Volume 11 - Volume 11
Life Cycle Assessment Applied to Railway Infrastructure: A Proposed Method
Abstract
Based on mitigation strategies for the rational use of resources and conscious consumption of inputs,
it is important to develop tools that allow the measurement of environmental impacts and greenhouse
gas emissions, for better decision-making in the planning of railway infrastructure activities.
Therefore, this article presents a method for evaluating railway infrastructure projects, having as a
parameter the potential impact of global warming when different materials are used in the sub-ballast,
to improve the support capacity of the railway pavement. As a technical criterion for evaluation, the
mechanical behavior of the subgrade was considered in a condition of moisture above the optimal
level, with a sub-ballast composed of sandy material as a baseline for comparison. The results,
considering the environmental impact, clearly indicated that the use of a soil-cement mixture in the
sub-ballast was the best option. Furthermore, even in the face of more frequent renovation of the
permanent way, the reference scenario was more attractive than those with use of a combination of
soil-emulsion and hot mix asphalt.
Paper Details
PaperID: 2598
Author's Name: Filipe Batista Ribeiro and Marcelino Aurélio Vieira Da Silva
Volume: Volume 11
Issues: Volume 11
Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment, Railway, Potential Impact of Global Warming.
Year: 2021
Month: September
Pages: 5680-5692