Skip to main content
Top
Published in: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 4/2020

20-01-2020 | ROADWAYS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

A life cycle model for high-speed rail infrastructure: environmental inventories and assessment of the Tours-Bordeaux railway in France

Authors: Anne de Bortoli, Lina Bouhaya, Adelaide Feraille

Published in: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | Issue 4/2020

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of the study is to progress towards a comprehensive component-based Life Cycle Assessment model with clear and reusable Life Cycle Inventories (LCIs) for high-speed rail (HSR) infrastructure components, and to assess the main environmental impacts of HSR infrastructure over its lifespan, to finally determine environmental hotpots and good practices.

Methods

A process-based LCA compliant with ISO 14040 and 14044 is performed. Construction-stage LCIs rely on data collection conducted with the concessionaire of the HSR line combined with EcoInvent 3.1 inventories. Use and End-of-Life stages LCIs rest on expert feedback scenarios and field data. A set of 13 midpoint indicators is proposed to capture the diversity of the environmental damage: climate change, consumptions of primary energy and non-renewable resources, human toxicity and ecotoxicities, eutrophication, acidification, radioactive and bulk wastes, stratospheric ozone depletion, and summer smog. Three characterization methods are used: the “Cumulative Energy Demand” method to quantify energy demand, the EDIP method for waste productions, and the CML method for the rest.

Results and discussion

The study shows major contributions to environmental impact from rails (10–71%), roadbed (3–48%), and civil engineering structures (4–28%). More limited impact is noted from ballast (1–22%), building machines (0–17%), sleepers (4–11%), and power supply system (2–12%). The two last components, chairs and fasteners, have negligible impact (max. 1 and 3% of total contributions, respectively). Direct transportation can contribute up to 18% of total impact. The production and maintenance stages contribute roughly equally to environmental deterioration (respectively average of 62 and 59%). Because the End-of-Life (EoL) mainly includes recycling with environmental credit accounted for in our 100:100 approach, this stage has globally a positive impact (− 9 to − 98%) on all the impact categories except terrestrial ecotoxicity (58%), radioactive waste (11%), and ozone depletion (8%). Contribution analyses show that if concrete production is one of the important contributing processes over the construction stage, primary steel production is unquestionably the most important process on all the impact categories over the entire life cycle.

Conclusions

These results are of interest for public authorities and the rail industry, in order to consider the full life cycle impacts of transportation infrastructure in a decision-making process with better understanding and inclusion of the environmental constraints. Suggestions are provided in this way for life cycle good practices—for instance as regards gravel recycling choices—and additional research to reduce the impact of current major contributors.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Literature
go back to reference AFNOR (2014) NF EN 15804+A1 Avril 2014—contribution des ouvrages de construction au développement durable—déclarations environnementales sur les produits—règles régissant les catégories de produits de construction AFNOR (2014) NF EN 15804+A1 Avril 2014—contribution des ouvrages de construction au développement durable—déclarations environnementales sur les produits—règles régissant les catégories de produits de construction
go back to reference Cour des Comptes (2014) La grande vitesse ferroviaire: un modèle porté au-delà de sa pertinence Cour des Comptes (2014) La grande vitesse ferroviaire: un modèle porté au-delà de sa pertinence
go back to reference Häkkinen T, Mäkelä K (1996) Environmental impact of concrete and asphalt pavements. Technical Research Center of Finland, Espoo Häkkinen T, Mäkelä K (1996) Environmental impact of concrete and asphalt pavements. Technical Research Center of Finland, Espoo
go back to reference IPCC (2014) In: Core writing team, Pachauri RK, Meyer LA (eds) Climate change 2014: synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, Geneva IPCC (2014) In: Core writing team, Pachauri RK, Meyer LA (eds) Climate change 2014: synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, Geneva
go back to reference Le Guern Y, Petiot C, Schloesing E (2011) Mode de prise en compte de la fin de vie lors de la réalisation d’analyses de cycle de vie (ACV) « produits » - Etat de l’Art. Bio Intelligence Service Le Guern Y, Petiot C, Schloesing E (2011) Mode de prise en compte de la fin de vie lors de la réalisation d’analyses de cycle de vie (ACV) « produits » - Etat de l’Art. Bio Intelligence Service
go back to reference LISEA (2016) The South Europe Atlantic high-speed line—Paris-Bordeaux in 2 hours—summer 2017 LISEA (2016) The South Europe Atlantic high-speed line—Paris-Bordeaux in 2 hours—summer 2017
go back to reference Nicholson AL, Olivetti EA, Gregory JR et al (2009) End-of-life LCA allocation methods: open loop recycling impacts on robustness of material selection decisions. IEEE:1–6 Nicholson AL, Olivetti EA, Gregory JR et al (2009) End-of-life LCA allocation methods: open loop recycling impacts on robustness of material selection decisions. IEEE:1–6
go back to reference Quinet E, et al. (2013) L’évaluation socioéconomique des investissements publics—Rapport final Quinet E, et al. (2013) L’évaluation socioéconomique des investissements publics—Rapport final
go back to reference Ridge L (1998) EUCAR—automotive LCA guidelines—phase 2 Ridge L (1998) EUCAR—automotive LCA guidelines—phase 2
go back to reference Spielmann M, Bauer C, Dones R (2007) Transport services: Ecoinvent report no. 14. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf Spielmann M, Bauer C, Dones R (2007) Transport services: Ecoinvent report no. 14. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf
go back to reference Svensson N (2006) Life-cycle considerations for environmental management of the Swedish railway infrastructure. Manuscrit de thèse n°1064, Linköping studies in science and technology, Linköping University Svensson N (2006) Life-cycle considerations for environmental management of the Swedish railway infrastructure. Manuscrit de thèse n°1064, Linköping studies in science and technology, Linköping University
go back to reference UNPG (2011a) Module d’informations environnmentales de la production de granulats issus de roches massives—données sous format FDES conforme à la norme NF 10-01010. Union Nationale des Producteurs de Granulats UNPG (2011a) Module d’informations environnmentales de la production de granulats issus de roches massives—données sous format FDES conforme à la norme NF 10-01010. Union Nationale des Producteurs de Granulats
go back to reference UNPG (2011b) Module d’informations environnmentales de la production de granulats issus de roches meubles - données sous format FDES conforme à la norme NF 10–01010. Union Nationale des Producteurs de Granulats UNPG (2011b) Module d’informations environnmentales de la production de granulats issus de roches meubles - données sous format FDES conforme à la norme NF 10–01010. Union Nationale des Producteurs de Granulats
go back to reference USIRF (2016) Rapport de projet FDES—Analyse de cycle de vie de l’enrobé bitumineux à chaud représentatif français et d’une chaussée en enrobé bitumineux (Document confidentiel). Bio by Deloitte - USIRF USIRF (2016) Rapport de projet FDES—Analyse de cycle de vie de l’enrobé bitumineux à chaud représentatif français et d’une chaussée en enrobé bitumineux (Document confidentiel). Bio by Deloitte - USIRF
Metadata
Title
A life cycle model for high-speed rail infrastructure: environmental inventories and assessment of the Tours-Bordeaux railway in France
Authors
Anne de Bortoli
Lina Bouhaya
Adelaide Feraille
Publication date
20-01-2020
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment / Issue 4/2020
Print ISSN: 0948-3349
Electronic ISSN: 1614-7502
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-019-01727-2

Other articles of this Issue 4/2020

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 4/2020 Go to the issue