LCE4ROADS - Life Cycle Engineering approach to develop a novel EU-harmonized sustainability certification system for cost-effective, safer and greener road infrastructures
- Dates: October 2013 – May 2017
- Project website: http://www.lce4roads.eu
- Leader: ACCIONA
- Grant agreement number: 605748
- Financied by
DESCRIPTION
The EU ecolabel identifies products and services that have demonstrated a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. There are already more than 17,000 EU ecolabelled products on the market, but there are no references for road products and infrastructures.
This way, the concept of the LCE4ROADS project arises from the necessity of an ecolabelling methodology at European level integrated by a Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) approach.
This methodology, together with a guide for road eco-labelling and a multi-criteria software tool to be developed, will define eco-labels and provide recommendations to improve the label achieved, supporting and motivating relevant stakeholders and industry in order to include greener, more cost-effective and safer technologies in their road construction, maintenance and renewal projects.
It will consider existing labeling approaches and will be based on the selection, combination and integration of previous and to-be-developed suitable key environmental, cost- effectiveness and technical performance indicators.
The EU ecolabel identifies products and services that have demonstrated a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. There are already more than 17,000 EU ecolabelled products on the market, but there are no references for road products and infrastructures.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of LCE4ROADS is to develop a new, green, holistic and EU-harmonised ecolabeling methodology integrating a Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) approach: environmental indicators along with the economic, technical and social aspects, for the assessment of future and existing road infrastructures, as well as their construction materials such as asphalt mixtures and cement-based materials.
The LCE4ROADS project will contribute to the implementation of European policies and strategies in this field, boosting the integration of transport in sustainable development by promoting technologies and materials that reduce pollutant emissions.
The additional benefits that could be achieved by the implementation of promising technologies like energy harvesting for road infrastructures, greener drainage systems and advanced road design will be summarised to identify the potential influence on the LCE performance of roads.
CIRCE'S ROLE
In addition, CIRCE will also take part in the validation of the tool and the elaboration of the guide and strategies for its implementation.
Together with the rest of the partners, CIRCE will start the approaches to the ecolabel and the key performance indicators, taking part in the definition of the methodology to be used by the project.
PARTNERS
