ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Construction sector is aware of the need of measuring, avoiding and reducing environmental damage caused by construction materials, processes, services, construction methods and sites, under a life cycle perspective. ACCIONA Construcción has the strategy of considering LCA as a tool for both environmental and business management as decision making tool for their projects. ACCIONA has applied LCA methodology to innovative civil engineering infrastructures built with innovative materials and construction processes that help to reduce the environmental impacts and improve the sustainability of the infrastructures. Some LCA examples highlight encouraging results for innovative materials like fiber reinforced polymers in comparison with traditional ones like concrete and steel. This paper shows the results obtained by the evaluation of the environmental impact analyzed under LCA methodology of the construction of a 30m span and 12m width bridge, comparing the environmental behavior of a FRP bridge and a concrete bridge, and the comparison between steel and FRP external strengthening systems. Concrete bridge was made with prefabricated concrete troughs beams, precast concrete pre-slabs, steel bars and a concrete slab. FRP Bridge was made with FRP beams (infusion process), glass fiber pre-slabs (pultrusion method), a concrete slab, glass fibers bars (pultrusion method) and glass fiber upper flange (infusion process).
