Materials
Sustainable infrastructure
The role of concrete pavements
By Steve Friess
The almost 2.8 million lane-miles ( 4.6 million lane-kilometers ) of pavement in the United States are a significant consideration in the effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions , according to a February 2023 study from the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub ( CSHub ). The good news is researchers believe achieving carbon neutral paving materials by 2050 is possible if industry and governmental actors apply a range of solutions . Such solutions include taking use-phase impacts into account and making strategic pavement construction and repair choices - with concrete pavement being one of the suggested materials to contribute to carbon neutrality .
A major benefit in choosing concrete over other paving materials is the long life span it can achieve . Concrete can last 30 years or more before requiring a maintenance cycle . Departments of transportation and other agencies have long understood that this long lifespan translates into economic sustainability and offers the greatest value for taxpayers . It is now being realized that a long service life also equates to environmental sustainability , as it reduces the need for raw materials .
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