ABSTRACT
Virgin material savings is known as the major advantage of asphalt recycling while these benefits could be offset by plant and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) processing operations. Initially in this study, an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) model was formulated on three scenarios differing in RAP content. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis on RAP transportation suggested that the environmental benefits of using RAP would break even at a distance of about 50 miles. To obtain a spatial distribution of RAP stockpiles, remote sensing techniques have then been implemented to locate and estimate asphalt plants’ inventory of RAP in Washington State. Knowledge about the exact location and quantity of RAP stockpiles combined with LCA-driven results enables a network-level understanding of where RAP recycling remains environmentally beneficial regarding energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Choropleth maps were ultimately generated to illustrate the boundaries where RAP incorporation remains environmentally friendly with regard to hauling distances.
