Using CO2 emission quantities in bridge lifecycle analysis

In recent years, new types of bridges have continued to appear with the development of new construction technologies and functional requirements in Japan. However, lifecycle analysis was rarely used to evaluate such new types of civil infrastructures. In this research, a general lifecycle assessment methodology is modified for evaluating new types of civil infrastructures. Furthermore, this modified methodology is applied in comparing the lifecycle performance of a conventional bridge and a minimized girder bridge, which is a new type of bridge constructed in the second Tokyo–Nagoya–Osaka expressway. Finally, accelerated exposure tests of steels and seismic isolation bearings are addressed and test results on the durability of these materials are used to perform the lifecycle analysis.