Green Rating Integration Platform – a Decision Making Tool for Multi-modal Facilities: Credit Harmonization and a Sustainable Water & Material Practices Case Study

There are multitudes of sustainability rating systems and guidelines, and it is difficult to decide which ones to use and how to use them. In addition, multi-modal projects have different focal areas and associated rating systems related to each mode or other aspect of the project. Five green ratings systems representative of aspects of a multi-modal ferry facility had previously been selected and were used in a four step methodology to synthesize into a strategic decision making platform. This current research focuses on how to make more detailed decision making harmonization amongst the credits in the rating systems. Using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) of the credits in the rating systems, it was determined that the two main groups of information that could be used for harmonization were key intents or goals (KI) and key strategies or practices (KS). A short cursory case study example of how these KIs and KSs might be further cross-coded in an open database with the credit subcategories and corresponding rating systems is also presented. The database can filter the credit subcategories across the rating system for a specific key intent or key strategy. The harmonized lists and database may facilitate decision makers and construction managers in correlating intents and methodologies for a project across multiple rating systems.