Highway sustainability construction: Reducing carbon emissions using process management

Highway pavement construction with hot mix asphalt (HMA) emits large quantities of carbon. Accordingly, carbon emissions have become a critical issue in the infrastructure development in specific and construction industry at large. However, to date, the approach to implement low-carbon emission in highway construction appears with speculations. The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis in the use of warm-mix asphalt (WMA), to replace hot mix asphalt. The analytical hierarchy process was used to establish the processes involved in the production to the construction of the HMA and WMA. The weight-density of the carbon was determined to compare the various emission mass of HMA and WMA.The findings identify a reduction in the carbon emission, energy-saving, and cost reduction in the use of WMA during the plant production, and pavement construction. The study is significant in two folds. First, it identifies carbon emission at various stages of production and construction of WMA and HMA. Secondly, it provides bases and approach for future analysis of asphalt materials used in highway construction.