Decision Support in Selecting Airfield Pavement Design Alternatives Using Life Cycle Assessment: Case Study of Nashville Airport

Ali Azhar Butt,Manuel Bejarano,Maryam Ostovar,John Harvey,Arash Saboori,Navneet Garg

doi:10.3390/su13010299

Ali Azhar Butt, Manuel Bejarano + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010299

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Abstract

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken measures to improve safety, reduce costs, increase resilience, and improve the sustainability of the United States (U.S.) airfield infrastructure by using a life-cycle cost analysis methodology to increase the efficient use of economic resources needed for expanding and preserving the airfield system. However, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach for evaluating the environmental impacts of decisions regarding airfield infrastructure has yet to be fully developed and applied. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the use of the airfield LCA framework that was developed for the FAA and can be used by U.S. airports. The comparison of alternative pavement designs at Nashville International Airport (BNA) is presented. The scope of the study was from cradle to laid; materials, materials transportation, and construction stages of the pavement life cycle are considered, and the maintenance, use and end of life stages are not considered. Primary data were acquired from BNA and secondary data were used in situations of unavailability of primary data. The case study showed that performing LCA provides opportunities for airports to consider energy use and environment-related impacts in the decision-making process.

Highlights

IntroductionThe United States (U.S.) has more than 19,000 airports (5104 public, 14,263 private, and 288 military airports), ranging from large hubs to non-hubs and reliever airports [1]
Accepted: 28 December 2020The United States (U.S.) has more than 19,000 airports (5104 public, 14,263 private, and 288 military airports), ranging from large hubs to non-hubs and reliever airports [1].Airfields within these airports consist of pavements such as runways, taxiways, aprons, parking areas for aircraft and vehicles, and air- and land-side roads that support the smooth, safe movement of aircraft and service/operation vehicles
The objective of this study is to demonstrate the use of the life-cycle assessment (LCA) framework that was recently developed for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which is intended for use by U.S airports to perform airfield

Summary

Introduction

The United States (U.S.) has more than 19,000 airports (5104 public, 14,263 private, and 288 military airports), ranging from large hubs to non-hubs and reliever airports [1] Airfields within these airports consist of pavements such as runways, taxiways, aprons, parking areas for aircraft and vehicles, and air- and land-side roads that support the smooth, safe movement of aircraft and service/operation vehicles. U.S airfields by using a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) methodology to quantify and compare costs to improve the efficient use of the economic resources needed for expanding and preserving the airfield system. A life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach for evaluating the environmental impact of decisions regarding airfield infrastructure has yet to be fully developed and applied. The first step, development of a framework for LCA of airfield airside infrastructure, has been completed [2]

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