Life-cycle assessment of airport pavement design alternatives for energy and environmental impacts

Airport authorities are interested in selecting the preferred pavement design and rehabilitation strategy considering economic and environmental factors along with performance requirements. The objective of this study is to quantify energy and environmental impact of runway pavement design alternatives using life-cycle assessment approach. Life-cycle inventory data were compiled from literature database and field surveys to contractors. The data variations in the material-related energy and emission rates were considered for sensitivity analysis. The impact assessment focused on the cumulative energy demand and greenhouse gas emission in the material, construction, and maintenance phases of pavement life-cycle. A methodology was developed to consider upstream components related to process fuels in the impact assessment. The results indicate that the expected pavement service life and maintenance treatments significantly affect the comparison between hot-mix asphalt and Portland cement concrete pavements. The consideration of energy and emissions associated with process fuels and electricity in the upstream process cannot be neglected in life-cycle assessment. Although there are no general conclusions on pavement type selection, the research findings bring awareness to airport authorities on the impact of pavement type on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission. The project-level analysis is suggested to be conducted for selecting the sustainable design alternatives in the airport planning process. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.