Consequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissions
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 in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab424a |
| _version_ | 1797747945203826688 |
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| author | Ana María Rodríguez-Alloza Michael Heihsel Jacob Fry Juan Gallego Arne Geschke Richard Wood Manfred Lenzen |
| author_facet | Ana María Rodríguez-Alloza Michael Heihsel Jacob Fry Juan Gallego Arne Geschke Richard Wood Manfred Lenzen |
| author_sort | Ana María Rodríguez-Alloza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:57:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ade3d7f866ea4f26840de90568011765 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:57:54Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-ade3d7f866ea4f26840de905680117652023-08-09T14:47:03ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262019-01-01141111404010.1088/1748-9326/ab424aConsequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissionsAna María Rodríguez-Alloza0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7063-9801Michael Heihsel1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9886-0006Jacob Fry2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2349-6745Juan Gallego3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1343-3185Arne Geschke4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9193-5829Richard Wood5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7906-3324Manfred Lenzen6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0828-5288Departmento de Ingeniería Civil: Construcción, Infraestructura y Transporte, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), C/Alfonso XII 3, E-28014 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Energy Engineering, Technical University of Berlin , Straße des 17. Juni 153, D-10623 Berlin, GermanyISA, School of Physics, A28, The University of Sydney , NSW 2006, AustraliaDepartmento de Transportes, Urbanismo y Territorio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), C/Profesor Aranguren 3, E-28040 Madrid, SpainISA, School of Physics, A28, The University of Sydney , NSW 2006, AustraliaDepartment of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , IT-bygget, 216, Gløshaugen, Sem Sælands vei 7, Trondheim, NorwayISA, School of Physics, A28, The University of Sydney , NSW 2006, AustraliaWhat 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.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab424alife cycle assessmenthybrid LCAinput–output analysisself-healing asphaltroadclimate change |
| spellingShingle | Ana María Rodríguez-Alloza Michael Heihsel Jacob Fry Juan Gallego Arne Geschke Richard Wood Manfred Lenzen Consequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissions Environmental Research Letters life cycle assessment hybrid LCA input–output analysis self-healing asphalt road climate change |
| title | Consequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissions |
| title_full | Consequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissions |
| title_fullStr | Consequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Consequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissions |
| title_short | Consequences of long-term infrastructure decisions—the case of self-healing roads and their CO2 emissions |
| title_sort | consequences of long term infrastructure decisions the case of self healing roads and their co2 emissions |
| topic | life cycle assessment hybrid LCA input–output analysis self-healing asphalt road climate change |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab424a |
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