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Learn about sustainable practices in transportation, recycling, and green infrastructure development for a greener future. Explore examples of sustainable road projects and innovative materials used worldwide.
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SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION 2007 CTAA Convention Niagara Falls, Ontario November 18, 2007 Presented by, Lewis O’Toole AMEC
Sustainability Is Important to Us AMEC is ranked #1 world wide on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for engineering consulting firms; we take the environment seriously. Sustainability
What is Sustainability? • AMEC’s Definition Sustainability is an approach to managing our earths resources and environment for the best interests of all those affected by what we do both now and in the future. Sustainability
Principles of Sustainability • Basic Principles • minimizing the use of non-renewable resources • minimizing impacts on the natural environment • protecting biodiversity • using renewable resources in a sustainable manner Sustainability
Sustainable Development • Development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) Sustainability
Sustainable Development(A Few Construction Related Examples) • Grey County, Ontario. • Issue – Thousands of used car tires. • Solution – Build a facility to recycle the tires and offer the rubber for utilization in the production of asphalt pavements within Grey county. Sustainability
Sustainable Development(A Few Construction Related Examples) • The Province of New Brunswick have a Sustainability Policy • A commitment to sustainability through the development of, • Intelligent Transportation Systems • Road Weather Information Systems • Alternative Fuels Sustainability
Sustainable Development(A Few Construction Related Examples) • The Province of British Columbia • Hot In Place recycling of asphalt pavements • Over 10 million square meters recycled to date. • Maximizes the use of non renewable resources • Reduces green house gas emissions as much as 7000 tonnes per production day over conventional mill and fill. Sustainability
Sustainable Development(A Few Construction Related Examples) • The Province of Nova Scotia • Cold In Place Recycled Asphalt Program • Over 30 projects completed to date • “Road Mining” rather than “Road Wasting” • Recycling of valuable asphalt cement and aggregates. • Reduction in use of None Renewable Resources Sustainability
Sustainable Development(A Few Construction Related Examples) • AMEC • Eastern Canada Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) • Economically beneficial through the reduction in the use of road salt. • Increases driver safety due to improved salt management • Lessens the environmental impact on road side vegetation and wildlife Sustainability
Sustainable Development(A Few Construction Related Examples) • Engineering Functions • Conducting Mass Balance Studies • collect data and analyses resource flows to determine methods by which an industry can be made more sustainable. • A recent study in England found that the construction industry requires 420M tonnes of material resources annually to create 275M tonnes of built infrastructure. It also produced over 150M tonnes of waste. • AMEC conducted Sustainable Transportation Study for city of Lyon, France. Lyon Sustainability
Sustainable Aggregate RecyclingEurope vs. America • United States. • Blast furnace slag — 90 percent, • Coal bottom ash — 31 percent, • Coal fly ash — 27 percent,. • RAP — 80 percent, • Sweden • Blast furnace slag — 45 percent, • Steel slag — 100 percent,. • RAP — 95 percent, • Germany • Blast furnace slag — 100 percent, • Steel slag — 92 percent,. • Coal bottom ash — 97 percent,. • Coal fly ash — 88 percent,. • RAP — 55 percent, Recycled Slag, Paris, France Sustainability
Ultimate Sustainable Roads Green House Gas Eating Pavements Pavements in Westminster, London may soon have a role that goes far beyond creating smooth roadways. Japan's Mitsubishi Materials Corporation has developed a paving stone called "Noxer" that uses the catalytic properties of TiO2 to remove nitrogen oxide (NOx) from the air, breaking it down into environmentally benign substances that are washed away by rainwater. NOx is produced in abundance through vehicle emissions. Sustainability
Tools for Measuring SustainabilityEuropean Technology • The tool focuses on giving an estimate of the CO2 saved in selecting different construction techniques and supply alternatives (use of primary or recycled and secondary aggregates). • The tool uses Microsoft Excel and is designed to assess the CO2 output resulting from four types of construction involving aggregates: • • bitumen bound • • cement bound • • waterbound • • unbound The Waste & Resources Action Program Sustainability
Sustainability – Should We Worry? • A few Comments from England: • Because of the potential environmental impacts of major construction projects, alternatives to new road construction will be thoroughly investigated first. (Recycling) • New roads are expensive. They impose substantial environmental costs. Can problems can be solved by making better use of the existing network before adding additional infrastructure? (Environmental Issues) • Road-building must be accompanied by measures to lock in the benefits, i.e. prevent new traffic from filling up the new road space. (Restricted Traffic Use) Sustainability
China’s Reaction to Transportation Sustainability • By 2004 their rail network was the 3rd largest in the world, the road system the fourth largest, the expressways ranked second. Rate of growth was not controlled or sustainable. • Recognising the seriousness of this situation the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) decided, in November 2003, to establish a Sustainable Transportation Task Force • The Sustainable Transportation Task Force was charged with implementing a project entitled "strategy and policy for the development of sustainable transportation in China Sustainability
What is Changing? Why this emphasis now? • Growing awareness of problems or issues • Increasing intolerance with use of “free goods or services” • Mistrust of global organizations • Information age has increased power of third parties. • Expectation that something be done Sustainability
These Are The Facts! • Oil prices are approaching $100/barrel. • Hydrocarbon Emissions are ever increasing. • Environment activists with Power Point presentations are winning the Nobel Prize. • None renewable resources are decreasing. • Our world is warming up. • Canada is committed to a path of environmental sustainability. • Are we doing our share in the transportation sector? Sustainability
It Could Always Be Worse.Thank You Very Much Spring Time In Siberia Sustainability