Contribution of life cycle assessment: global atmospheric emissions for motorway infrastructures

This study tests the Life Cycle Analysis methodology for motorway infrastru ctures. The investigation addresses the comparison of air pollution impacts of motorway alternatives. The atmospheric emissions are estimated over an infrastructure operation period of 50 years (motorway lifetime). Two scenar ios for emission factors are considered. The first one takes constant emiss ion factors for vehicles and the second one makes hypotheses on their varia tion during 50 years, including the participation of electrical vehicles. M oreover, assumptions on vehicle types and traffic composition are made. The global potential impacts (greenhouse effect, acidification, smog, toxicity ) caused by these emissions have been assessed. Life cycle assessment seems a good step towards new methodologies for global analysis of road infrastr ucture impacts on the environment.