Towards more sustainable airfield pavements using Life-cycle Assessment of design alternatives

Abstract

Airports are critical infrastructures and their success is paramount to development through tourism, trade and connectivity. Within the airport, the runway pavement must always be in a pristine condition. Consequently, pavement design and maintenance decisions are vital. Authorities must make decisions concerning preferred materials for design and maintenance. Decisions should be balanced by both economic and environmental factors. This paper considers a case study at Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO), Palermo, Italy, where air traffic has been steadily increasing. Different pavements are proposed: flexible Asphaltic concrete designs with both traditional Asphaltic concrete and using reclaimed asphalt during maintenance, and a rigid concrete pavement. Environmental and economic impacts are assessed utilizing frameworks of life cycle assessment and life cycle costing analysis on the alternatives. The results highlight impacts material design changes have on the environment for airfield pavements and offer insights for management to help establish sustainable strategies moving forward.