Life cycle assessment of various pavement rehabilitation techniques: A case study

Abstract

This study investigated the environmental performance of three pavement rehabilitation techniques: reconstruction, full-depth reclamation (FDR) with stabilization (using cement and bitumen), and FDR without stabilization. The goal was to provide decision-makers with context-specific life cycle assessment (LCA) data to inform sustainable road asset management. The analysis employed OpenLCA software and the ecoinvent database, utilizing the IMPACTWorld + methodology. The results revealed significant environmental benefits for the FDR techniques compared to traditional reconstruction. FDR with stabilization showed a lower impact in four of the five categories considered in this study. Reconstruction was found to be the worst in most of the categories considered. Moreover, the results showed that transportation distance can have a significant impact on the results, especially the long-term climate change, fossil energy use and human toxicity. Finally, the results showed that the lifespan considered is a very important parameter to consider as it can influence the results. The study underscored the necessity of context-specific LCAs to account for variations in local conditions, transportation distances, and material properties. It emphasized the potential of FDR techniques to support circular economy principles and reduce environmental impacts.