The U.S. Federal Government recently announced its Federal Buy Clean Initiative, a program designed in part to promote and support the use of low-carbon construction materials. This policy has the potential for enormous change in the transportation sector, which is one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries.

Among many sustainability efforts cited in a recent White House briefing on the subject was the mention of LCA PAVE, a pavement life-cycle assessment tool sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). LCA PAVE aids highway agencies in assessing, benchmarking, and communicating the environmental impacts associated with the materials production, design, construction, and rehabilitation stages of the pavement life cycle. The tool provides decision-makers with valuable sustainability information that can be considered along with other engineering and economic factors in developing appropriate designs. Working with FHWA, APTech led the development of the LCA PAVE tool and the supporting documentation and has recently been awarded a new follow-on contract for technical support, enhancements, and outreach.

To learn more about pavement sustainability, contact APTech Vice President Kurt Smith, P.E. or Pavement Engineer Prashant Ram, P.E.