Title: Contribution of life cycle assessment: global atmospheric emissions for motorway infrastructures

Authors: Alice Pereira, Isabelle Blanc, Jean-Francois Coste

Addresses: LCPC, 58 bd. Lefebvre 75015 Paris, France. BIO Intelligence Service, 106 rue Monge, 75005, Paris, France. LCPC, 58 bd. Lefebvre 75015 Paris, France

Abstract: This study tests the Life Cycle Analysis methodology for motorway infrastructures. The investigation addresses the comparison of air pollution impacts of motorway alternatives. The atmospheric emissions are estimated over an infrastructure operation period of 50 years (motorway lifetime). Two scenarios for emission factors are considered. The first one takes constant emission factors for vehicles and the second one makes hypotheses on their variation during 50 years, including the participation of electrical vehicles. Moreover, assumptions on vehicle types and traffic composition are made. The global potential impacts (greenhouse effect, acidification, smog, toxicity) caused by these emissions have been assessed. Life cycle assessment seems a good step towards new methodologies for global analysis of road infrastructure impacts on the environment.

Keywords: air pollution; impact; life cycle assessment; motorway infrastructure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1998.001836

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1998 Vol.20 No.1/2/3/4, pp.201-209

Published online: 18 Aug 2003 *

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