Dynamic Life-Cycle Modeling of Pavement Overlay Systems: Capturing the Impacts of Users, Construction, and Roadway Deterioration
Publication: Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 16, Issue 4
Abstract
Pavement systems provide critical infrastructure services to society but also pose significant impacts related to large material consumption, energy inputs, and capital investment. A life-cycle model was developed to estimate environmental impacts resulting from material production and distribution, overlay construction and preservation, construction-related traffic congestion, overlay usage, and end of life management. To improve sustainability in pavement design, a promising alternative material, engineered cementitious composites (ECC) was explored. Compared to conventional concrete and hot-mixed asphalt overlay systems, the ECC overlay system reduces life-cycle energy consumption by 15 and 72%, greenhouse gas emissions by 32 and 37%, and costs by 40 and 47%, respectively. Material, construction-related traffic congestion, and pavement surface roughness effects were identified as the greatest contributors to environmental impacts throughout the overlay life cycle. The sensitivity analysis indicated that traffic growth has much greater impact on the life-cycle energy consumption and environmental impacts of overlay systems compared to fuel economy improvements.
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Acknowledgments
This research was funded through an NSF MUSES Biocomplexity Program Grant Nos. UNSPECIFIEDCMS-0223971 and UNSPECIFIEDCMS-0329416. MUSES (Materials Use: Science, Engineering, and Society) supports projects that study the reduction of adverse human impact on the total interactive system of resource use, the design and synthesis of new materials with environmentally benign impacts on biocomplex systems, as well as the maximization of efficient use of materials throughout their life cycles.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 16 • Issue 4 • December 2010
Pages: 299 - 309
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 27, 2009
Accepted: Jul 16, 2009
Published online: Jul 22, 2009
Published in print: Dec 2010
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