LCA: A Tool to Study Feasibility and Environmental Impacts of Substituting Asphalt Binders

Finding innovative technologies for building our roads has always been of paramount importance. From moving to warm mix asphalt to decrease our indulgence in high energy consumption to substituting fly ash for asphalt binders to reduce dependence on pure asphalt binders from petroleum, engineers have painstakingly tried to develop new ways to improve the ways that flexible pavements are made. The major problem facing the next generation of civil engineers is sustainable practices on the field. Over the years, significant progress has been made in this regard on the impacts of building pavements on the environment. Characterizing these improvements tends to be difficult, and that is where Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comes in. LCA is a technique used to analyze and quantify the environmental impacts of a product, system, or process. LCA shows where the significant impacts occur and how improvements can be made while recommending better practices. Even with its many advantages, its use is very constrained, especially in the United States, as it is still a very novel approach in design coupled with limited datasets and protocol for its operation. With modern technologies of substitute materials for binders like bio-oil from food waste, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), and fly ash, there is a need to understand their environmental impacts. Furthermore, in this regard is where LCA can help using three significant areas: selection of materials, normalization, and characterization. Characterization refers to the identification and quantification of the relationships between the life cycle results and the environmental impacts. This research explores the environmental impacts of substituting other materials for asphalt binders using LCA. With variations in modifying levels of substitutes, results show promising levels in emissions of harmful gasses to both the air and water. This study explores ways used in normalizing this process as well as setting up a pathway for other asphalt binder substitutes.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Adesokan, Qudus

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Faheem, Ahmed

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Udoeyo, Felix F.
• Udo-Inyang, Philip D.

• Civil engineering
• Asphalt binders
• Fly ash
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP)

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/6465

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/6465