Environmental trade-offs for using low-noise pavements: Life cycle assessment with noise considerations
Noise mitigation is the main advantage of semi-dense asphalt (SDA) pavements compared to traditional pavements such as stone-mastic asphalt (SMA), but noise is not quantitatively considered in traditional life cycle assessment (LCA). This article performs a comprehensive LCA for SMA and SDA including noise considerations. State-of-the-art sound emission and acoustical ageing models were used to determine the road traffic noise. The latest Swiss dose-response curves and current noise exposure data were used to evaluate health impacts due to noise. Additionally, traditional LCA is also included for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions, non-renewable cumulative energy demand and health impacts of non-noise processes. The results show that SDA causes around 70 % higher greenhouse gases and energy demand than SMA, primarily due to its shorter service life. However, the noise impacts in disability adjusted life years (DALYs) are higher by two to three orders of magnitude than non-noise processes, and the use of SDA can reduce 40 % of the total DALYs. It is shown that road traffic noise plays a significant role in the LCA of pavements. The trade-off between greenhouse gas and energy related impacts, on the one hand, and health effects, on the other hand, requires critical consideration by decision makers when promoting low-noise pavements.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00489697
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Supplemental Notes:
- © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
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Authors:
- Piao, Zhengyin
- Heutschi, Kurt
- Pieren, Reto
- Mikhailenko, Peter
- Poulikakos, Lily D
- Hellweg, Stefanie
- Publication Date: 2022-10-10
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 156846
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Serial:
- Science of the Total Environment
- Volume: 842
- Issue Number: 0
- Publisher: Elsevier
- ISSN: 0048-9697
- Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00489697
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Asphalt pavements; Environmental impacts; Life cycle analysis; Noise control; Traffic noise
- Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Pavements;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01855824
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Aug 24 2022 3:05PM