Optimising the evaluation of sustainable pavementsa life-cycle assessment approach

Abstract

As it stands, the construction of road pavements uses large amounts of virgin materials (some of which are fossil-based) and consume quite a large amount of thermal energy with non-renewable fuels too. Considering the growing climate crisis, there is an urgent need for the cleaner production of these assets, for which life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been recommended. This doctoral thesis aims to optimise pavement LCA by quantifying the relative importance of its parameters on final results and to provide solutions to better interpret design alternatives. To achieve this aim, three objectives were achieved: 1) state-of-the-art on sustainability- and LCA-based requirements in sustainable roadway rating systems, 2) identification of the associated risks of using open-source data via a variability and uncertainty analysis, 3) analysis of the cost-effectiveness of pavement design climate change mitigation strategies considering alternative pavement materials and production methods at the product and life-cycle level. Results of this thesis indicate the influence of the uncertainty of design parameters on final results and how to environmentally optimise asphalt pavement design. Finally, future research topics were identified.