Underground with the Triple Bottom Line

Sustainability development and Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concerns are typically focused in the context of life on the surface of the planet.  Rarely do we consider the broad environmental, economic, and social impacts associated with our vast infrastructure resources that lie below our feet. 

Ignoring the underground in terms of the TBL is slowly changing.  The National Research Council recently released Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development that addresses the need for a more integrated and holistic approach to planning, design, and construction in the underground matrix.  Engineers, infrastructure managers, and policy makers should read this report.  The world of underground infrastructure is the perfect laboratory to explore and develop sustainability policies and standards.

It is an area of the infrastructure market that is in need of innovation - - from data visualization to robotic construction to enhanced risk assessment/mitigation modeling - - that supports sustainability over the entire life-cycle.  Climate change concerns and adaptation mitigation strategies will force engineers to move broadly to consider the sustainability issues of system interdependency, vulnerabilities, complexity, and adaptability.  Our underground "mental matrix" must change to accommodate the need for broader and more innovative thinking regarding the TBL for the under world.

Any discussion regarding the TBL and sustainability issues must also take into consideration the importance of the interdisciplinary nature of our underground.  The underground infrastructure space is a complex mixture of transportation infrastructure, private utility service providers, building foundations, and public infrastructure.  Collaboration, communication, and coordination will be critical in the TBL of the underground.  Thinking in terms of the complete service life-cycle will be especially important - - activities such as access for inspections, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and reconfigurations are key for thinking about a more sustainable underground.