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Life Cycle Economic and Environmental Impacts of CDW Recycled Aggregates in Roadway Construction and Rehabilitation

Author

Listed:
  • Yunpeng Zhao

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA)

  • Dimitrios Goulias

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA)

  • Luca Tefa

    (Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructures Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 24 Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 10129 Torino, Italy)

  • Marco Bassani

    (Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructures Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 24 Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 10129 Torino, Italy)

Abstract

The use of recycled materials in roadway construction and rehabilitation can achieve significant benefits in saving natural resources, reducing energy, greenhouse gas emissions and costs. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycled aggregate as an alternative to natural one can enhance sustainability benefits in roadway infrastructure. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the life cycle economic and environmental benefits when alternative stabilized-CDW aggregates are used in pavement construction. Comparative analysis was conducted on a pavement project representative of typical construction practices in northern Italy so as to quantify such benefits. The proposed alternative sustainable construction strategies considered CDW aggregates stabilized with both cement and cement kiln dust (CKD) for the base layer of the roadway. The life cycle assessment results indicate that using CDW aggregate stabilized with CKD results in considerable cost savings and environmental benefits due to (i) lower energy consumption and emissions generation during material processing and (ii) reduction in landfill disposal. The benefits illustrated in this analysis should encourage the wider adoption of stabilized CDW aggregate in roadway construction and rehabilitation. In terms of transferability, the analysis approach suggested in this study can be used to assess the economic and environmental benefits of these and other recycled materials in roadway infrastructure elsewhere.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunpeng Zhao & Dimitrios Goulias & Luca Tefa & Marco Bassani, 2021. "Life Cycle Economic and Environmental Impacts of CDW Recycled Aggregates in Roadway Construction and Rehabilitation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8611-:d:606901
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yunpeng Zhao & Dimitrios Goulias & Dominique Peterson, 2021. "Recycled Asphalt Pavement Materials in Transport Pavement Infrastructure: Sustainability Analysis & Metrics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Thives, Liseane Padilha & Ghisi, Enedir, 2017. "Asphalt mixtures emission and energy consumption: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 473-484.
    3. Hossain, Md. Uzzal & Poon, Chi Sun & Lo, Irene M.C. & Cheng, Jack C.P., 2016. "Comparative environmental evaluation of aggregate production from recycled waste materials and virgin sources by LCA," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 67-77.
    4. Sajjad Pourkhorshidi & Cesare Sangiorgi & Daniele Torreggiani & Patrizia Tassinari, 2020. "Using Recycled Aggregates from Construction and Demolition Waste in Unbound Layers of Pavements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-19, November.
    5. Anastasiou, E.K. & Liapis, A. & Papayianni, I., 2015. "Comparative life cycle assessment of concrete road pavements using industrial by-products as alternative materials," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 1-8.
    6. Alberta Carpenter & Jenna R. Jambeck & Kevin Gardner & Keith Weitz, 2013. "Life Cycle Assessment of End‐of‐Life Management Options for Construction and Demolition Debris," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 17(3), pages 396-406, June.
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    1. Yunpeng Zhao & Dimitrios Goulias & Magdalena Dobiszewska & Paweł Modrzyński, 2022. "Life-Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Using Rock Dust as a Partial Replacement of Fine Aggregate and Cement in Concrete Pavements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
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    3. Konstantinos Gkyrtis & Christina Plati & Andreas Loizos, 2023. "Structural Performance of Foamed Asphalt Base in a Full Depth Reclaimed and Sustainable Pavement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-14, February.

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