IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2019
This paper reveals the main factors that guide road alignment design process in Norway. The goal ... more This paper reveals the main factors that guide road alignment design process in Norway. The goal is to discover what constitutes the main priorities for road planners, how these priorities are ranked when it comes to alignment selection, and how they are related to guiding factors identified in official planning documents and government transport plans throughout the life cycle of a road. This is done through a comprehensive literature and data search, involving published academic research in the road alignment design field, and by exploring Norwegian road planning documents and guidelines. Examples from a recently implemented road project are also included as a way to illustrate alignment priorities in theory versus how alignment decisions are made in practice. Particular attention is paid to how key factors influence environmental and social dimensions and how much importance these dimensions are given in the overall decision-making process. The focus on the Norwegian case is rele...
Effective and efficient road transportation in Norway is a continuing concern. The growth in popu... more Effective and efficient road transportation in Norway is a continuing concern. The growth in population and the continuing need for better infrastructure to serve this population propel the growth of road construction. Roads will continue to occupy the most prominent place in the Norwegian transport puzzle as the most commonly used form of transport by both people and goods today. The quadrennial National Transport Plan guides large scale transport planning in Norway and has recently included national CO2 emissions reductions targets for all new road infrastructure and construction. At the same time, the investment in Norwegian road infrastructure is at an all-time high, as authorities seek to modernize the Norwegian road network through megaprojects, such as the Ferry Free E39. This increase in investment and construction will inevitably lead to an increase in resource consumption and emissions without wise planning decisions, smart material choices and the use of sustainability as...
Performing a comprehensive emission accounting via monitoring equipment to survey the performance... more Performing a comprehensive emission accounting via monitoring equipment to survey the performance of machinery is often an intensive work and costly. This often requiring hours of measurements and a sufficient number of observations to obtain valid findings. The purpose of current work is to introduce a screening emission accounting as a way to have a quick overview of emissions associated with non-road mobile machinery by having a simplified assessment method. To meet this aim, this study uses documented data from performances of machinery and couples them with the recently published guidebook by the European Emission Agency. To map the results, operational performances of four wheel loaders operating in quarries to move stone materials are used, equipped with Stage IV engines and net power output in a range between 130 ≤ kW < 560. The obtained results showed that the positive correlation between an increase in fuel consumption and exhaust emissions is not changed. The mass of e...
During winter maintenance in Norway 2014-2015, 225 445 tonnes of chemicals were used and 1 610 00... more During winter maintenance in Norway 2014-2015, 225 445 tonnes of chemicals were used and 1 610 000 km driven while removing snow and ice on national and state roads. Despite this significant amount of chemicals and distance, winter maintenance is often omitted from current environmental studies of roads and transportation. Current studies focus primarily on vehicles, fuel technology and construction activities. This focus has been based on the fact that these are the largest source of emissions from road transportation. However, as vehicle and fuel technology advances and have less impact per unit, other aspects of transportation, such as maintenance and operation of infrastructure become increasingly important and should be included in LCA studies of roads in cold climates. In this study, life cycle analysis (LCA) is used to estimate the environmental impacts of the production, transport and distribution of chemicals during winter maintenance in Norway. The study is based on report...
In this paper, a method to assess, optimize and modify the vertical alignment of a road is develo... more In this paper, a method to assess, optimize and modify the vertical alignment of a road is developed. The aim is to optimize the alignment with respect to fuel consumption and quantify the induced reduction in terms of both fuel consumption and emissions f employing an averaged-speed-gradient model to a single heavy operating speeds and engine loads. Three optimization models are proposed and can reduction levels – in fuel consumption or emissions profile, generated using nonlinear optimization techniques. Five performance indicators are estimated based on their gradient-speed dependency. The method is then applied to an existing highway alignment in Norway to compare the performance of generated alignments with that of the initial one. The results show significant reduction potentials for fuel consumption, CO2, and modification of the initial alignment. Better performances occur at higher operating speeds. The study offers a clear understanding for the nature and magnitude of the i...
Various software tools have been developed to evaluate the life cycle performances of roads to pr... more Various software tools have been developed to evaluate the life cycle performances of roads to provide decision supports for road authorities and contractors. It is therefore important to compare the strengths and limitations of these software tools to understand the appropriate application and to identify the points for optimization. This study evaluated EFFEKT 6.6, EKA, and LICCER software tools, by applying the environmental life cycle assessment following the ISO 14040 standard. The assessment was based on an open-air road (excluding tunnels and bridges) with a functional unit of one kilometer and greenhouse gas emissions as well as embodied energy indicators were evaluated in the considered software tools. The open-air road was modeled for each software tool with respects to road class H9 characteristic in Norway, classed as a national road. The assessment showed that the system boundary and purpose of use differed between the considered software tools. This resulted in perform...
Abstract The need for winter road maintenance (WRM) is changing in cold regions due to climate ch... more Abstract The need for winter road maintenance (WRM) is changing in cold regions due to climate change. How the different modes of WRM will contribute to future overall emissions from infrastructure is therefore of great interest to road owners with a view to a more sustainable, low-carbon future. In the quest for near-zero-emissions transport, all aspects of the transport sector need to be accounted for in the search for possible mitigation of emissions. This study used 35 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2018 to map available information on the environmental impacts and effect of WRM and reveal any research gaps. The articles were categorized according to their research theme and focus. They were found to focus mainly on the local effects of WRM with emphasis on effects on water. Of the reviewed works, 27 contain information related to the environmental effects of deicers on a local level while five focused on global impact, which was mainly caused by fuel consumption. Only two articles took a holistic look at the system to identify emission sources and the effectiveness of possible changes in operations methods or material selection. In conclusion, WRM would benefit from further research to understand how it affects the natural environment in regions with a cold climate. Furthermore, a life-cycle approach could reveal ways to mitigate emissions through effectively comparing possible changes in the system without shifting the problem to other aspects of road transport.
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2019
This paper reveals the main factors that guide road alignment design process in Norway. The goal ... more This paper reveals the main factors that guide road alignment design process in Norway. The goal is to discover what constitutes the main priorities for road planners, how these priorities are ranked when it comes to alignment selection, and how they are related to guiding factors identified in official planning documents and government transport plans throughout the life cycle of a road. This is done through a comprehensive literature and data search, involving published academic research in the road alignment design field, and by exploring Norwegian road planning documents and guidelines. Examples from a recently implemented road project are also included as a way to illustrate alignment priorities in theory versus how alignment decisions are made in practice. Particular attention is paid to how key factors influence environmental and social dimensions and how much importance these dimensions are given in the overall decision-making process. The focus on the Norwegian case is rele...
Effective and efficient road transportation in Norway is a continuing concern. The growth in popu... more Effective and efficient road transportation in Norway is a continuing concern. The growth in population and the continuing need for better infrastructure to serve this population propel the growth of road construction. Roads will continue to occupy the most prominent place in the Norwegian transport puzzle as the most commonly used form of transport by both people and goods today. The quadrennial National Transport Plan guides large scale transport planning in Norway and has recently included national CO2 emissions reductions targets for all new road infrastructure and construction. At the same time, the investment in Norwegian road infrastructure is at an all-time high, as authorities seek to modernize the Norwegian road network through megaprojects, such as the Ferry Free E39. This increase in investment and construction will inevitably lead to an increase in resource consumption and emissions without wise planning decisions, smart material choices and the use of sustainability as...
Performing a comprehensive emission accounting via monitoring equipment to survey the performance... more Performing a comprehensive emission accounting via monitoring equipment to survey the performance of machinery is often an intensive work and costly. This often requiring hours of measurements and a sufficient number of observations to obtain valid findings. The purpose of current work is to introduce a screening emission accounting as a way to have a quick overview of emissions associated with non-road mobile machinery by having a simplified assessment method. To meet this aim, this study uses documented data from performances of machinery and couples them with the recently published guidebook by the European Emission Agency. To map the results, operational performances of four wheel loaders operating in quarries to move stone materials are used, equipped with Stage IV engines and net power output in a range between 130 ≤ kW < 560. The obtained results showed that the positive correlation between an increase in fuel consumption and exhaust emissions is not changed. The mass of e...
During winter maintenance in Norway 2014-2015, 225 445 tonnes of chemicals were used and 1 610 00... more During winter maintenance in Norway 2014-2015, 225 445 tonnes of chemicals were used and 1 610 000 km driven while removing snow and ice on national and state roads. Despite this significant amount of chemicals and distance, winter maintenance is often omitted from current environmental studies of roads and transportation. Current studies focus primarily on vehicles, fuel technology and construction activities. This focus has been based on the fact that these are the largest source of emissions from road transportation. However, as vehicle and fuel technology advances and have less impact per unit, other aspects of transportation, such as maintenance and operation of infrastructure become increasingly important and should be included in LCA studies of roads in cold climates. In this study, life cycle analysis (LCA) is used to estimate the environmental impacts of the production, transport and distribution of chemicals during winter maintenance in Norway. The study is based on report...
In this paper, a method to assess, optimize and modify the vertical alignment of a road is develo... more In this paper, a method to assess, optimize and modify the vertical alignment of a road is developed. The aim is to optimize the alignment with respect to fuel consumption and quantify the induced reduction in terms of both fuel consumption and emissions f employing an averaged-speed-gradient model to a single heavy operating speeds and engine loads. Three optimization models are proposed and can reduction levels – in fuel consumption or emissions profile, generated using nonlinear optimization techniques. Five performance indicators are estimated based on their gradient-speed dependency. The method is then applied to an existing highway alignment in Norway to compare the performance of generated alignments with that of the initial one. The results show significant reduction potentials for fuel consumption, CO2, and modification of the initial alignment. Better performances occur at higher operating speeds. The study offers a clear understanding for the nature and magnitude of the i...
Various software tools have been developed to evaluate the life cycle performances of roads to pr... more Various software tools have been developed to evaluate the life cycle performances of roads to provide decision supports for road authorities and contractors. It is therefore important to compare the strengths and limitations of these software tools to understand the appropriate application and to identify the points for optimization. This study evaluated EFFEKT 6.6, EKA, and LICCER software tools, by applying the environmental life cycle assessment following the ISO 14040 standard. The assessment was based on an open-air road (excluding tunnels and bridges) with a functional unit of one kilometer and greenhouse gas emissions as well as embodied energy indicators were evaluated in the considered software tools. The open-air road was modeled for each software tool with respects to road class H9 characteristic in Norway, classed as a national road. The assessment showed that the system boundary and purpose of use differed between the considered software tools. This resulted in perform...
Abstract The need for winter road maintenance (WRM) is changing in cold regions due to climate ch... more Abstract The need for winter road maintenance (WRM) is changing in cold regions due to climate change. How the different modes of WRM will contribute to future overall emissions from infrastructure is therefore of great interest to road owners with a view to a more sustainable, low-carbon future. In the quest for near-zero-emissions transport, all aspects of the transport sector need to be accounted for in the search for possible mitigation of emissions. This study used 35 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2018 to map available information on the environmental impacts and effect of WRM and reveal any research gaps. The articles were categorized according to their research theme and focus. They were found to focus mainly on the local effects of WRM with emphasis on effects on water. Of the reviewed works, 27 contain information related to the environmental effects of deicers on a local level while five focused on global impact, which was mainly caused by fuel consumption. Only two articles took a holistic look at the system to identify emission sources and the effectiveness of possible changes in operations methods or material selection. In conclusion, WRM would benefit from further research to understand how it affects the natural environment in regions with a cold climate. Furthermore, a life-cycle approach could reveal ways to mitigate emissions through effectively comparing possible changes in the system without shifting the problem to other aspects of road transport.
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