Importance of Good Maintenance to Sustainable Infrastructure

Running head:SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Topic- Describe the importance of good maintenance to sustainable infrastructure and
discuss best practice in this area
Introduction
This essay particularly discusses the importance of good maintenance to sustainable
infrastructure and review the best practices of sustainability. Infrastructure management is a
significant challenge facing sustainable development of infrastructure particularly in the
Third World cities. The major issue in the field is that maintenance strategy is not
incorporated or considered into the entire life-cycle costing of developing infrastructure in the
formation stage of developing cities or nations in spite of the role of infrastructure as the
fundamental base on which, all depend for sustainable living. It is quite undeniable that
adequacy of infrastructure in environment is directly associated with the adequacy of output
of existing bodies including the non-living. Therefore, it is highly necessary to plan for
maintenance of infrastructure to remain under a functional state. The major purpose of the
essay is to examine the necessity of good maintenance required for the sustainability
infrastructure and address the stated issues. Thus, to shape the discussion, essay includes
some best practices of maintaining infrastructure in a sustainable way. To present the
findings, few journal articles on sustainability have been considered as well as few real-world
example of implementing sustainability practices in infrastructure have also been used in the
essay.
Importance of maintaining infrastructure in sustainable way with the best practices
According to Bocchiniet al. (2013), infrastructure maintenance helps to keep the
fabric of infrastructure intact. Maintenance is also considered as an act of putting or
developing infrastructure like vehicles, machine and in a very good conditions. In this
context, Weber, Alfen and Staub-Bisang (2016) commented that understanding importance of

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sustainability in infrastructure could mean incorporation of long term facility management
agreements in all fundamental projects. On the basis of this fact, it is worth stating that
infrastructure sustainability could let people have it both ways –such as it can help to create
value for society as well as contribute to enhanced environmental outcomes while still
increasing the overall returns to those involved in the implementation of operation of
infrastructure. However, Proctor et al. (2015) mentioned the fact that in spite of the
deficiency of understanding of what sustainability stands for in infrastructure as well as
propensity for management to consider it as an imposition which could incur costs, delay and
damage the environment. Nonetheless, when it comes to importance of infrastructure
sustainability, Chester et al. (2013) mentioned that social, public, environmental wellbeing,
private and public respondents in the industry must have particular responsibilities to make
sure that the infrastructure in each field is efficient and effective to serve its overall purpose
over life. In addition to this, design, construction, operation and ultimate demolition of
infrastructure could significantly impact the consumption of natural resources as well as
create significant impact on natural environment as well as the communities.
Sustainable building infrastructure could protect environment as well as enhance
long-term values to facilities and roadways that all depend for prosperity. Particularly, when
planning for a large building to be made, sustainability of the same is always a significant
concern. Hence, green building or the sustainability design remains the fundamental practice
of enhancing efficiency with which buildings and sites consume energy, and water amongst
other resources. Hence, green building is considered to be reducing the effects on human
health and environment for the whole life cycle of a building. When it comes to building
infrastructure, Berardi (2013) particularly insisted on green building, as the growth and
development of the communities has a considerable impact on national environment.
Therefore, the manufacturing design, construction as well as operation of the building in

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which people live or work are majorly for the consumption of several national resources. It
has been identified that almost 39% of overall energy consumption and 68% of overall
electricity consumption in the United States account for buildings. On the other side,
environmental impact of green building lies in enhanced and protected biodiversity and
ecosystems (YJ Siew, Balatbat and Carmichael, 2013). On the other side, Wong and Fan
(2013) also mentioned about the economic advantages of green building as sustainability
such as reduced cost of operation, enhanced occupant productivity, enhanced asset value as
well as optimized life-cycle economic performance.
Road and transport development are typical public good and it can generate
adequate enhanced economic activity as well as internal taxes to provide for their
maintenance.Vasconcellos (2014) mentioned that sustainability in transportation is highly
required because transport is an essential part of daily lives and fundamental to sustainable
development. Nonetheless, an effective project on a greater scale may hold the ability in
demonstrating the building and rehabilitation of required infrastructure, which could be much
difficult for a project of such scale. In spite of the ongoing economic challenge, the major
tangible benefits that sustainable transportation infrastructure could bring to economy as well
as its potential to convert people’s lives, are effectively established but not yet wide spread.
In this context, Oberhofer and Dieplinger (2014) mentioned that sustainable, efficient as well
as well-maintained transportation infrastructure could allow urban as well as rural dwellers
the scope or the opportunity to take part in economic opportunities and access to fundamental
services. This can be well understood with an example such as a new and enhanced road not
only generates employment and but also create a short-term boost to a nation’s economy and
such investment could help to develop and facilitate economic activities for decades.
Transportation in the present days is widely reliant on fossil fuel as well as
challenge is thus better alignment and low cost carbon transportation. Furthermore, fine