Title: 

An integrated Decision Support Tool (i-DST) for life-cycle cost assessment and optimization of green, grey, and hybrid stormwater infrastructure

 

Abstract: 

The goal of the project is to develop an integrated decision support tool, called i-DST, for prioritizing potential grey and green stormwater infrastructure projects.  Decision support tools such as this are needed by municipalities crafting stormwater management plans to meet diverse objectives, while simultaneous minimizing economic costs.  The primary objectives of these management plans are flood control and water quality permit compliance.  However, there are many other outcomes of stormwater infrastructure that can be considered, such as life cycle environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas releases) and additional benefits to the community provided by the infrastructure (e.g., urban green space, air temperature regulation).  The i-DST is a software tool that is being developed with routines to quantify how different stormwater infrastructure scenarios are able to meet these competing objectives.  Some components of the module include a hydrology and water model, life cycle cost estimation, a life cycle assessment to compute environmental impact, and the quantification of other community benefits. The use of regional defaults values of infrastructure costs, materials, and performance allow for application of the tool across the nation.

 

 

Colin Bell is a postdoctoral researcher at the Colorado School of Mines in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.  His educational history includes a BS from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, an MSE from UNC Charlotte, and a PhD from Purdue University.  Colin has focused research efforts on monitoring and modeling hydro-ecological processes of urban environments.  Specifically, focus has been paid to exploring how stormwater management strategies effect stream hydrology, water quality, and ecosystem function.  In addition to this primary research, Colin has worked to build decision support tools for both urban water managers and residents looking to minimize negative impacts of urban water runoff.