LCA for evaluating underground infrastructures like tunnels: potential environmental impacts of "materials"

Title: LCA for evaluating underground infrastructures like tunnels: potential environmental impacts of "materials"
Author(s): L. D'Aloia Schwartzentruber, F. Rival, H. Kote
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International Symposium on Service Life Design for Infrastructures
Editor(s): K. van Breugel, Guang Ye, Yong Yuan
Print-ISBN: 978-2-35158-096-7
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-097-4
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2010
Pages: 453 - 460
Total Pages: 8
Nb references: 4
Language: English

Abstract: Construction of underground infrastructures like tunnels is liable to have significant economic and environmental effects. However, in a certain extent, both these kinds of effects can be offset by the protection of the surface and by the global optimization of the infrastructure design itself.
At a further stage, i.e. when the tunnel is taken as granted in the infrastructure project, the choice of technical solutions is concerned. Although tunnel infrastructures are usually strongly constrained by both economic and geological considerations, it could be of great interest to evaluate the environmental impacts of several technical solutions for support and lining.
Moreover, environmental impacts can be limited when considering the entire life cycle: i.e. construction, operation and "end-of-life" phases. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been applied first to "materials" of civil engineering in order to compare the environmental potential impacts of technical solutions for excavation, support and lining. These impacts are also compared to the electrical consumption of equipment during the service-life of the tunnel. Such tools could be of great interest for tunnels owners. However, they should be objective and must gain wide acceptance among the profession.

Online publication: 2011-04-20
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00