Integrated Life-Cycle Assessment and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Model for Concrete Bridge Deck Applications

An integrated life-cycle assessment and life-cycle cost analysis model was developed and applied to enhance the sustainability of concrete bridge infrastructure. The objective of this model is to compare alternative bridge deck designs from a sustainability perspective that accounts for total life-cycle costs including agency, user, and environmental costs. A conventional concrete bridge deck and an alternative engineered cementitious composite link slab design are examined. Despite higher initial costs and greater material-related environmental impacts on a per mass basis, the link slab design results in lower life-cycle costs and reduced environmental impacts when evaluated over the entire life cycle. Traffic delay caused by construction comprises 91% of total costs for both designs. Costs to the funding agency comprise less than 3% of total costs, and environmental costs are less than 0.5%. These results show life-cycle modeling is an important decision-making tool since initial costs and agency costs are not illustrative of total life-cycle costs. Additionally, accounting for construction-related traffic delay is vital to assessing the total economic cost and environmental impact of infrastructure design decisions.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10760342
• Authors:
  • Kendall, Alissa
  • Keoleian, Gregory A
  • Helfand, Gloria E
• Publication Date: 2008-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 214-222
• Serial:
  • Journal of Infrastructure Systems
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 1076-0342
  • EISSN: 1943-555X
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/journal/jitse4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Concrete bridges; Infrastructure; Life cycle analysis; Life cycle costing; Mathematical models
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Finance; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01111063
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 24 2008 10:38AM