Abstract

Since January 1, 2017, 25.25 m EuroCombis (ECs) with a maximum gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 40 t"br" are allowed in German national freight transport on a specified part of the road network. This decision was based"br" on a field test of the potential risks of the EC operation that was carried out under the surveillance by the Federal"br" Highway Research Institute (BASt). However, the assessment mainly focused on safety concerns rather than on"br" environmental impacts. To gain additional insights on the climate effects related to the EC use, a dedicated study"br" was initiated by the state government of Baden-Württemberg and Daimler AG. In this paper, we present the impact"br" of ECs on the modal split of national road and rail freight transport and the corresponding impact on greenhouse"br" gas (GHG) emissions. Analysis was carried out for a 2010 scenario mirroring the conditions of the field test and"br" for a 2030 scenario with a non-restricted highway network.

Abstract

Integrating sustainability in the road construction sector is omnipresent and is still gaining interest. This paper"br" specifically addresses the topic of environment-friendly and sustainable procurement of road works (Green"br" Public Procurement). The Belgian Road Research Centre has formed a national working group with members"br" from road administrations, road contractors, and sustainability experts."br" The main objectives of this working group are to help road authorities (at the national and regional levels) in the"br" process of including sustainability indicators in their road tenders, with a view to achieving Green Public"br" Procurement in their road projects, and to keep abreast of new developments: European guidelines, best practices"br" in the sector, progress in other sectors such as the building industry, and certification in other sectors and in road"br" construction."br" The aim is to define the most important sustainability (environmental-social-financial) indicators in the life cycle"br" of a road pavement, and use the evaluation of these to come to an overall assessment of the road’s sustainability"br" for use as a criterion in tendering. Pragmatic choices are made from the basket of sustainability indicators to"br" keep the methodology easy and simple yet objective, without aspiring to a full life cycle analysis."br" A pilot project has been set up with global warming potential, the depletion of materials, noise, responsible"br" sourcing, road availability and annoyance to people, and direct construction costs as environmental, social and"br" financial indicators. Each of these is split up into sub-indicators (such as road transport, recycled contents, tyreroad"br" noise, or rolling resistance) that are all assessed by an easy procedure for both the contractor and the road"br" administration, respectively, thereby delivering and checking the sustainability information in the tender."br" The evaluation leads to a single value, i.e., a weighted sustainability score. This score affects the actual tender"br" price in such way that direct costs as well as the sustainability score both determine which contractor wins the"br" bid."br" The paper describes the implementation of the methodology in the pilot project.