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.
November 18, 2007
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.
November 18, 2007
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
November 18, 2007
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)
November 18, 2007
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.
November 18, 2007
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,



November 18, 2007
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



November 18, 2007
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




November 18, 2007
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)



November 18, 2007
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.
November 18, 2007
Sustainability
Lyon
Sustainable Aggregate Recycling
Europe 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,
November 18, 2007
Sustainability
Recycled Slag, Paris, France
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.
November 18, 2007
Sustainability
Tools for Measuring Sustainability
European Technology
The Waste & Resources Action Program


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
– • water bound
– • unbound
November 18, 2007
Sustainability
CWA - Environmental Sustainability Rating Program
Environmental Sustainability Rating (ESR): A relative number reflecting the cost of construction methodology against CO2 emissions
per lane kilometer over a defined life cycle
Option
Cost
GWP
Years
1
$45,000.00
ESR
37.46
6.9
12
2
$30,000.00
ESR
21.09
4.3
12
Budget
$ m2
2.00
10.00
0.00
Area
m2
3750
3750
3750
Construction Logistics
Length
Width
1000
3.75
metres
metres
Option 1
Construction Options
Milling
Hotmix paving
No selection
5
1
3
Total for this option
$
12.00
Depth
(cm)
5
5
5
Tonnes
450
450
450
45000
Energy
(Mj)
24627
373988
0
CO2
(kg)
2221
35238
398615
37459
Energy
(Mj)
254991
0
0
CO2
(kg)
21090
0
254990.8
21090.0
5392
2445532
NOx
PM10 (gm)
(gm)
47999
2812
1692007
99438
SOx
(gm)
3034
393416
2450924
1740006
396450
CO
(gm)
102250
Option 2
Budget
$ m2
8.00
0.00
Construction Options
HIR
No selection
No selection
Total for this option
2
3
3
$
8.00
Area
m2
3750
3750
3750
Depth
(cm)
6
5
0
Tonnes
540
450
0
30000
CO
(gm)
509755
0
NOx
PM10 (gm)
(gm)
1222036
71561
0
0
509755.0 1222035.6
Budget
$
Energy
(Mj)
CO2
(kg)
CO
(gm)
NOx
(gm)
PM10
(gm)
SOx
(gm)
Option 1
Option 2
$ 45,000
$ 30,000
398615
254991
37459
21090
2450924
509755
1740006
1222036
102250
71561
396450
69594
Difference
$ 15,000
143,624
16,369 1,941,169
517,970
30,689
326,856
71560.9
SOx
(gm)
69594
0
69593.6
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)
November 18, 2007
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
November 18, 2007
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
November 18, 2007
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?
November 18, 2007
Sustainability
It Could Always Be Worse.
Thank You Very Much
Spring Time In Siberia
November 18, 2007
Sustainability