MPC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:	Quantifying Sustainability Metrics for Trunk Line Bridges in the Mountain Plains Region
Authors:	Vaishak Gopi, John W. van de Lindt, and Bolivar Senior
University:	Colorado State University
Publication Date:	Sep 2018
Report #:	MPC-18-360
Project #:	MPC-414
TRID #:	01683182
Keywords:	bridge construction, carbon dioxide, environmental impacts, highway bridges, metrics (quantitative assessment), pollutants, ratings, sustainable development

Abstract

Millions of cubic yards of concrete and steel used to support the U.S infrastructure may result in a significant negative impact on the environment. CO₂ released by construction processes, as well as material production, is taking a substantial toll on the environment. This study seeks to develop a system to rank bridges based on their CO₂ emissions. First, in order to accomplish this objective, rating systems for buildings around the world were analyzed for common attributes applicable to bridges. Second, a sample of bridges from the state of Colorado was selected and analyzed for sustainability by considering only their primary materials. This sample served as the first step in developing a sustainability rating system for bridges in Colorado, where production and transport of concrete and steel were considered in this analysis. This rating system can be further developed to include CO₂ emissions from construction processes, demolition and disposal and other factors that contribute to sustainability, but its current version is intended only to serve as an example of an approach to develop a ranking system.

How to Cite

Gopi, Vaishak, John W. van de Lindt, and Bolivar Senior. Quantifying Sustainability Metrics for Trunk Line Bridges in the Mountain Plains Region, MPC-18-360. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2018.