Life Cycle CO₂ Analysis of Low Rolling Resistance Asphalt Pavements

Reducing rolling resistance of pavement surfaces contributes to improved fuel efficiency for automobiles and reduced CO₂ emissions in exhaust gases. The authors have developed actual low-rolling-resistance asphalt pavements and shown that such pavements can reduce CO₂ emissions from automobiles by 1.3–6.6% through a driving test. In contrast, in order to evaluate the CO₂ emissions of pavement technologies, which will contribute to the realizing of a sustainable society in the future, it is important to conduct the life cycle assessment of these pavement technologies, including CO₂ emissions, due to the production and transportation of pavement materials, pavement construction work, and the recycling as well as the reconstruction of pavements. Thus, for the purpose of clarifying the environmental improvement effect of low-rolling-resistance asphalt pavements, this research paper reports on the life cycle CO₂ emissions assessment conducted for studying not only CO₂ emissions due to the production and transportation of pavement materials, pavement construction work, reconstruction but also reductions in CO₂ emissions through the improvement in fuel efficiency of automobiles by the low-rolling-resistance asphalt pavements. As a result of the life cycle CO₂ emissions assessment, it is clarified that the low-rolling-resistance asphalt pavements can reduce CO₂ emissions by 70% compared to conventional pavement (porous asphalt pavement).