An Evaluation of the Economic Viability and Accessibility of CRCP and JPCP: A Comparative Analysis

Milad Moharekpour, Manouchehr Shokri, Eva Wellerdick, Marzia Traverso, Markus Oeser and Pengfei Liu ()
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Milad Moharekpour: Institute of Highway Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Manouchehr Shokri: Institute of Sustainability in Civil Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Eva Wellerdick: Institute of Highway Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Marzia Traverso: Institute of Sustainability in Civil Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Markus Oeser: Institute of Highway Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Pengfei Liu: Institute of Highway Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: Road infrastructure serves as a foundational driver of a nation’s economic and cultural growth. Incorporating life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), as well as considerations of availability and environmental impact, enables policymakers to make strategic decisions that not only enhance fiscal efficiency but also support sustainable progress. This paper centers on an in-depth examination of two prevalent pavement technologies: continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCP) and jointed plain concrete pavements (JPCP). It specifically delineates the application of these methods to a hypothetical one-kilometer motorway construction in Germany. Employing LCCA for concrete pavements, the paper evaluates long-term fiscal prudence among alternative investment opportunities, factoring in resource utilization—both materials and machinery—and long-term care and upkeep obligations over the pavements’ operational lifespans. The analysis extends to appraise agency expenditures associated with the pair of pavement strategies and estimates the concomitant delay durations and costs relevant to the exemplar project. Central to this research is the investigation of road availability and its quantifiable influence on traffic efficacy, parsing through metrics such as the tally of days roads are out of service and the subsequent repercussions on vehicular flow. The investigation also proposes strategies for the reduction of embodied carbon in CRCP and JPCP systems. While accounting for variances in functional performance and vehicular comfort levels, this study contributes scientifically by tackling pragmatic engineering dilemmas involved in pavement selection, with a spotlight on minimizing costs, curtailing traffic interruptions, and mitigating ecological impacts for the duration of the pavement’s life cycle.

Keywords: life cycle cost analysis; continuously reinforced concrete pavements; jointed plain concrete pavements; carbon footprint; availability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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