Life cycle assessment of bituminous pavements produced at various temperatures in the Belgium context

Bituminous mixture is the premier material for road construction in Belgium. Innovative technologies to improve energy efficiency of pavement constructions are necessary. Warm mix asphalt may provide significant energy savings to the asphalt industry, but the environmental impact of the total life cycle has to be investigated. The use of additives may counteract the reduced environmental impact due to energy savings. This paper presents the results of an environmental impact assessment of four wearing course test sections. Using life cycle assessment, hot mix asphalt is compared to a cold asphalt mix with emulsion and warm mix asphalt with two types of additives: a synthetic zeolite and an organic Fischer-Tropsch wax. Neither hot nor warm mix asphalt could be preferred based on the results of this study, because the additive has a major influence on the environmental results. It was seen that the production of bitumen, the transport and energy in order to generate heat mainly contribute to the total environmental impact. The results from the sensitivity analyses show that the total environmental impact of the life of the pavement can vary significantly based on the choice of the specific data source and service life. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.