Abstract
What could be the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions if the conventional way of maintaining roads is changed? Emissions of greenhouse gases must be reduced if global warming is to be avoided, and urgent political and technological decisions should be taken. However, there is a lock-in in built infrastructures that is limiting the rate at which emissions can be reduced. Self-healing asphalt is a new type of technology that will reduce the need for fossil fuels over the lifetime of a road pavement, at the same time as prolonging the road lifespan. In this study we have assessed the benefits of using self-healing asphalt as an alternative material for road pavements employing a hybrid input–output-assisted Life-Cycle Assessment, as only by determining the plausible scenarios of future emissions will policy makers identify pathways that might achieve climate change mitigation goals. We have concluded that self-healing roads could prevent a considerable amount of emissions and costs over the global road network: 16% lower emissions and 32% lower costs compared to a conventional road over the lifecycle.
Highlights
Global temperatures will increase and sea levels will rise if greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to increase at the current rate [1]
The inputs considered were the required materials to built the roads, the energy required to produce the materials and the energy consumed by the machines, the use of construction machines for the maintenance operations and the transport needed to put the materials on site or to remove them so they can be replaced
Climate change mitigation requires the identification of fossil fuel-based energy systems that contribute substantial quantities of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and the development of new strategies to reduce their fossil-fuel use
Summary
Global temperatures will increase and sea levels will rise if greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to increase at the current rate [1]. Carbon lock-in is a perpetuating inertia created by large fossil fuel-based energy systems that delay the introduction of alternative, cleaner technologies [4, 5]. Rapid economic growth has enlarged the transport sector, which was responsible for 14% global GHG in and primarily involves fossil fuels (95% of energy in the sector comes from petroleum-based fuels, largely gasoline and diesel) [8]. Twothirds of these emissions were originated from road transport and, over the decades, these emissions are expected to increase rapidly [9]. To mitigate climate change, an effort to break the existing infrastructural inertia has to be made [11]
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