Cleaner Technology Projects in Denmark 1997

Environmental Management of a Motorway

Miljørigtig projektering af motorvej
Arbejdsrapport nr. 25, 1997, Miljøstyrelsen

The purpose of this project is to test and contribute to further development of the analysis model for construction projects, elaborated under the pre-project Environmental Management in Project Design. Another purpose is to elaborate environmental requirements, which can be included in the tender material for the road, the section Vejen – Lunderskov and to create a paradigm for implementation of Environmental Management in Project Design in connection with future road projects.

This project has been made under the framework project "Environmental Management in Project Design". By means of development of a method for Environmental Management in Project Design the project shall contribute to promote cleaner technology within building and construction projects.

The project has been carried through in connection with the main project for a section of approx. 10 km of the road Esbjerg - Kolding, elaborated by the Danish Road Directorate.

Considering that the projecting of the section in question was in the main project phase at the start of the project, it was chosen, when preparing the project, first to make an inventory, an analysis and a more detailed environmental assessment of the immediately coming activities in order to elaborate proposals to environmental initiatives, which could be included in the tender material for the soil and drainage works.

Subsequently, the process was re-started due to the general mapping and environmental estimates that were made. In addition, the recommendations on how Environmental Management of a motorway project can be carried out.

The analyses and assessments, made in chapter 2 and 3, are thus only proposals to Environmental Management in Project Design of future roads, as they can only, in a limited extent, be related to the road project in question.

The environmental assessments are in the project described in a phase development, including:
The planning and programme phase, chapter 2
The disposition proposal phase, chapter 3
The main project phase, chapter 4
The construction phase, chapter 5
Finally chapter 6 contains a description of the experiences with Environmental Management in Project Design.

The general mapping of the environmental impacts in connection with construction and operation of roads is described in tables, including:
Environmental impacts
Effects
Assessment method
Inventory result
Means

As part of the general inventories the relevant legislation and the rules in the Danish Planning Act about environmental assessment of certain types of building and construction projects have been investigated.

Furthermore proposals have been made for subjects/areas, which are recommended to be included in future environmental assessments.

In the project it has been assessed that current road rules, norms, directions and standards can result in a number of indirect environmental effects in addition to the environmental impacts, which can result in direct environmental effects.

The implementation of the project has demonstrated that it is important that employees with environmental background are involved in the projecting progress in co-operation with construction engineers.

The experiences from the project show the importance of the availability of satisfactory environmental data with regards to material and methods.

Propagation of environmental management in project design requires that simple and easy methods, which are usable, can be assigned.

Author/ institution

Carl Bro A/S, Vejdirektoratet

This report is subsidised by the National Council for Recycling and Cleaner Technology

ISSN no. 0908-9195
ISBN no. 87-7810-773-3