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- Booto, G. K., et al.
(författare)
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Road Planning and Route Alignment Selection Criteria in the Norwegian Context
- 2019
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Ingår i: IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. - 1757-8981 .- 1757-899X. ; 471:6
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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 relevant in that it will identify which knowledge gaps need to be filled based on actual practices in the Norwegian road sector. The results of this study found that the dominating factors in road planning and alignment selection are the user cost and the environmental and socio-economic as they are directly related to the main national transport strategy of developing a carbon-neutral and resilient transport system. These results can be used to reinforce and amplify existing road planning strategies and to understand where challenges for environmental and social responsible road planning and alignment selection are found.
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| 2. |
- Vignisdottir, H., et al.
(författare)
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A review of environmental impacts of winter road maintenance
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cold Regions Science and Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-232X. ; 158, s. 143-153
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)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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| 3. |
- Vignisdottir, H., et al.
(författare)
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Life cycle assessment of winter road maintenance
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1614-7502 .- 0948-3349. ; 25:3, s. 646-661
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Winter road maintenance in the Nordic climate is demanding due to challenging weather conditions, high precipitation, and icy conditions. As a leading country in the transition to low-emission transport, Norway must work to reduce their emissions while providing a safe level of service through winter maintenance operations. This article investigates the environmental impacts of winter road maintenance (WRM) in Norway both today and under a climate change scenario predicted for 2050. Methods: Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate the environmental impact of the functional unit “average winter road maintenance in Norway on national and county roads per km.lane.” The ReCiPe (hierarchy) method was used to identify and categorize emissions related to WRM to show how different factors affect the system and to reveal hidden emissions hotspots. Real-time data from WRM vehicles were used to determine how fuel consumption is affected by gradient and weather. Producers and operators provided other relevant information on WRM vehicles. Official reports supplied information on deicer quantities used and the total distance driven by WRM vehicles in Norway. Results and discussion: The quantity of deicer used is the main source of emissions contributing toward all impact categories. The effect of deicer is likely to be even higher in certain impact categories. The environmental impact of the deicer after application is not included. The representation of WRM in existing emissions data is limited despite the considerable amount of deicer applied and the long distances that WRM vehicles travel. The results document how energy use throughout the system is another important source of emissions. Various parameters, such as road gradient, vehicle properties, driver behavior, and weather, affect the fuel consumption of WRM vehicles, with weather being the most important of these. Conclusions: Significant potential for emissions reductions from WRM was found, and WRM operations should be included in cold-climate road LCA studies. The environmental impacts of deicer application are especially high compared to the mechanical clearing of roads and contribute strongly to impact categories such as terrestrial, freshwater, and human toxicity and to the formation of particulate matter.
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