Keeping roads in good shape reduces greenhouse gas emissions, Rutgers-led study finds

Keeping road pavement in good shape saves money and energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, more than offsetting pollution generated during road construction, according to a Rutgers-led study.

The researchers found that extending the life of pavement through preventive maintenance can reduce greenhouse gases by up to 2 percent; transportation agencies can cut spending by 10 percent to 30 percent; and drivers can save about 2 percent to 5 percent in fuel consumption, tire wear, vehicle repair and maintenance costs because of smoother surfaces.

The research will help transportation agencies choose appropriate maintenance strategies that consider environmental impacts in decision-making.

"When pavement is in its early failure stage, preventive maintenance can restore performance and extend pavement life with lower costs," said study lead author Hao Wang, an associate professor who focuses on infrastructure engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "Pavement preservation leads to significant environmental benefits due to the improved surface condition, which results in smooth pavement, saves energy and reduces user costs."

The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide from cars, trucks and buses. The researchers used the long-term pavement performance (LTPP) database maintained by Federal Highway Administration of U.S. Department of Transportation to measure the environmental impact of roadway repairs, especially preserving asphalt pavement, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions linked to global warming.

The study used a full life-cycle approach to look at the carbon footprint of common ways to preserve pavement. Treatments include thin overlay (placing up to 2 inches of asphalt on roads), chip seal (spraying asphalt emulsion on pavement and laying aggregate), slurry seal (spreading a slurry over pavement) and crack seal (filling cracks with rubberized asphalt or polymer-modified asphalt with some filler).

The study found that thin overlay leads to the greatest overall reduction in carbon dioxide emissions - 2 percent - because of a large decrease in road roughness. The crack seal method led to the lowest emission reduction - 0.5 percent - but all preventive maintenance methods reduce emissions overall. The researchers further developed the life-cycle assessment tool for evaluating the environmental impact of roadway projects.

The study included researchers at the Rutgers School of Engineering and their collaborators at North Dakota State University and Al-Mustansiriyah University in Iraq.

Research paper

Related Links
Rutgers University
Car Technology at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Fiat Chrysler to pay $515 mn in US 'dieselgate' settlements
New York (AFP) Jan 10, 2019
Fiat Chrysler has agreed to a $515 million US settlement on charges it installed "defeat devices" on cars to evade emissions tests, the US Justice Department announced Thursday. The auto giant will recall and repair more than 100,000 diesel vehicles sold in the United States at a cost of about $185 million. The remaining funds will go to civil fines and mitigation payments to the United States and the state of California. US officials said FCA's EcoDiesel Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee fo ... read more