A methodology to facilitate the implementation of new sustainable technologies for greener asphalt roads

Abstract

The adoption of new sustainable technologies by National Road Administrations (NRAs) throughout Europe is often a slow and difficult process. The set of potentially relevant sustainability indicators which need to be considered from a life cycle perspective is wide and NRAs are often confronted with a large amount of missing or uncertain data. The EDGAR project (Evaluation and Decision process for Greener Asphalt Roads), funded by the CEDR (Conference of European Directors of Roads) Transnational Road Research Program Call 2013 ‘Energy Efficiency’, developed a methodology to facilitate quicker adoption of the technologies that offer the greatest sustainability benefits for the road sector and the society as a whole. EDGAR proposed a reduced basket of sustainability indicators specifically designed for asphalt materials and directly relevant to NRAs. A methodology was then devised to quantify these indicators, using either existing or new tools, and to implement the results in a Multiple Attribute Decision Making Model to make a balanced and well informed decision.