Business-driven sustainability engineering in the infrastructure process

Mission Statement

The construction industry is under increasing pressure to reduce environmental impact, comply with new sustainability regulations, and improve productivity in a competitive global market. Sustainable infrastructure engineering must therefore integrate structural, material, environmental, business, and regulatory considerations from the earliest design phases. Decisions made at the conceptual stage strongly influence carbon emissions, costs, constructability, and long-term value.

The mission of this Task Group (TG) is to review, develop, and promote methods that support sustainable, buildable, and economically viable bridge design in early design phases. The TG will study and apply modern methodologies, including set-based design, parametric and performance-based engineering, AI-supported evaluation, and combined material–structural optimisation. Special attention will be given to the use of low-CO2 concrete and how its material properties can be integrated into conceptual bridge design.

The TG aims to support the transfer of research results into engineering practice, strengthen collaboration between structural and construction engineers, and create an attractive platform for young engineers and researchers.

Objectives

·         Integrate sustainability, buildability, regulatory requirements, and business drivers into early-phase bridge design.

·         Advanced design methods that enable engineers to explore many alternatives using multi-criteria evaluation (CO2, cost, risk, schedule, constructability).

·         Investigate how low-CO2 concrete and other sustainable materials can be effectively incorporated into early design phases through case studies, demonstrating material and structural optimisation, and early-phase decision workflows

·         Promote collaboration across academia and industry and support young engineers through workshops, exchange opportunities and thesis projects.

Scope & Limitation

The TG focuses on the early design and conceptual phase, including methods and decision processes that define structural systems. The scope includes integrating sustainability, material selection, construction methods, and regulatory constraints into early-phase decisions. The TG will explore novel design methods, requirement definition, and digital techniques that support transparent evaluation of design and construction alternatives. The TG will prioritise common bridge types, including culverts, short-span frame bridges, and medium-span bridges, as parts of a transport system, given their significant societal and environmental impacts.

A central aspect of the TG is to integrate business and regulatory drivers into early-phase design. This includes CO2 thresholds, national climate governance and contractual requirements. The TG will analyse how cost, risk, competitiveness, and supply-chain constraints interact with sustainability targets. Set-based exploration will be used to compare solutions and quantify trade-offs among carbon, cost, buildability, and regulatory compliance.

Expected Project Output

·         Results of activities will be presented at IABSE conferences and symposia through 4 to 6 papers.

Start Date: November 2025
Target Date of Completion: November 2029

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Chair
Rasmus Rempling, Sweden

Vice Chair
Johan Lagerkvist, Sweden

Members
Alexandre Mathern, Sweden
Daniel Ekström, Sweden
Mario Plos, Sweden
Kristine Ek, Sweden

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