Status Quo of the Application of Ecological Award Criteria in Infrastructure Construction

Abstract

The key issue of the sustainability transformation in European economies and elsewhere requires attention in the construction industry as well, and therefore it also must be considered as an essential component in the procurement process for public construction projects. This research aims to examine the status quo of the implementation of ecological award criteria in the procurement of transport infrastructure projects in Austria. The methodology of the work consists of an empirical study which is conducted by a quantitative digital expert survey. The aim of the study is to determine the practical implementation of the existing award criteria in construction projects in Austria. The frequency of application of ecological criteria in practice and their potential for improvement in application and implementation were to be determined. The survey shows that 71.3% of the respondents consider the application of ecological aspects in the awarding of construction services in the infrastructure sector to be insufficient. A major problem is the availability of unified specifications in the form of laws, standards or guidelines. 72.6% of respondents stated the need for unified specifications. Respondents also criticized the insufficient number of existing “green” criteria. This shows a need for nationally standardized regulations and the further development of practical and implementable ecological award criteria.