Comparison of Environmental Loads of Fibers Used in the Manufacture of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) and Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) Mixes Using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Aner Martinez-Soto (), Gonzalo Valdes-Vidal, Alejandra Calabi-Floody, Constanza Avendaño-Vera and Camila Martínez-Toledo
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Aner Martinez-Soto: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Gonzalo Valdes-Vidal: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Alejandra Calabi-Floody: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Constanza Avendaño-Vera: Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Edificación, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Camila Martínez-Toledo: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-13

Abstract: Several authors have demonstrated improvements in the mechanical performance of asphalt mixes by including the use of fibers. However, it has also been reported that environmental assessments must address fiber use in asphalt mixes from the point of view of sustainability. In this study, a life cycle assessment is used to compare the use of four different fibers (fiberglass, polyester fiber, aramid fiber, and cellulose fiber) commonly used in hot mix asphalt (HMA) and stone mastic asphalt (SMA) mixes. Additionally, the use of textile fibers from end-of-life tires (FiTyre) is included in the comparison. The results show that in the five selected impact categories (climate change, terrestrial acidification, human toxicity, particulate matter emissions, and the exhaustion of nonrenewable fossil fuels), the use of FiTyre and cellulose fibers is more advantageous than existing traditional fibers (fiberglass, polyester fiber, and aramid fiber).

Keywords: life cycle assessment; asphalt mixes; textile fibers from end-of-life tires (ELTs); fiber-reinforced asphalt; environmental impacts; sustainability impact categories (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:14246-:d:959638

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