Selected issues of the ecobalance analysis of recycled materials used in road construction

Abstract

The paper presents road project issues in terms of environmental and cost analyses. Comprehensive assessment of the environmental and economic performance of engineering structures is based on quantitative environmental and economic information and draws on the results of life cycle assessment, life cycle cost and whole-life cost (WLC) analyses. The paper highlights the issue of the potential environmental impact of materials used in road construction, including those derived from the recycling process, in the context of life cycle assessment (LCA). The paper also outlines the requirements of a circular economy for the management of such materials. Attention was drawn to LCA as an important tool for obtaining comprehensive information on the environmental impact of the materials under study. Another element addressed in the paper is the topic of assessing the cost-effectiveness of road infrastructure. Attention was given to the total cost concept and the principle of cost interdependence. The problem of costs and benefits of road projects is described using the LCCA as an example.