Life cycle approach for evaluating the environmental and economic viability of low-noise asphalt pavements.

This paper aims to make recommendations about the convenience of using low-noise pavements to mitigate traffic noise under different traffic and population scenarios. To do so, a life cycle approach has been applied by performing a Life-cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life-cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). To account for the noise mitigation achieved by the road surfaces, which is the main benefit compared to conventional road surfaces, the damage effect of traffic noise has been incorporated in both analyses. Thus, open source noise emission and propagation modelling and Geographical Information System (GIS) tools have been used to determine the noise level at which residents are exposed. The impact of noise emissions on human health is estimated and expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and the related external cost have been calculated by monetarizing the environmental impacts and by integrating them within the cost assessment. The methodology followed allowed the comparison of different scenarios and the results show a huge potential for reducing environmental impacts and costs when using low-noise road surfaces although accurate information about the acoustic aging of the materials is key in order to ensure that benefits are obtained. [Display omitted] • The feasibility of low-noise road surfaces has been evaluated combining LCA and LCCA. • Noise exposure is assessed using open-source GIS and noise modelling tools. • Population and traffic density influence low-noise surfaces viability. • Traffic noise impacts significantly outweigh other LCA/LCCA categories. • Acoustic ageing estimates of low-noise surfaces affect low-noise surfaces viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]