Research

This paper describes the contribution made by road construction in the area of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The road construction techniques analyzed include hot asphalt mixes, cold emulsion mixes, concrete pavements and in-place or plant recycling. The entire production and construction process is evaluated from materials manufacture, placement and maintenance works during a 30 year service life.

For rehabilitation, in-place recycling using emulsified asphalt with or without cement consumes the least energy and the least greenhouse gas.

Pierre T. Dorchies, Sustainable Development Manager, COLASCANADA. Paper prepared for presentation at the Quantifying Sustainability in Pavement Rehabilitation Projects Session of the 2008 Annual Conference of the Transportation Association of Canada, Toronto, Canada, 2008.