LCA Analysis of Alternative Materials in Asphalt Mixtures

In recent decades, there has been a growing global trend in research and application of recycled pavement materials with the addition of various alternative materials. The aim of this research is to theoretically substantiate, through a comparative analysis, the advantages and disadvantages of the analyzed pavement structures from the perspective of life-cycle costs, as well as to assess the environmental impact throughout the pavement’s life cycle. The analysis was conducted using the LCA software PaLATE. Eight different pavement structures of type TIP3 were analyzed, divided into four pairs, where the economic and environmental impacts of structures with and without alternative materials (as full or partial replacements), as well as with and without additives, were compared. The mixtures were prepared using the warm mix asphalt (WMA) method, and the alternative materials used include: RAP (Recycled Asphalt Pavement), RCA (Recycled Concrete Aggregate), C&DW (Construction and Demolition Waste), SS (slag from steel production in electric arc furnaces), polymer lignin, cobalt catalyst, biodegradable materials, and fly ash. The concluding considerations provide a detailed overview of the comparative analysis, which clearly points to the advantages of modern treatments in terms of economic and environmental impacts on the construction and maintenance of pavements.