IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v12y2019i6p1015-d214181.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental Impact Assessment of Transportation Infrastructure in the Life Cycle: Case Study of a Fast Track Transportation Project in China

Author

Listed:
  • Hui Li

    (School of Civil Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710061, China)

  • Quanxue Deng

    (School of Civil Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710061, China)

  • Jingxiao Zhang

    (School of Economics and Management, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710061, China)

  • Ayokunle Olubunmi Olanipekun

    (Quantity Surveying, Federal University of Technology, Akure PMB 704, Nigeria)

  • Sainan Lyu

    (Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 181 Chatham Rd. South, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
    School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point, Brisbane Q4001, Australia)

Abstract

The transportation sector generates enormous amount of environmental emission. This study aims to assess the environmental impact of the environmental emissions in a transportation infrastructure project life cycle. Using the fast track transportation project in China as a case study, the materials used and the energy consumed over the life cycle were converted into environmental emissions. The life cycle of fast track transportation project was divided into three phases including construction, maintenance and repair, and demolition phases. Both qualitative and quantitative method were applied to explore the environmental impact of transportation project. The life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used for the development environmental impact assessment (EIA) model to analyze the contribution of each process in the transportation project life cycle. The empirical results show that the construction phase has the highest environmental impact (62.7%) in the fast track transportation project life cycle, followed by the demolition (35.8%) and maintenance phases (1.7%). Among the materials used in the fast track transportation project, steel has the highest proportion of environmental impact in the construction phase (55.5%). This indicates the enormous environmental impact of the construction phase in fast track transportation project life cycle results from the use of steel material. This study contributes to reducing environmental emissions by revealing the greatest phase of environmental impact and material-source of environmental impact over the life cycle in a transportation infrastructure project.

Suggested Citation

  • Hui Li & Quanxue Deng & Jingxiao Zhang & Ayokunle Olubunmi Olanipekun & Sainan Lyu, 2019. "Environmental Impact Assessment of Transportation Infrastructure in the Life Cycle: Case Study of a Fast Track Transportation Project in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:6:p:1015-:d:214181
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/6/1015/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/6/1015/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Streimikiene, Dalia & Baležentis, Tomas & Baležentienė, Ligita, 2013. "Comparative assessment of road transport technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 611-618.
    2. Mustapa, Siti Indati & Bekhet, Hussain Ali, 2016. "Analysis of CO2 emissions reduction in the Malaysian transportation sector: An optimisation approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 171-183.
    3. Vicent Penadés-Plà & José V. Martí & Tatiana García-Segura & Víctor Yepes, 2017. "Life-Cycle Assessment: A Comparison between Two Optimal Post-Tensioned Concrete Box-Girder Road Bridges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-21, October.
    4. Chakrabarti, Sandip, 2018. "Can highway development promote employment growth in India?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 1-9.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shoshanna Saxe & Dena Kasraian, 2020. "Rethinking environmental LCA life stages for transport infrastructure to facilitate holistic assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(5), pages 1031-1046, October.
    2. Wesam Salah Alaloul & Muhammad Altaf & Muhammad Ali Musarat & Muhammad Faisal Javed & Amir Mosavi, 2021. "Systematic Review of Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Pavement and a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-38, April.
    3. Zhipeng Tang & Ziao Mei & Jialing Zou, 2021. "Does the Opening of High-Speed Railway Lines Reduce the Carbon Intensity of China’s Resource-Based Cities?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Jingxiao Zhang & You Ouyang & Simon P. Philbin & Xiaojing Zhao & Pablo Ballesteros‐Pérez & Hui Li, 2020. "Green dynamic capability of construction enterprises: Role of the business model and green production," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2920-2940, November.
    5. Ademola E. Ojo & Ditimi Amassoma, 2021. "Infrastructures Development, Environmental Quality and Economic Growth in Nigeria," Journal of Infrastructure Development, India Development Foundation, vol. 13(2), pages 129-144, December.
    6. Ales Bernatik & David Rehak & Valerio Cozzani & Pavel Foltin & Jarmil Valasek & Frantisek Paulus, 2021. "Integrated Environmental Risk Assessment of Major Accidents in the Transport of Hazardous Substances," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, October.
    7. Wei, Ting & Chen, Shaoqing, 2020. "Dynamic energy and carbon footprints of urban transportation infrastructures: Differentiating between existing and newly-built assets," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. AlSabbagh, Maha & Siu, Yim Ling & Guehnemann, Astrid & Barrett, John, 2017. "Integrated approach to the assessment of CO2e-mitigation measures for the road passenger transport sector in Bahrain," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 203-215.
    2. Rajendran Prabakaran & Shaji Sidney & Dhasan Mohan Lal & C. Selvam & Sivasankaran Harish, 2019. "Solidification of Graphene-Assisted Phase Change Nanocomposites inside a Sphere for Cold Storage Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Adhitya Wardhono & Panji Tirta Nirwana Putra & M. Abd. Nasir, 2016. "Causal study of macroeconomic indicators on carbon dioxide emission in ASEAN 5," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(2), pages 15-31.
    4. Xiao Ke & Yuanke Yan, 2021. "Can proactive fiscal policy achieve the goal of “Beyond Keynesianism”?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 1078-1103, May.
    5. Yilmaz, Murat, 2015. "Limitations/capabilities of electric machine technologies and modeling approaches for electric motor design and analysis in plug-in electric vehicle applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 80-99.
    6. Mattia Rapa & Laura Gobbi & Roberto Ruggieri, 2020. "Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Electric Vehicles: Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing Evaluation of Electricity Sources," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, November.
    7. Raslavičius, Laurencas & Keršys, Artūras & Mockus, Saulius & Keršienė, Neringa & Starevičius, Martynas, 2014. "Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a medium-term option in the transition to sustainable fuels and transport," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 513-525.
    8. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Haouas, Ilham & Hoang, Thi Hong Van, 2019. "Economic growth and environmental degradation in Vietnam: Is the environmental Kuznets curve a complete picture?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 197-218.
    9. Alshammari, Yousef M. & Sarathy, S. Mani, 2017. "Achieving 80% greenhouse gas reduction target in Saudi Arabia under low and medium oil prices," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 502-511.
    10. Kumar, Lalit & Jain, Shailendra, 2014. "Electric propulsion system for electric vehicular technology: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 924-940.
    11. Tian, Zhihua & Hu, An & Yang, Zhen & Lin, Yongran, 2024. "Highway networks and regional poverty: Evidence from Chinese counties," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 224-231.
    12. Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas & Jurgita Antucheviciene & Tatjana Vilutiene & Hojjat Adeli, 2017. "Sustainable Decision-Making in Civil Engineering, Construction and Building Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, December.
    13. Liang, Hanwei & Ren, Jingzheng & Lin, Ruojue & Liu, Yue, 2019. "Alternative-fuel based vehicles for sustainable transportation: A fuzzy group decision supporting framework for sustainability prioritization," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 33-43.
    14. Elgharbawy, Abdallah S. & Ali, Rehab M., 2022. "Techno-economic assessment of the biodiesel production using natural minerals rocks as a heterogeneous catalyst via conventional and ultrasonic techniques," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 161-175.
    15. Luis Fernando Mejía & Martha Elena Delgado, 2020. "Impacto macroeconómico y social de la inversión en infraestructura en Colombia, 2021-2030," Informes de Investigación 18275, Fedesarrollo.
    16. Katarzyna Halicka, 2020. "Technology Selection Using the TOPSIS Method," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 14(1), pages 85-96.
    17. Vicent Penadés-Plà & Tatiana García-Segura & José V. Martí & Víctor Yepes, 2018. "An Optimization-LCA of a Prestressed Concrete Precast Bridge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    18. Shuai Zhang & Xiaoman Zhao & Changwei Yuan & Xiu Wang, 2020. "Technological Bias and Its Influencing Factors in Sustainable Development of China’s Transportation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-26, July.
    19. Mardani, Abbas & Zavadskas, Edmundas Kazimieras & Khalifah, Zainab & Zakuan, Norhayati & Jusoh, Ahmad & Nor, Khalil Md & Khoshnoudi, Masoumeh, 2017. "A review of multi-criteria decision-making applications to solve energy management problems: Two decades from 1995 to 2015," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 216-256.
    20. Faria, Ricardo & Marques, Pedro & Moura, Pedro & Freire, Fausto & Delgado, Joaquim & de Almeida, Aníbal T., 2013. "Impact of the electricity mix and use profile in the life-cycle assessment of electric vehicles," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 271-287.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:6:p:1015-:d:214181. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.