Student: Andrew Pentaleri
Project: Life Cycle Analysis for Evaluation Sustainability of Stormwater Streetscape Designs
Poster: Vertical (PDF) | Horizontal (PDF)
Institution: Lafayette College
Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Advisor: Leena Shevade
Abstract
Rapid land development, increased impervious surfaces, and unsustainable stormwater management lead to sewage overflow, erosion, flooding, and infrastructure damages. New York uses green infrastructure streetscapes, like bioswales, rain gardens, and bio retentions to detain and retain stormwater to avoid combined sewer overflows. Life cycle analysis (LCA) is often used to compare the impacts of products and processes. The objective of the study is to complete an LCA of three different bioswale designs constructed in Brooklyn, NY to determine the most sustainable design based on its environmental impact and stormwater retention capabilities. First we created a material list using the construction drawings of each cluster of bioswales. Then, we conducted the life cycle inventory analysis using LCA software called SimaPro to evaluate environmental impacts. We used the TRACI method to complete life cycle inventory. Then, we calculated 100 year global warming potential in terms of equivalence of CO2. Additionally, we calculated the impacts based on O2 emissions, SO2 emissions, O3 emissions, ecotoxicity, eutrophication, human health impacts, and ozone depletion of each material’s life cycle and transportation effects. Since three designs had different retention capacities, we used 1m3 of water retained by the bioswale as a functional unit to normalize the results that enable us to compare these three designs. This life cycle analysis study showed that the majority of adverse environmental effects came from the production and transportation of materials to the job site. We will be further extending this research to calculate life cycle cost analysis to compare these bioswale designs.
About Andrew Pentaleri
Andrew Pentaleri is a junior studying civil engineering at Lafayette College from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. Currently completing an independent study that is an extension of the research completed as an Excel Scholar. Cooperating with Professor Leena Shevade in evaluating the sustainability of stormwater streetscape designs by life cycle analysis and life cycle cost analysis. I was originally a mechanical engineer, but changed majors to civil in my sophomore year because I was more interested in the structural and geotechnical side of engineering. Outside of research and classes, I like to watch and play baseball, soccer, and volleyball.