In the research project LZinfra, a life-cycle tool for the standardized sustainability assessment of traffic infrastructures was developed together with leading partners from science and the construction industry – providing well-founded decision-making bases as early as the initial design phases.
In the research project LZinfra, a practical, scalable assessment system was developed on behalf of central stakeholders such as ASFINAG, ÖBB and further industry representatives, together with partners from science and the construction industry. It integrated ecological and economic aspects over the entire life cycle of traffic infrastructures.
The focus was on a coherent methodology for the life-cycle analysis (LCA) of traffic infrastructure projects. Variants were systematically assessed – not only on the basis of life-cycle costs (LCC), but also by means of 11 environmental eco-balance indicators, including emissions, resource consumption and energy use. This provided well-founded decision-making bases for sustainable infrastructure projects as early as the initial design phases.
Central development services included the development and integration of ecological databases, the programming of the digital tool landscape, interface development for system integration and the performance of complex computer simulations.
The modular tool enabled assessments on several levels: at corridor level for the preliminary project and route options, at structural level for design optimization, and at building site level for process optimization as well as in the award and bidding phase. LZinfra thus became a continuous controlling instrument for sustainable infrastructure projects.
LZinfra enables the standardized computed deduction and comparison of sustainability in traffic infrastructure construction – over all project phases.
Beyond the optimization of individual structures, LZinfra also enabled strategic decisions at system level and made a specific contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions and other environmental impacts, increasing resource efficiency and enhancing transparency in design and award processes.
LZinfra built on the findings of the traffic infrastructure research project “DECARBONISATION FIRST” and consistently developed them further. The combination of scientific methods and practice-oriented tool development created an efficient instrument for designers, infrastructure operators and construction companies.
Clients (extract): ASFINAG, ÖBB, BBT SE, Wiener Linien, MA29, GVTB, VÖB, VÖZ, OMV, Porr, Habau, Leyrer & Graf, BeMo Tunneling etc.
Cooperation partners: ÖBV, University of Innsbruck, TU Graz, TU Wien
