Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Concrete Pavements

Abstract: Owners and operators of transportation infrastructure in the United States are increasingly prioritizing sustainability and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including in the design, construction, and maintenance of pavement systems. When considering how to quantify and reduce GHG emissions associated with pavements, it is necessary to consider the full pavement life cycle, from the manufacture and transportation of raw materials used in construction, the construction process itself, maintenance and rehabilitation activities, the pavement’s contribution to emissions associated with operational use, and end-of-life activities such as recycling and disposal of waste products. This study provides a survey of published GHG emissions data for concrete pavements at highways and airfields at each life cycle stage. Sources of information include Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that have been produced for concrete pavement mixtures used on projects around the U.S., as well as case studies from the literature quantifying life cycle GHG emissions for concrete pavements for a variety of highway and airfield projects. The results collected from this survey are analyzed to establish representative ranges of GHG emissions values associated with concrete pavements at each of the various life cycle stages. The findings also provide insight into how emissions vary depending on concrete pavement design parameters, material properties, geography, and other factors. The findings of this study provide insight into the relative impacts of each life cycle stage on concrete pavement GHG emissions, and point toward strategies and opportunities to reduce emissions associated with concrete pavements in the future.