Earthworks emissions in construction of a highway

Abstract Accounting for carbon emissions and energy consumption for the production of materials, transportation to and from site and construction plant operation provides an indicator of infrastructure9s environmental impact and could assist in engineering option selection. A comprehensive review of the embodied energy/embodied carbon calculation was carried out for the Highways Agency, producing a simple spreadsheet calculator for geotechnical structures. With a bill of quantities format, the calculator aims to present embodied energy/embodied carbon in concert with cost information and serves as a decision support tool for option selection. Information on this research work can be found on the Highways Agency9s Research Compendium website. Most of the emissions/energy consumption are locked in the construction materials used (production of concrete, steel, asphalt etc from raw materials) with small contributions from the transportation to and from site and all the associated construction work on site. The carbon emissions related to the construction of a new highway in the UK are discussed, with particular emphasis on the contribution of the associated earthworks and how they compare with the overall construction and operational emissions. Earthworks emissions are calculated to be less than these from the structures and pavement construction. Capitalizing on use of earthworks could help in the effort to reduce the carbon footprint of infrastructure.