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Pavements 2025

Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability Assessment of Pavements

Lifecycle Assessment Studies

Uncovering Social Hotspots in Asphalt Production for Sustainable Infrastructure

Tuesday, June 10, 2025
8:45 AM – 9:00 AM MT
Abstract: Sustainable development (SD) is an approach to growth and human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The goal of SD is to create a society where living conditions and resources satisfy human needs without undermining planetary integrity, balancing the needs of the economy, environment, and social well-being. While civil engineers often focus on environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), this study conducts a real-world Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to address the often-overlooked social dimensions of sustainability. Given the high volume of asphalt mixture production in the USA, 432 million tons in 2021, with revenues of approximately 31 billion USD by January 2023, the industry’s social impact could be substantial.

This study applies OpenLCA software and the Social Hotspots Database (SHDB) to evaluate the potential social risks and identify hotspot areas within the lifecycle of asphalt mixture production in Virginia, aiming to support sustainable infrastructure and urban development within the state. The analysis follows the 2020 Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products and Organizations and examines stakeholder categories including workers, local communities, and society. Social subcategories analyzed include health and safety, working hours, and equal opportunities, among others. The findings reveal key social hotspots, providing critical insights for minimizing social risks and promoting sustainable development within the asphalt and transportation industry. By addressing these hotspots, this paper contributes to the broader goals of sustainable transportation by recommending practices that foster social responsibility and improve the social sustainability of transportation infrastructure in US.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees can expect to learn the following from this session:
  • Introducing social sustainability.
  • Introducing Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA).
  • Showing a S-LCA case study result of S-LCA of asphalt production in Virginia.
  • Introducing potential social risks during asphalt mixture production.