Pavement Life Cycle Research Articles

Expansion of the Concrete Pavement Network in Quebec with the Update of the Departmental Policy on Pavement Selection Type

In 2001, the Quebec Ministry of Transportation (MTQ), in Canada, adopted a policy subdividing the existing pavement network into dedicated concrete and asphalt networks. Sixteen (16) different combinations yielded 32 pavement designs in asphalt and concrete that were compared in pairs over an analysis period of 50 years using a probabilistic Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) software. In parallel to the LCCA, a multiple criteria analysis was performed to account for a certain number of factors that are not easily quantifiable in monetary terms. The final selection criteria were applied to the Province’s pavement network and the result was mapped. After minor adjustments to ensure continuity as much as possible, the respective networks (“white” for concrete, “black” for asphalt and “gray” for further analysis) were officially established. The policy making this network allocation official was scheduled for review every 5 years. In 2010, the policy on pavement selection type has been updated based on the new knowledge related to pavement materials and work costs, as well as the environment. Taking into account the environmental issue has been the subject of a special effort to meet the MTQ’s requirements for the sustainable development. To take into account the environmental issue, a pavement Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was also performed on the 16 cases: the results of the LCA were integrated as a factor in the multiple criteria analysis. The dedicated concrete network went from 799 km in 2001 to 1231 km in 2010.

Pavement Life Cycle Cost Analysis Based on Hysteresis Data and Analysis of Fuel Consumption Measurements

Higher investment costs for Portland cement concrete over asphalt concrete pave-ments is compensated by lower maintenance costs and a longer technical life. For sus-tainability reasons the less rolling resistance on the former pavement type is claimed to be another benefit. However, methods of measuring fuel consumption are difficult to carry out in a consistent manner. The present paper examines some fuel measure-ments and then uses the hysteresis method as a validation for some of the tests. The data are then used to determine the economical implications and life cycle cost analy-sis. The results support choosing Portland Cement Concrete for roads with high vol-ume truck traffic.

Development of LCA-AIR – An Airport Pavement Life Cycle Assessment Tool

The demand to provide more sustainable facilities and infrastructure has increased over the past ten years. The ability to measure and quantify the environmental impacts of such projects is in higher demand. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies/tools are developed for highway infrastructure and pavements but a limited number of studies have been developed for airports and few for their pavement facilities. This paper introduces a pavement LCA tool called LCAAIR 1.0 to fill the necessary gap in quantifying sustainability strategies for airfield pavements. LCA-AIR incorporates the material production, construction/maintenance and rehabilitation, and use phases in the analysis. It uses standard indicators from TRACI to quantify these impacts based on two functional units (square yard and pounds-mile traveled). LCA-AIR showed that each phase contributed to the environmental impact but overall, the use phase produced the greatest LCA impact factors. The material production (MP) phase was heavily influenced by the binding agent (cement or asphalt). Brooming for foreign object debris (FOD) contributed significantly to the construction/maintenance and rehabilitation (CMR) phase. Use (U) phase was dominated by aircraft operations, particularly taking off and cruising. LCA-AIR currently does not consider the pavement end of life phase. An LCA example and corresponding environmental impacts for two different pavement types (Portland cement concrete and asphalt concrete) over the lifespan of a new airfield is provided to demonstrate the capabilities of LCA-AIR.

Life Cycle Assessment of Recycled Plastic Modified Asphalt Pavements: A Case Study in Virginia

This study presents a life-cycle-assessment-based investigation of the environmental impacts of recycled plastic modified (RPM) asphalt mixtures compared with conventional unmodified and polymer-modified mixtures in Virginia, U.S. The types of recycled plastic used as a modifier via the dry process were polyethylene terephthalate and a combination of high- and low-density polyethylene. A “cradle-to-grave” analysis, using real material properties and simulated lifespan, was performed. This analysis revealed that the content of reclaimed asphalt pavement and the type and amount of recycled plastic incorporated had a significant influence on the environmental impact of mixtures during the raw materials extraction stage. The projected performance life of the evaluated mixtures was determined by means of mechanistic-empirical simulations using FlexPaveTM and AASHTOWare® Pavement ME software. The improved performance of RPM mixtures resulted in 14% to 65% increase in the lifespan of surface layer, depending on the pavement structure and traffic considered. This increase correlated with extended duration between rehabilitation intervals, thereby decreasing environmental impacts during the use stage; however, these benefits were offset by incremental increases in vehicle emissions arising from change in roadway roughness, which accumulated over the selected study period to a value 20 times higher than emissions from all other life cycle stages combined for the study period. Results from this study illustrate how changes occurring over all stages of the pavement life cycle influence overall performance. Overall, incorporation of recycled plastics into pavement results in significant diversion of waste from landfills with no significant increase in other measured environmental impacts.

Skid Resistance Performance Analysis and Driving Safety Evaluation in the Full Life Cycle of Asphalt Pavement

Skid Resistance Performance Analysis and Driving Safety Evaluation in the Full Life Cycle of Asphalt Pavement

Quantitative study on carbon emissions of modified recycled asphalt mixture based on life cycle assessment method

Quantitative study on carbon emissions of modified recycled asphalt mixture based on life cycle assessment method

Performance evaluation of welded galvanized steel wire mesh reinforced asphalt pavements

Performance evaluation of welded galvanized steel wire mesh reinforced asphalt pavements

Research on the carbon neutralization of hot mix asphalt pavement based on life cycle assessment theory

The goal of reducing carbon emissions in the field of road engineering has become an important deployment strategy. Based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) theory, the environmental impact assessment and analysis of hot-mix asphalt pavement were carried out in this work on the basis of collecting and investigating the environmental load list data of hot-mix asphalt pavement. According to different life cycle stages, corresponding carbon neutralization schemes were proposed, and the optimal carbon neutralization schemes at different stages were obtained by simulation using queuing theory. The results showed that in the whole life cycle of hot mix asphalt pavement, the construction stage had the highest energy consumption and carbon emissions compared to the other stages, and its global warming potential (GWP) and Chinese abiotic depletion potential (CADP) were also the highest, with the greatest impact on the environment. Compared to other stages, the repair and demolition stage had the smallest contribution to the GWP and CADP evaluation indicators. In the material production stage, the ASRT 5A zeolite adsorbent had the best adsorption effect on carbon dioxide gas. The carbon emissions generated during the production phase of the neutralization material required an ASRT 5A zeolite adsorbent of about 83kg. Michelia chapensis exhibited the best carbon dioxide purification effect compared to the other three trees during the transportation construction and maintenance disassembly phase. Michelia chapensis required a leaf area of about 28,016 m2 to neutralize the carbon dioxide emissions generated in these two stages.

Lifetime engineering principles in highway asset management

Introduction. An important tendency of our time is sustainability, good value for money and long-term planning. These are also the goals of the recently developed discipline, lifetime engineering. Although the principles of the science were originally developed for buildings and engineering structures, they can also be adapted to public roads. The article — through a case study in Hungary — presents the applicability of life engineering science to public road asset management. Besides, examples of pavement structure design, durability, maintenance-operation and environmental protection are also presented. Problem Statement. The typical lifetime engineering science principles used in the presentation were: increasing (pavement) life cycle; complex, multi-disciplinary design methodology; modular design; effective, quality insurance methods; high level satisfaction of the customers’ needs; minimisation of lifetime costs; sustainable, end-of-life strategies. It is emphasized that lifetime engineering is based on specific basic principles that effectively promote an up-to-date approach to any discipline related to engineering infrastructure. The paper shows that the efficacy of a road asset management. can be considerably increased if some elements of lifetime engineering are utilized.

The influence of Multi-Layer Plastic Packaging (MPP) on the high-temperature performance of asphalt binders and mixtures using wet and dry mixing methods

ABSTRACT High temperatures, combined with heavy traffic loads, increase the risk of permanent deformation and reduce the useful lifespan of pavements, leading to a greater need for maintenance and rehabilitation activities throughout the pavement's service life. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of recycled thermoplastic additives, specifically Multi-Layer Plastic Packaging (MPP) materials, in enhancing the high-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. MPP materials, including types such as Polyester, Polyethylene, Nylon, and Metalized Polyester, were used for binder modification in asphalt mixtures. The modification was conducted using both wet and dry methods. The physical and rheological properties of the modified binders were assessed at high temperatures to determine their impact on stiffness and resistance to permanent deformation. The results indicate that MPP materials significantly improve the high-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures by enhancing binder stiffness and resistance to permanent deformation, with the wet method proving more effective than the dry method. These findings highlight the need for developing practical guidelines for incorporating MPP materials in asphalt production in the future and underscore the importance of comprehensive studies on maintenance, rehabilitation, and overall pavement lifecycle costs.

Materials Carbon Budget in Road Projects: A Case Study from The Greater Oslo Region

The estimation of carbon dioxide emissions in relation to the life cycle of road pavements is pivotal to quantify their sustainability at the design stage. This preliminary study assesses the carbon budgets concerning the production of aggregates and asphalt to build a new roadway stretch located close to Oslo (Norway), leveraging digital tools and environmental product declarations. First, the software Trimble Novapoint estimates the necessary quantity take-offs. Afterwards, the amounts of CO2 generated during the production of the construction materials are appraised for the four main industries operating nearby. The results based on the corresponding environmental product declarations indicate that the carbon budgets show very small discrepancies among the considered suppliers.

Development of a streamlined framework for probabilistic and comparative life cycle assessment of road pavements

Development of a streamlined framework for probabilistic and comparative life cycle assessment of road pavements

ANALISIS LIFE CYCLE COST PERKERASAN KAKU DAN LENTUR JALAN PROVINSI (STUDI KASUS: JALAN RAYA PARE – KEDIRI)

Pare-Kediri Highway is a provincial road which is the main connecting road between Pare and Kediri City. On this road section is often bypassed by vehicles with large loads. However, in existing conditions there is damage that varies. Road planning is generally planned to be used for a certain period of time, for example 10 to 20 years depending on existing transportation needs, in the hope that the road will remain in good condition and suitable for traffic. Road maintenance measures are necessary to ensure good operating conditions throughout the planning period. Maintenance and repair of damaged roads also cost a lot. As a result evaluating road damage and choosing the right type of repair is very important. According to the results of research with the 2017 pavement Design Manual guidelines, flexible pavement thickness was obtained including AC-WC 4 cm, AC-BC 6 cm, AC-Base 16 cm and Class A aggregate foundation layer 15 cm. While the thickness of the rigid pavement using continuous concrete without reinforcement with 30 MPa quality concrete obtained plate thickness of 28.5 cm and a layer of thin concrete foundation (LMC) 10 cm. Based on data processing, the construction cost of flexible pavement amounted to Rp 12,958,812,587.00 while rigid pavement amounted to Rp 30,584,262,345. 00. The Total maintenance cost for flexible pavement is Rp 23,836,678,414.33 while for rigid pavement is Rp 3,208,462,265. 15. So that the results of life cycle cost analysis of this study obtained the total cost during the 20-year life cycle of flexible pavement of Rp 36,795,491,001.33 while rigid pavement of Rp 33,792,724,610. 15. In this case, rigid pavement has a life cycle cost (life cycle cost) which is 8.51% more efficient than flexible pavement.

Reimagining unbound road pavement technology: Integrating testing, design, construction and performance in the post-digital era

Reimagining unbound road pavement technology: Integrating testing, design, construction and performance in the post-digital era

Analysis of the extent of heavy vehicle overloading on Namibian trunk roads and evaluation of the effectiveness of existing mitigation measures

Overloading of heavy vehicles reduces pavement life and increases pavement life cycle costs. As part of Namibia's strategy to control heavy vehicle overloading on the road network, weighbridge facilities have been constructed at strategic locations on primary routes (trunk roads). The study analysed the extent of heavy vehicle overloading on Namibian trunk roads, as well as the effectiveness of existing overloading mitigation measures. The dataset comprised heavy vehicle loading information from the year 2015 to 2019, from ten static weighbridge facilities. The parameters investigated include overloading magnitude, the effect of overloading on road pavement life, and the effectiveness of current overload mitigation measures. The results showed that 13.3% of the vehicles weighed were overloaded, with a compounded decrease in overloading of approximately 0.5% per annum. Despite the overloading decrease, the study found that the estimated road service life was reduced by as much as nine years over the study period. High levels of weighbridge avoidance and poor stakeholder coordination in mitigating overloading were identified. The study recommends deploying high-speed weigh-in-motion systems, an increase in fines charged for overloading offenses, and developing a demerit point-based system for habitual offenders to strengthen mitigation measures.

Effect of Traffic and Soil characteristics on Flexible and Rigid Pavement Life Cycle Costs

Effect of Traffic and Soil characteristics on Flexible and Rigid Pavement Life Cycle Costs

Performance and Lifecycle of Hot Asphalt Mix Modified with Low-Percentage Polystyrene and Polybutadiene Compounds

The paper investigates the improvement of bitumen mixture fatigue resistance and the rutting performance by using a specific low percentage of a styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) polymer, which contains polystyrene and polybutadiene compounds. A Fourier transform infrared (IR-FT) spectroscopy of the SBS polymer used in following test was carried out to ascertain the polybutadiene and polystyrene compound ratio, which may affect the modificant properties. Unmodified, low-percentage modified SBS, and common polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) as a reference were tested to ascertain the properties, fatigue resistance, and the rutting performance. The test results of the low-percentage modification with SBS are compared against unmodified mixtures and standard PMB mixtures. Finally, a simulation of the practical application was performed using the HDM-4 software (version 2.0), where the material research findings, with an emphasis on the rutting performance, were translated into the pavement performance with a varying binder course layer under simulated traffic conditions. Lifecycle analysis, with a focus on emissions production (CO2, SO2, and NOx) during pavement operation, was conducted for pavements with unmodified, low-percentage modified SBS, and standard PMB binder courses. The lifecycle analysis showed that a 3% modification of the binder course with the SBS polymer can extend the rutting parameter pavement lifecycle by approximately 34.5%, which is about half of the extension provided by the standard PMB modification. The resulting improvement in the pavement serviceability translated to a 9% reduction in CO2 and SO2 emissions and a 7.2% reduction in NOx emissions over a 20-year period.

Adaptive maintenance strategies to mitigate climate change impacts on asphalt pavements

Adaptive maintenance strategies to mitigate climate change impacts on asphalt pavements

Assessment of microplastics production from waste plastics-modified asphalt pavement

Assessment of microplastics production from waste plastics-modified asphalt pavement

Carbon emissions quantification and different models comparison throughout the life cycle of asphalt pavements

Carbon emissions quantification and different models comparison throughout the life cycle of asphalt pavements