What pavement professionals need to know about measuring pavement sustainability
Asphalt Pavement Magazine, Nov / Dec 2011
by Dr. Howard Marks, NAPA Director of Environmental and Regulatory Affairs
There is a new conversation taking shape in the pavement industry over something called Life-cycle assessment (LCA).
Life-cycle assessment focuses on the environmental sustainability of different pavements and materials. It is different from life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) which is an economic tool for comparing the costs of different construction designs over the life of a pavement.
Life-cycle assessment seeks to measure the environmental impacts of all stages of a product or material’s life cycle, from cradle to grave to cradle again.
Today’s LCA debate is being fueled by two factors. First, environmental stewardship is being emphasized at all levels of government today, and agencies are developing metrics for evaluating different pavement and pavement management choices. Second, there are no official metrics in place, and some groups and industries are lobbying for standards that promote their causes.