Capítulo 1

La sostenibilidad se ha convertido en un criterio fundamental para la evaluación y construcción de proyectos de infraestructura vial. Diferentes metodologías se han establecido para medir las emisiones ambientales de los pavimentos, las más relevantes son el análisis del ciclo de vida (LCA) que mide los impactos generados en cada una de las etapas del ciclo de vida y que ha sido aplicada principalmente para estudiar como la inclusión de materiales reciclados genera una reducción de las emisiones ambiéntales y los sistemas de calificación que son una herramienta que permite tomar decisiones a partir de una calificación ambiental de un proyecto a través de la puntuación obtenida por la aplicación de buenas prácticas ambientales que generan la reducción de impactos. Este estudio hace una revisión bibliográfica de cada una de las metodologías descritas en los últimos años y evalúa sus fortalezas y debilidades para su aplicación en el contexto colombiano. Abstract In recent years sustainability has become one of the main criteria for the assessment and construction of road infrastructure projects. Different methodologies have been established to measure the environmental impacts of pavements, one of the most relevant is the life cycle assessment (LCA), this methodology measure the impacts generated by each one of the stages of the life cycle and has been applied mainly to study how the recycled materials reduce environmental emissions. The rating system is a tool that make possible to take decisions trough an environmental rating of a project obtained by applying the best practices int terms of sustainability that could generate impact reductions. This study makes a bibliographic review of each one of the methodologies described in the last years and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of these for its application in the Colombian context. Abstract Sustainability has become fundamental for the evaluation and construction of infrastructure projects. This study proposes an environmental sustainability rating system based on the life cycle impacts of pavement structures. The methodology of the life cycle assessment proposed by ISO 14044 was used to assess the environmental impacts, in the materials, construction, operation and maintenance stages for traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA), HMA with crumb rubber, granular bases including recycled materials (RCD and RAP) and conventional concrete. The results obtained indicate that the operation stage is the one with the greatest impact, related to the surface condition of the wearing course measured through the Surface Roughness Index (IRI). The proposed sustainability rating system is composed of a list of best practices that allow the reduction of environmental emissions in each one of the stages of the life cycle. The research has determined that the application of a set of good practices will have a greater impact on the reduction of impacts, as several sustainable alternatives can be applied.