Comparison of Trenchless and Excavation Technologies in the Restoration of a Sewage Network and Their Carbon Footprints

Tomáš Chorazy (), Petr Hlavínek, Jakub Raček, Katarzyna Pietrucha-Urbanik (), Barbara Tchórzewska-Cieślak, Šárka Keprdová and Zdeněk Dufek
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Tomáš Chorazy: Institute of Municipal Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Petr Hlavínek: Institute of Municipal Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Jakub Raček: Institute of Municipal Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Katarzyna Pietrucha-Urbanik: Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems, Faculty of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Architecture, Rzeszow University of Technology, Al. Powstancow Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
Barbara Tchórzewska-Cieślak: Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems, Faculty of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Architecture, Rzeszow University of Technology, Al. Powstancow Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
Šárka Keprdová: Institute of Technology of Building Materials and Components, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Zdeněk Dufek: Institute of Construction Economics and Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Resources, 2024, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: The restoration of aging sewer networks is a fundamental remediation approach with the aim of renewing or improving existing systems. Remediation methods include repair, renovation, and replacement (renewal). The restoration of a sewer network itself can be performed using either excavation or trenchless technologies. While these technologies offer various advantages, they also present disadvantages. The choice of a restoration technology depends on numerous parameters, including economic factors and local conditions (such as the construction of the existing sewage network, available working space, traffic load, and environmental safety restrictions). In addition to the parameters influencing the choice of restoration technology, recent considerations have been given to constraints related to greenhouse gas emissions and the corresponding carbon footprint. Carbon footprint serves as an indicator of the restoration activity’s dependence on fossil fuels, both during implementation and operation. In the 21st century, concerns regarding carbon footprints have rapidly escalated. The reduction in carbon footprints is a crucial objective from both an economic and an ecological point of view. This article specifically addresses the prospects of monitoring the carbon footprint concerning the partial restoration of a sewer network within the historical core of the city of Brno, located in the Czech Republic. This aspect constitutes the unique and innovative contribution of the paper. The intensity of the energy demand of excavation and trenchless technologies is utilized as a direct measure of the carbon footprint of each technology. The comparative assessment demonstrates that the trenchless technology used achieves a reduction of 59.2% in CO 2 emissions compared to the excavation technology. The carbon footprint of Variant 1 (trenchless technology) is 9.91 t CO 2 eq., while the carbon footprint of Variant 2 (excavation technology) is 24.29 t CO 2 eq. The restoration of open pipelines produces more emissions due to the higher energy consumption, making it more expensive in terms of fuel costs, waste disposal costs, and the corresponding environmental hazards.

Keywords: restoration; sewer network; trenchless technologies; greenhouse gases; carbon footprint (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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