of the infrastructure).  A process flow diagram or Sankey diagram might be included as an appendix.

SECTION 7: The references used, formatted as described at http://wally.rit.edu/pubs/guides/apa.html

SECTION 2: Baseline Design Characterization

Include the following:

SECTION 2.1: Describe the methods used for the baseline design characterization (one paragraph)

SECTION 2.2: For each organization/ technologies/ activity are meeting the current demand (the supply), quantify the materials and energy use and waste management needs, on-site emissions, and logistical needs.  Supporting calculations and data for each organization/ technologies/ activity might be included as an appendix.

SECTION 7: The references used (continuing the list from Section 1), formatted as described at http://wally.rit.edu/pubs/guides/apa.html

SECTION 3: Baseline life cycle inventory analysis and impact assessment

Include the following:

SECTION 3.1: Describe the methods used for the life cycle inventory analysis and impact assessment (one paragraph)

SECTION 3.2: For each organization/ technologies/ activity are meeting the current demand (the supply), quantify the life cycle impacts of materials and energy use, waste management needs, and logistical needs and add them to on-site emissions.  Rank the contribution of each to the total.  Supporting calculations and data for each organization/ technologies/ activity might be included as an appendix.

SECTION 3.3: Combine all results for the infrastructure.  Rank the contribution of each organization/ technologies/ activity to the total. 

SECTION 7: The references used (continuing the list from previous sections), formatted as described at http://wally.rit.edu/pubs/guides/apa.html

SECTION 4: Improvements to the baseline

Include the following:

SECTION 4.1: Based on the rankings in the baseline life cycle inventory analysis and impact assessment, suggest areas for improvement.

SECTION 4.2: List and briefly describe improvement opportunities.     Lists for each improvement area might be included as an appendix.

SECTION 7: The references used (continuing the list from previous sections), formatted as described at http://wally.rit.edu/pubs/guides/apa.html

SECTION 5: Improved inventory analysis and impact assessment

Include the following:

SECTION 5.1: Describe the methods used for the life cycle inventory analysis and impact assessment (or refer to Sections 2.1 and 3.1)

SECTION 5.2: For organizations/ technologies/ activities in each improvement area, quantify the life cycle impacts of materials and energy use, waste management needs, and logistical needs and add them to on-site emissions.  Rank the contribution of each to the total.  Supporting calculations and data for each improvement area might be included as an appendix.

SECTION 5.3: Combine all results for the improved infrastructure, and quantify the improvement over the current/ baseline infrastructure. 

SECTION 7: The references used (continuing the list from previous sections), formatted as described at http://wally.rit.edu/pubs/guides/apa.html

FINAL REPORT

Include the following:

Sections 1-5 as developed above.

SECTION 6: List project conclusions and recommendations including recommended and not recommended organizations/ technologies/ activities, enabling technology research areas, and enabling policies or other actions. 

SECTION 7: The references used (continuing the list from previous sections), formatted as described at http://wally.rit.edu/pubs/guides/apa.html

Grading

    Your team report represents 80% of your grade as follows:

    Project proposal (10%)

    Baseline design characterization (15%)

    Baseline life cycle inventory analysis and impact assessment (15%)

    Improvements to the baseline design (10%)

    Improved inventory analysis and impact assessment (15%)

    Project presentations (5%)

    Final report is due (10%)

The final 20% of your grade is based on your appendices, as described above.

For more information, contact Associate Professor Joyce Smith Cooper at cooperjs@u.washington.edu