Strategies for Reducing CO2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Flexible Pavements Life Cycle

Climate change has become an emerging topic that many global countries can no longer ignore. The U.S. Government’s policy is to improve the nation’s preparedness and resilience to the effects of a changing climate by targeting net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2050 and limiting global warming to an increase of 1.5 ℃. The Department of Defense (DOD) is developing strategic processes to ensure net-zero GHG emissions from federal procurement. A paper, submitted to this symposium, explored documented baseline carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) GHG emissions associated with construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of flexible pavements, as well as opportunities for reducing CO2e GHG emissions. This paper formalizes strategies for reducing CO2e GHG emissions for the flexible pavement life cycle and develops CO2e GHG emissions for optimized strategies. The strategies are categorized as (1) pavement design, (2) materials, (3) equipment, (4) processes, and (5) disposal (end-of-life). Optimized strategies are highlighted using an airfield pavement case study.