Materials Carbon Budget in Road Projects: A Case Study from The Greater Oslo Region

Abstract

The estimation of carbon dioxide emissions in relation to the life cycle of road pavements is pivotal to quantify their sustainability at the design stage. This preliminary study assesses the carbon budgets concerning the production of aggregates and asphalt to build a new roadway stretch located close to Oslo (Norway), leveraging digital tools and environmental product declarations. First, the software Trimble Novapoint estimates the necessary quantity take-offs. Afterwards, the amounts of CO2 generated during the production of the construction materials are appraised for the four main industries operating nearby. The results based on the corresponding environmental product declarations indicate that the carbon budgets show very small discrepancies among the considered suppliers.