Energy Consumption of Asphalt and Reinforced Concrete Pavement Materials and Construction

In addition to traditional economic and technical objectives, environmental impact, and sustainability are increasingly being considered in the design of roadways and other infrastructure projects. This paper presents an abbreviated life cycle inventory assessment of a continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) and an asphalt pavement with respect to the energy consumed by each pavement type for the construction of a roadway. For CRCP, energy is primarily consumed during the manufacture of cement and reinforcing steel, which together account for approximately 94% of the total amount of energy consumed from extraction of raw materials through placement of the CRCP. For asphalt pavement, the major consumption of energy from extraction through placement occurs during asphalt mixing and drying of aggregates (48%) and the production of bitumen (40%). The assessment results highlight where sustainable design efforts to reduce energy consumption can best be directed in the initial phases of a pavement’s life cycle.