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Life Cycle Assessment of High-Performance Railway Infrastructure, Analysis of Superstructures in Tunnels and on Open Tracks

Author

Listed:
  • Lukas Hausberger

    (Department of Structural Engineering and Material Sciences, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Tobias Cordes

    (Brenner Base Tunnel BBT-SE, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Florian Gschösser

    (Department of Structural Engineering and Material Sciences, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

Abstract

Almost 25% of the environmental pollution, measured by the indicator of global greenhouse emissions, is emitted by transport. Changes in the mobility behavior of the population will be essential if the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the goals of the EU Commission’s Green Deal are to be attained. Accordingly, the existing infrastructure has to transform into a sustainable transport infrastructure through further optimizations in the future. Therefore, continuous optimizations and improvements of designs, materials, and processes are crucial to achieving long-term sustainability. This study investigates different superstructures with the method of life cycle assessment using the example of the emerging high-performance infrastructure at the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT). The study analyzes all relevant life cycle stages (A1–C4) and validates different effects of service lifetimes of superstructure elements on the open track and in the tunnel. The results, which are presented in the form of GWP, AP, and NRCED, show that there is environmental reduction potential, especially in the stage of use. As more frequent modernization cycles and the associated remanufacturing of superstructure elements account for a significant proportion of the total environmental impact, lifetime extending optimization of products yields improvements in the ecological footprint.

Suggested Citation

  • Lukas Hausberger & Tobias Cordes & Florian Gschösser, 2023. "Life Cycle Assessment of High-Performance Railway Infrastructure, Analysis of Superstructures in Tunnels and on Open Tracks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7064-:d:1130736
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mayara S. Siverio Lima & Mohsen Hajibabaei & Sina Hesarkazzazi & Robert Sitzenfrei & Alexander Buttgereit & Cesar Queiroz & Viktors Haritonovs & Florian Gschösser, 2021. "Determining the Environmental Potentials of Urban Pavements by Applying the Cradle-to-Cradle LCA Approach for a Road Network of a Midscale German City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dieter Knabl & Matthias Landgraf, 2023. "In-Depth Lifecycle Assessment of Ballasted Railway Track and Slab Track Considering Varying Subsoil Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-15, August.

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