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Terminal Expansion Project at Port of Vancouver Receives Envision Platinum Award

31-May-2022

The Centerm Expansion Project and the South Shore Access Project at the Port of Vancouver have obtained an Envision Platinum Award for Sustainability.

This design-build project centers on terminal expansion and improvements which will increase container and vessel handling capacity, but includes off-terminal improvements to the adjacent road and rail network. The combined project will help meet the increasing export and import demand for containers shipped through the Port of Vancouver.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is concurrently delivering these improvements with project partner WSP Canada, Inc. (the lead Envision Firm); AECOM; Centennial Expansion Partners (CXP), a joint venture between Dragados Canada, Jacob Brothers Construction, and Fraser River Pile & Dredge Inc.

This award recognizes the success of the project team in achieving sustainability goals in these areas:

— Prioritizing the needs and goals of the local communities through meaningful investments.
— Meaningful and credible stakeholder engagement.
— Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions
— Sustainable siting and innovative marine restoration.

View the full announcement in our Project Directory.

Bologna Bypass Project Earns an Envision Platinum Award

25-May-2022

A key upgrade to the Italian city’s highway connector system, the project focused on the creation of well-integrated infrastructure in collaboration with stakeholders, systematically reducing noise and air pollution. The project also emphasized social and economic benefits, including the extension of parkland and the addition of 20 km of cycling paths. 4.5 million fewer hours of road travel per year will result, translating to 1,350 tons less carbon dioxide.

Serving as a vital transportation node for Italy and providing a strategic artery for a leading national manufacturer, the Bologna highway system is closely tied to the country’s economic prosperity.

This is the first highway infrastructure project in Europe to obtain a Platinum Award under Envision®. At a cost of €1.5 billion, the bypass will strengthen the urban section of the A14 expressway linking Bologna, Bari, and Taranto with an extension of approximately 13 kilometers. While retaining connections with the A1 expressway linking Milan and Naples, and the A13 (Bologna-Padua) expressway, the bypass speeds up access to Bologna via the city’s ring road system.

Vehicles will spend approximately 4.5 million fewer hours on the road per year as a result of the project. This will significantly enhance the quality of life in local communities and reduce CO2 emissions in metropolitan Bologna substantially (1,350 tons per year).

A significant feature of this project was that the design addressed not only the needs of vehicular traffic, but also the necessity of connecting the A14 highway with other transportation modes, all informed by a strong network logic. The purpose was to integrate the bypass with key urban junctions and existing local infrastructure in a way that would generate socioeconomic value, maximize benefits and promote sustainability.

A public-private partnership (PPP) project, the Bologna bypass also benefited from the strong work of an interdisciplinary project team emphasizing transparency and broad stakeholder involvement throughout the design process. With this foundation, a transformative project took shape focusing on the environment, innovation, and mobility.

Learn more about why this project earned a Platinum rating by visiting the Project Profile

Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Facility

14-April-2022

The Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Project (LB-MUST) is a comprehensive and innovative regional project.

It will intercept and treat dry weather runoff, and first-flush storm flows generated within the City of Long Beach before discharging to the Los Angeles River and Estuary. The centralized downstream advanced treatment facility has a planned capacity capable of collecting and diverting approximately 41% of the City’s 12,200-acre watershed.

The LB-MUST is a prime example of a project in the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed that provides incentives for water agencies throughout each watershed to collaborate in managing the region’s water resources and setting regional priorities for water infrastructure and improving the region’s water self-reliance. This is a multi-benefit infrastructure project that achieves many essential goals such as:

— Advancing local hire and job training goals.

— Using nature-based solutions.

— Providing benefits to disadvantaged communities and economically distressed areas.

— Providing inspiration and education to other agencies and the community, such as delivering multi-benefit solutions to address community challenges.

Colin Averill, PE, Civil Engineer, City of Long Beach Public Works, Engineering Bureau: “Long Beach continues its commitment to improving water quality by delivering an innovative project to treat stormwater and urban runoff with capacity for a substantial portion of the City’s watershed. Sustainability extends beyond the project limits with water reuse, community, and environmental benefits that will support expanded greenspace along the LA River.”

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Biosolids Digester Facilities Project Earns Envision Platinum Award

13-April-2022

The Biosolids Digester Facilities Project is located at the Southeast Treatment Plant, San Francisco’s largest wastewater treatment plant.

The SFPUC is investing over $3 billion to upgrade and modernize the aging Southeast Treatment Plant (SEP) as part of a more extensive Sewer System Improvement Program (SSIP). Once the upgrades are finished, SEP will reliably work better, smell better, and be a more significant community asset. The SFPUC is also upgrading the SEP for earthquake preparedness, sea-level rise, and operational efficiency. In addition, the work will reduce odors and improve the quality of life for nearby residents and employees.

The Biosolids Digester Facilities Project (BDFP) is an essential component of the larger SEP upgrade. The BDFP project will replace and relocate the existing (and outdated) solids treatment facilities with more reliable, efficient, and modern technologies and facilities. This project will help transform the SEP into a modern resource-recovery facility, allow the SFPUC to meet its levels-of-service goals, and be an attractive place to work and visit.

“Achieving Envision Platinum is a major accomplishment, and it reflects the hard work of so many people at the SFPUC and in this community,” SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera said. “Environmental justice is at the forefront of our work, and this award underscores our commitment to a sustainable future, including the health and wellbeing of the communities in which we operate.”

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

Announcing the Launch of Envision Canada to Accelerate Sustainable Infrastructure Practices from Coast to Coast to Coast

23-March-2022

The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) are pleased to announce the launch of Envision® Canada.

Envision Canada is a partnership between CSCE and ISI to advance sustainable infrastructure practices in Canada by accelerating the use of the Envision sustainable infrastructure framework.

Envision is a holistic sustainability framework and rating system that enables a thorough examination of the sustainability and resiliency of all types of infrastructure. It is the only comprehensive tool in North America that can assist government agencies and their consultants and contractors in delivering infrastructure that tackles communities’ most pressing challenges, including improving the quality of life for everyone, creating good jobs, increasing economic growth, supporting climate resilience, reducing emissions, and cultivating social equity and cohesiveness.

“Envision Canada comes at a time when communities across the country are looking for ways to build a cleaner and greener future,” says Melissa Peneycad, ISI’s Managing Director. “Envision is a  practical tool to support the long-term planning toward a climate-resilient future. I’ve seen firsthand how well it works in the Canadian context and its alignment with Canadian needs and values. I’m excited to work with CSCE and our members across the country to take Envision use to the next level.”

Envision sets the standard for what constitutes sustainable infrastructure and incentivizes higher performance goals beyond minimum requirements.

In Canada, there are over 400 credentialed Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs)—people trained in the use of Envision. Twelve Canadian infrastructure projects have earned Envision awards for sustainability, including Infrastructure Canada’s Samuel de Champlain Bridge Corridor in Montréal, Quebec; the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority’s Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ontario; the Surrey Biofuel Facility in Surrey, British Columbia; and the Northeast False Creek Renewal and Development project in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“We’re thrilled to be working with ISI to lead sustainable infrastructure development in Canada,” says David Innes, CSCE’s Executive Director.

“We’ll be focused on improving awareness of Envision, building capacity, and fostering innovation,” explains Michael Benson, CSCE Vice President. “Envision Canada is the result of a fantastic partnership between CSCE and ISI and we look forward to working together to accelerate the use of Envision across the country.”

Please visit EnvisionCanada.com to learn more.

Download the Announcement in English

Télécharger l’annonce en français

 

SOE Advocacy & Communications Toolkit

19-November-2020

The ‘Sustain it or Explain it’ toolkit is a communication, advocacy, and outreach toolkit created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) to spread Envision sustainability awareness. Working closely with a task force comprised of civil engineers and sustainability experts in America and Canada, ISI seeks to advocate and inform lawmakers, the a/e/c industry, the public, and the media about the importance of building sustainable, resilient, and equitable civil infrastructure, with the Envision sustainability framework and rating system as the vehicle for that purpose.

SOE Toolkit – Full Version

SOE Toolkit – Short Version
(abridged and compressed for faster downloading)

ISI and FEMCIC Partner to Bring Envision to Mexico

20-August-2020

Washington, D.C. — 8-18-2020:


The Federación Mexicana de Colegios de Ingenieros Civiles (FEMCIC) and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) are proud to announce their partnership to bring the Envision framework and rating system to Mexico. Working together, ISI and FEMCIC are hopeful that the A/E/C industry will use Envision to plan, design, and deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure to enhance societal health and wellbeing, protect the environment, and boost economic prosperity across Mexico.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of ISI, Anthony Kane, is elated to be collaborating with FEMCIC and extending the Envision framework into Mexico: “We see this as a tremendous opportunity for Mexico, its citizens, communities, and the A/E/C industry. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a greater need to rebuild better infrastructure to aid communities in bouncing back stronger. The Envision framework and rating system can empower all stakeholders to do just that.”

Mr. Alejandro Guevara, president of FEMCIC, agrees and said: “Mexico has an opportunity to implement a process for sustainable infrastructure development, and the civil engineering community will be leading the effort to demonstrate how our organization is partnering with international organizations like ISI to improve our nation’s infrastructure.”

Oscar Cortes, vice president of International Relations of FEMCIC, agrees and said, “This partnership will be a highly beneficial relationship as it promotes the use of the best management tools for our engineers.”

FEMCIC is the leading Civil Engineering Society in Mexico comparable to ASCE in the United States. As such, they promote (within their membership) capacity building, and they coordinate the certification process across all 60 local chapters in Mexico. FEMCIC also engages its local, state, and federal legislative officials to promote an integrated development process for sustainable infrastructure as part of policies and regulations.

Envision is the product of the collaboration between ISI, which was founded by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. ISI’s partnership with FEMCIC is a natural progression of that work.
To date, thousands of individuals in the United States, Canada, and Italy have earned the Envision Sustainability Professional Credential (ENV SP). More than one hundred project teams have also had their projects verified. Numerous professionals and experts in the A/E/C industry have benefited from learning Envision. Infrastructure owners, engineers, designers, architects, planners, contractors, operators, and other stakeholders have found it most impactful when used as a guidance tool in the early planning and design stages of infrastructure development. Doing so helps engineers identify and analyze their needs before approving and executing projects.

The goal of both ISI and FEMCIC is to help individuals and communities thrive. With FEMCIC’s stamp of approval, ISI is eager to work collaboratively with them to deploy Envision. Together, they’ll be ensuring a more sustainable and resilient Mexico.

To learn more about Envision or the partnership between FEMCIC and ISI, please contact Dyan Lee, ISI’s director of Marketing and Communications, at lee@sustainableinfrastructure.org. You may also contact FEMCIC directly at presidencia.femcic@gmail.com   

Please check out the FEMCIC website

Download the press release in English / Spanish