Build without emissions? It could happen.
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It’s easy to forget that almost every important process in our modern world needs energy, and that includes it Road construction. Someone has to make asphalt and concrete, something has to move the materials and it takes energy.
A new study by Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden highlighted some areas where we could actually cut emissions from road construction in half. Research focused on a five-mile stretch of road in Sweden, and each part of the process resulted in a climate impact calculation. Regardless of whether they were materials or related activities, they were included in the effects of the overall climate.
Ida Karlsson, PhD student at Chalmers, said the research then looked at the alternatives available today and found that these inputs would reduce emissions by 20% compared to the Swedish transport agency’s benchmarks. However, by incorporating today’s technology, emissions could be reduced by a total of 50%.
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Karlsson highlighted electric vehicles Transport between a construction site, recycling and reuse of material excavated on a construction site and replacement of cement clinker as a binder in concrete. These are things that are possible today, although the study recognizes that each involves fairly large investments.
Looking to the future, these areas could help to completely eliminate the emissions associated with road construction by 2045. When it comes to meeting the United Nations recommendation Reduce emissions by 7.6% Every year, anything could help to prevent Earth’s temperature from rising by more than 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
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