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RESEARCH CONCEPT

The conceptual design for carbon-neutral infrastructure follows the philosophy of “carbon neutrality by design.” Unlike traditional approaches where infrastructure is designed first and emissions are assessed afterward, we prioritize carbon neutrality from the outset. Just as loads and safety are integral design variables in structural engineering, we treat carbon emissions as a fundamental consideration during the design process. By adopting this approach, carbon neutrality can be firmly established as a new performance requirement for infrastructure.

Programs T

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Obj1 2

Develop and implement a uniform carbon neutrality index to measure, predict and monitor carbon emissions at each stage of the infrastructure lifecycle, and then integrate them into a total index for the overall infrastructure.

Obj2 2

Develop and implement carbon reduction and sequestration techniques used in each stage of structural design, construction, operation and end-of-life of infrastructure.

Obj3 2

Develop and implement methods to increase circularity and longevity of infrastructure with closed-loop design to reduce carbon emissions.

Obj4 2

Develop and implement analytics and machine-learning algorithms for carbon emission data processing, mining, and modelling to track the real-time carbon performance of infrastructure over its whole life.

Obj5 2

Develop and implement a technical design manual with digital twin tools for use by industry to achieve a designated reduction of carbon emissions of infrastructure.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Program 1 – Metrics for carbon emissions of each stage of infrastructure

Program 2 – Techniques for carbon reduction and sequestration

Program 3 – Methods for increasing circularity and longevity

Program 4 – Analytics and machine learning for carbon performance

Program 5 – Prototype demonstration and socio-technical transformation