Embodied Energy and Carbon Emissions of Pavements: A Review

Energy consumption takes place at each stage of pavement construction, right from extraction of raw materials to finished products like roads. Carbon emission is an undesirable product that materializes simultaneously with energy consumption that is indispensable right through the construction activities. Reusability is another important feature that we should consider when we speak about sustainability. Though pavements made of bitumen have a higher embodied energy, it readily yields to recycling, when compared to concrete pavements, thereby reducing the energy consumed. Reducing consumed energy helps to save the resource for the future. Many situations warrant compromised sustainability when a particular type of pavement is preferred to serve a special function. In such cases, alternative materials with low embodied energy and low carbon emission may be used for the pavement design. Designs using waste materials and recycled materials would help to make energy-efficient pavements with lesser carbon emissions. This paper presents a review on various studies that have been conducted, and focuses on embodied energy and carbon emission of different types of pavements. Alternate options are suggested considering best-suited pavement types that consume minimal energy and ensure reduced carbon emissions.