2013 Session: 660

• Methodology for Evaluating Climate Change Impact on Asphalt Pavement Design Life
  Abstract: A methodology to evaluate the impact of climate change on asphalt pavement design life has been developed by linking together a pavement performance model and an innovative climate model. The DARWin-ME software, based on the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide, has been used to predict changes in pavement performances. The national model Meteonorm 7.0, based on the combination of 18 general circulation models and a stochastic approach for regional modeling, has been applied as climate model.The methodology has been applied to Swiss specific road conditions, by combining different climate and site specific characteristics (pavement, traffic, subgrade, climate region, etc.). The results have permitted to evaluate, in a first step, current asphalt pavements for future climate conditions in terms of change in their predicted design life. In a second step, current asphalt pavements have been adapted by changing their characteristics in order to reach recommended design life. Finally, recommendations and guidelines on adapting current road infrastructures for the future have been exposed. This article focuses solely on results from the first step of the methodology.
  Authors: Rychen, Patrick; Carter, Alan; Dumont, Andre-Gilles
  Authors: Rychen, Patrick; Carter, Alan; Dumont, Andre-Gilles
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Environment; Pavements
  Session: 660
  Paper Number: 13-1337
• Assessment of Emission Costs due to Maintenance and Rehabilitation to Reduce Pavement Roughness
  Abstract: Asphalt pavements constitute a major portion of the transportation network of the United States and play an important role in the US economy. Poor roadway conditions create user delay costs and additional user costs i.e. fuel, vehicle repair and maintenance, tire wear, depreciation, etc. due to the effects of pavement roughness. A previous investigation showed that pavement rehabilitation resulting in maintaining smoother pavement could result in as much as a 50-to-1 return on investment (ROI); however, the study did not consider the environmental impacts of construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation (CMR) activities. In this study, emissions due to CMR activities and pavement roughness have been quantified in monetary terms using PaLATE and MOVES program. While the environmental impact of CMR activities tends to reduce the ROI, maintaining relatively smooth pavement throughout its service life is still estimated to create an approximate 48-to-1 ROI.
  Authors: Islam, Shahidul; Buttlar, William G.
  Authors: Islam, Shahidul; Buttlar, William G.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Environment; Pavements
  Session: 660
  Paper Number: 13-5084
• Methodology for Evaluating Climate Change Impact on Asphalt Pavement Design Life
  Authors: Rychen, Patrick
  Authors: Rychen, Patrick
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Design; Environment; Pavements
  Session: 660
  Paper Number: 13-1337
• Improved Pavement Maintenance Optimization Methodology: Integrating Life-Cycle Assessment and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis
  Abstract:

  Environmental damage cost is traditionally ignored in the pavement cost evaluations. This study proposed a combined life cycle assessment-life cycle cost analysis (LCA-LCCA) model to optimize the pavement maintenance schedule with the incorporation of environmental damage cost. A case study of three overlay systems, portland cement concrete (PCC) overlay, hot mixture asphalt (HMA) overlay, and crack, seat, and overlay (CSOL), was presented. The findings through the study include: the environmental damage cost occupies a significant portion of the overall cost; the proposed methodology is effective in reducing both energy consumption, global warming gases(GHGs) emission and costs, ranging from 8.2% to 12.3%, and from 5.9% to 10.2% for the three overlay designs, respectively; it is reasonable to expect a smaller environmental burden and less cost from the PCC and CSOL options as opposed to the HMA option although comparisons between the former are indeterminate due to the great uncertainties in the usage stage.

  Authors: Yu, Bin; Lu, Qing
  Authors: Yu, Bin; Lu, Qing
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Design; Environment; Pavements
  Session: 660
  Paper Number: 13-1062