Calculation of Energy Comsuption and CO2 Emisions 11/28/2012

Figure 4-1. LCA model

Table 2-2. LCI of Energy used for Asphalt Pavement

Sub-step

Material or
process

Raw materials Bitumen

extraction and
Aggregates
initial
transformation Subtotal
Production of
bitumen
Storage of
bitumen
Asphalt
Manufacturing
mixing and
drying of
aggregates
Aggregates
Subtotal
Asphalt
Placement
Subtotal
Total

Energy
consumption
(J/t of material)

Total energy
consumed for
1 ton of
asphalt
pavement(MJ)

5.30x107

2.53x105

100

2.53x105

100

6.00x109

1.51x106

43

5.43x108

1.36x105

3.62x108

1.82x106

53

0
3.46x106
6.70x104
6.70x104
3.78x106

0
100
100
100

Total
Contribution
energy
to the subconsumed
step (%)
(%)

6.69

91.54

1.34x107

1.77
100

Table 2-3. LCI of Energy used for PCC Pavement

Sub-step

Material or process

Raw materials
extraction and
initial
transformation

Manufacturing

Placement

Portland cement
Coarse aggregates
Fine aggregates
Reinforcing steel
Subtotal
Portland cement
Coarse aggregates
Fine aggregates
Reinforcing steel
Concrete mixing
Subtotal
Concrete
Rebar
Subtotal
Total

Energy
consumption
(J/t of material)
0
5.3x107
5.3x107
5.3x107
6.33x109
0
0
1.90x1010
6.875x106
3.4x107
0

Total energy
Consumed
for 1 ton of
PCC
pavement
(MJ)
0
8.38x104
5.46x104
6.61x103
1.45x105
2.80x106
0
0
1.48x106
2.53x104
4.31x106
1.25x105
0
1.25x105
4.58x106

Contribution to the
sub-step
(%)

Total
energy
consumed
(%)

0
58
38
5
100
65
0
0
34
1
100
100
0
100

94

3
100

Table 2-4. Environmental Loads through the Life Cycle of Highways

Process
Manufacturing of construction
materials
Construction
Maintenance and repair
Demolition
Total

Energy
NOx
(TOE/FU) (ton/FU)
1,525.7
9.8
47.1
1,069.4
34.5
2,676.7

SO2
(ton/FU)
35.4

CO2
(T-C/FU)
1,391.4

1.1
24.8
0.8
62.1

41.7
976.5
28.9
2,438.5

0.3
6.8
0.2
17.1

Note: TOE: ton of oil equivalent; FU: functional unit (one km of 4 lane highway)

Table 4.3 Unit energy consumption in materials production stage

Material

Unit

1. Aggregates
2. Concrete
35MPa
30MPa
20MPa
3. Asphalt bitumen
4. Steel
5. RAP
6. RCP

ton
m3

Energy consumption
(GJ)
0.038
2.28
1.99
1.69
2.93
15.42
0.054
0.16

ton
ton
ton
ton
2

Reference
(Stripple 2001)
(PCA 2006)

(Stripple 2001)
(IISI 2000)
(PaLATE v2.1)
(PaLATE v2.1)

Energy conversion factor: convert electricity/fuel to universal energy.

Table 4-4. Conversion factor and calorific values of fossil fuel (UKDTI 2006)
Electricity
Diesel
Burning oil
Unit
MJ/kWh
MJ/kg
MJ/kg
Value
3.6
45.7
46.2
LPG: liquefied petrolium gas

LPG
MJ/kg
49.5

Natural gas
MJ/m3
39.6

Coal
MJ/kg
25.6

Once energy consumption has been calculated, emissions can be determined accordingly.

Convert material quantities to CO2

Table 4-5. Unit GHG emissions from the production of some materials (Stripple 2001)
Unit emission (kg/ton,m3)
Material
1. Aggregates (ton)
2. Concrete 35MPa (m3)
3. Bitumen (ton)
4. Steel (ton)

CO2

CH4

N2O

1.42
328
173
2,220

3.82E-06
3.15E-05
3.53E-05
9.17

3.61E-05
1.95E-04
1.06E-04
3.06E-02

CO2
equivalent
(kg-CO2e)
1.43
328
173
2,460

Note: - Concrete used in road & bridge construction usually has the strength of 35MPa.
- Emissions from above materials are CO2, CH4, N2O only.

Emission conversion factor is used to convert fossil fuel or electricity to CO2 equivalent
(USEPA 2011).
Table 4-6. Emission conversion factor of diesel and electricity to CO2e
Energy type

Unit

Kg-CO2e/liter, kWh

Diesel
Electricity

Liters
kWh

2.663
0.7

Calculation of environmental impacts

a) Energy consumption and GHG emissions
Table B-1. Energy and GHG emissions of construction material production for earthwork

Material

Quantity
(m3)

Concrete for
drainage

72,498

Unit

Unit CO2

Energy

Emission

(GJ)

(kgCO2e)

2.28

Energy
(GJ)

328

CO2e (ton)

165,296

23,779

Where, Energy consumption

= (Quantity of materials) x (unit energy consumption for material production)
CO2e emission
= (Quantity of materials) x (unit CO2 emission for material production).
Unit energy consumption for material production is referred to Table 4-3 and unit CO2
emission for material production is from Table 4-5. As shown in Table B-1, Energy
consumption of drainages concrete production = 72,498 (m3) x 2.28 (GJ/m3) = 165,296 (GJ);
CO2e emission of drainages concrete production = 72,498 (m3) x 328 (kg-CO2e/m3) =
23,779,000 (kg-CO2e) = 23,779 (ton-CO2e)

Appendix A: Specification of equipment (Source: PaLATE 2.1)

Activity

Concrete
paving
Crushing
plant

Equipment

Engine
capacity
(hp)

Brand/model

Fuel
Productivity
consumption
(tons/h)
(l/h)

Fuel
type

Wirtgen SP250

106

564

19.7 Diesel

Wirtgen SP500

178

1,150

32.5 Diesel

Excavator

John Deere 690E

131

315

34.2 Diesel

Dozer

Caterpillar D8N

285

250

71.3 Diesel

Slipform paver

Table B-2. Energy and GHG emissions of construction equipment for earthwork
GHG
Earthwork
activity

1. Top soil
removal

Equipment

Dozer

Quantity
(m3)

Quantity
(tons)

Operation
hours

4,580,315

9,112,669

36,451

2,598,933 100,956

6,921

Fuel (l)

Energy
(GJ)

emissions
(tonCO2e)

2. Common
excavation

Excavator

11,587,917 34,581,742

109,783

3,754,589 145,847

9,998

3. Rock
excavation

Excavator

5,792,109

54,874

1,876,695

72,900

4,998

319,703

21,917

17,285,351

Total

Where,
Operation hours = (Quantity of construction activity) / (Productivity rate of equipment)
Fuel consumption = (Operation hours) x (Unit fuel of equipment)
Energy consumption = (Fuel consumption) x (Energy conversion factor)
GHG emission = (Fuel consumption) x (Emission conversion factor)
Productivity rate and unit fuel of equipment are referred in Appendix A. Energy conversion
factor is referred in Table 4-4 and emission conversion factor is from Table 4-6. For example,
Operation hours for top soil removal = (quantity of top soil removal) x (Productivity of
dozer) = 9,112,669 (tons) / 250 (tons/h) = 36,451 (h).
Fuel consumption of top soil removal = (Operation hours) x (Unit fuel of dozer) =
36,451 (h) x 71.3 (l/h) = 2,598,933 (l).
Energy consumption of top soil removal = (Fuel consumption) x (Energy conversion factor)
= 2,598,933 (l) x 38.845 (MJ/l) = 100,956, 000 (MJ) = 100,956 (GJ).
GHG emission of top soil removal = (Fuel consumption) x (Emission conversion factor) =
2,598,933 (l) x 2.663 (kg-CO2e/l) = 6,921,000 (kg-CO2e) = 6,921 (ton-CO2e)

Table 4-9. Environmental impacts from earthwork of HL highway

Environmental

Material
Unit

Impacts

Construction
production

Disposal/

Maintenance

Total
Recycling

1. Material
consumption

ton

181,246

181,246

362,49
2

2. Energy
consumption

GJ

165,296

322,871

3,168

491,33
6

tonCO2e

23,779

22,134

109

46,022

314

4,531

45,311

50,156

3. GHG
emissions
4. Solid waste

ton

Figure 4-5. Environmental impacts from earthwork of HL highway

Extra inventory

Mroueh et al (2000). Life Cycle Assessment of Road Construction. Report of Finish

National Road Aministration.
Environmental loadings caused by road maintenance over period of 50 years compared
with the loadings caused by road construction

Nisbet et al (2001). Environmental Life Cycle Inventory of Portland Cement Concrete.

Report of Portland Cement Association, United State.
Embodied energy by Process Step for 200MPa (3,000 psi) Mix

Nairobi (1991). Energy for building Improving Energy Efficiency in Construction and
Production of Building Materials in Developing Countries. United National Centre for
Human Settlement. ISBN 92-1-131 174-8.
Primary energy requirement of various materials and metal products