Research progress on pavement life cycle energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission assessment

To further promote the research and development of pavement life cycle assessment in the road engineering field and provide a theoretical basis for low-carbon and energy-saving pavement materials apply, structural design and maintenance management measures,the latest research results on pavement life cycle energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission assessment methods at home and abroad were comprehensively analyzed. A basic method for pavement life cycle assessment and the attributes that a functional unit should have were introduced, and the current status of the main road construction materials in China must be unified. The environmental impact factors of the pavement materials phase, construction phase, use phase, maintenance phase, and demolition phase were systematically reviewed. The importance of pavement roughness, pavement albedo, carbonation, asphalt feedstock energy, traffic delay, and maintenance programs in the pavement life cycle assessment was summarized. Methods for calculating the energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions were also analyzed. The environmental impact distribution method for recycled materials was explained, and the necessity for data quality and sensitivity analysis was pointed out. According to a comprehensive analysis, based on the long service life of pavement, the environmental impact factor of use and maintenance phases should be emphasized, and the circulation concept should be applied to improve the pavement life cycle assessment model, and the factors affecting the various phases of the pavement life cycle should be analyzed at multiple levels, for achieving scientific, reasonable calculations of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions over the pavement life cycle. 2 tabs, 7 figs, 52 refs.