Surprising results have emerged from an independent study recently conducted into greenhouse gas emissions from the construction of temporary roads. Ferex discovers a hidden area that can contribute essential to the AERIUS calculation for nitrogen deposition. A significant step in the right direction when it comes to tenders.
Hidden area
Traditionally, only the influence of nitrogen emissions as a result of logistics movements is mapped for the 'scoring' of projects. This study looked further than that. It turns out that the type of roadway reinforcement applied to temporary roads has a major influence on nitrogen emissions. A factor that has a major influence on emissions is the method of cultural-technical restoration, which is necessary to restore the plots as much as possible to their original state. In certain situations, the use of light-weight composite road plates can help to limit or reduce excavation work, and sometimes even make it unnecessary, with positive consequences through reduced emissions of, among other things, nitrogen.
AERIUS calculation
The current AERIUS calculations do not take into account the total emissions (project-wide). When the application of lightweight composite road plates makes the difference in situations between the occurrence of soil shortages (settlement under the carriageway) and the very limited occurrence of soil shortages (very limited settlement, virtually nil), large and deep soil movable activities can be minimized or omitted. In these situations, emissions of CO2 and N2 can be minimized by a factor of 4.
Reduction of C02 and NOx emissions
This reduction is easily achieved by choosing the material for road plates. The study looked at the design of a 2500 m2 work area and a 1000 m carriageway. In one variant, traditional steel road plates were used. In another variant, the composite road plates from Ferex examined. It turns out that the application of the heavy steel road plates entails on average 1,5 times more emissions of C02, particulate matter and nitrogen than the use of the composite road plates.
“For the realization of temporary reinforced carriageways and construction roads, we have developed lightweight composite road plates that are linked via a lip weld connection to form a continuous surface with a large pressure spread. We saw enormous advantages in the field of soil science and geotechnical work, as well as in the reduction of environmental impact. This research report confirms that once again. It is good to see that this development contributes to the limitation of C02 and NOx emissions during the construction of temporary roads.”
Report research results
Antea Group was engaged as an independent research institute for the research. The extensive research results are summarized in a voluminous report with the necessary calculations to substantiate the significant nitrogen reduction.
“When virtually no settlement occurs due to the use of light-weight composite road plates, soil-moving activities can be minimized during the cultural restoration. It is expected that this will mainly occur in the better, more load-bearing soils, sandy soil or river and marine clay, provided it is subject to a favorable and relatively short implementation period. In addition to the great advantage of preserving soil structure, preserving bearing capacity and the fact that the land owner can actually put the part of the plot back into use immediately, there is also a very large advantage in saving emissions of NOx, particulate matter and CO2."