Sustainability and the RTA - Engineers Australia

Sustainability and the RTACurrent Thinking

Con Lambous - Senior Environmental Specialist (Sustainability)

Justin Moss - Pavement Technologist (Strategic Performance)

Roads and Traffic Authority NSW

2

Presentation Overview

» Environmental business risks facing road industry

» Impacts of government policies and legislation

» RTA’s sustainability focus

» Reducing pavement carbon emissions

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The Future: Environment and Business Risks

� Climate Change

- Carbon trading scheme: price applies to carbon from 2011/12

� Oil supply constraints

- 2000: Australia 95% self sufficient.

- 2015: will import half our needs as peak oil impacts

� Electricity

- Prices increasing. Up as much as 40% in 2008

� Water

- Security of supply & increasing price

� Waste Management

- Increasing levies and costs

� Quarried Materials

- Security of supply

4

NSW Government Response

State Plan Priority E3 targets:

□ 2000 equivalent greenhouse levels by 2020

□ 60% greenhouse emission reduction by 2050

NSW Climate Change Action Plan

□ Adaptation

□ Mitigation

NSW Government Sustainability Policy

□ All Budget dependant agencies to be Carbon Neutral by 2020

55

RTA’s Green Plan

�Green Leadership in Research, Policy and Communications

� Developing Green Partnerships

� Reducing Our Footprint

6

RTA Carbon Footprint –Results of traffic lamp replacement project

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

Ele

ctri

city

Co

nsu

mp

tio

n i

n R

TA

Tra

ffic

Sig

nal

s (M

Wh

) E

lect

rici

ty C

on

sum

pti

on

in

RT

A T

raff

ic S

ign

als

(MW

h)

Ele

ctri

city

Co

nsu

mp

tio

n i

n R

TA

Tra

ffic

Sig

nal

s (M

Wh

) E

lect

rici

ty C

on

sum

pti

on

in

RT

A T

raff

ic S

ign

als

(MW

h)

7

Climate Change Adaptation – Key Issues and Projects for RTA

• Climate change action plan – adaptation and

mitigation

• Climate change scenarios, mapping and modelling

for low lying areas

• Review of standards related to road design –

increased storms and winds

88

Developing a Carbon Calculator for Road Projects

9

Typical output from the carbon construction carbon model

Construct ion Greenhouse Gas Emissions InventoryConstruct ion Greenhouse Gas Emissions InventoryConstruct ion Greenhouse Gas Emissions InventoryConstruct ion Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

984.2

902.0

440.3 424.9385.6

321.2273.8

236.5190.8

77.0 75.017.0 13.3 0.1

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Operation of site

plant and

equipment

Vegetation

clearance and

transport

Embodied

emissions of

cement

Embodied

emissions of

coarse

aggregate

Operation of site

vehic les

Hot mix asphalt

processing

energy

Transport of

materials

Embodied

emissions of

bitumen

Embodied

emissions of lime

Embodied

emissions of fine

aggregate

Use of

purchased

electricity

Embodied

emissions of

steel

Waste transport

and disposal to

landfill

Embodied

emissions of

steel (recyc led)

Gre

en

ho

use

Ga

s E

mis

sio

ns

(tC

O2

e)

Gre

en

ho

use

Ga

s E

mis

sio

ns

(tC

O2

e)

Gre

en

ho

use

Ga

s E

mis

sio

ns

(tC

O2

e)

Gre

en

ho

use

Ga

s E

mis

sio

ns

(tC

O2

e)

10

Impacts of changing waste

regulations

11

Waste regulated areas

12

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

200

0

200

1

200

2

200

3

200

4

200

5

200

6

200

7

200

8

200

9

201

0

201

1

201

2

201

3

201

4

201

5

201

6

RTA’s Approach to Sustainability

Waste Levy $$$ - impacts

$

Year

Now

Sydney Metro

Extended area

POEO ActAmended 2005

13

RTA’s Future Issues and Focus

Sustainable Procurement Strategies •Increasing pressure on RTA to reduce the impact of its goods and services•RTA commencing development of sustainable supply chain strategy

Project Assessment•Environmental assessments will increasingly require estimates of carbon impacts and mitigation measures •Development of calculators and guidelines.

Technology Change•Innovation in energy and greenhouse reduction to help reduce environmental footprint of projects (e.g. low energy construction materials)•Electricity supply: alternative fuels, renewable energy and cogeneration

Sustainability Performance Reporting•Increasing corporate and government sustainability reporting requirements

14

Sustainable PavementsImplementations & Case Studies

15

»Asphalt Pavements and Surfacing

□Recycled aggregate

□Scrap Rubber additives

□Recycled asphalt (RAP)


Sustainable Pavements

16

»Flexible pavements

□Recycled Base

□Recycled material for SMZ



17

»Rigid Pavements and Bridges

□Cement replacements / supplements

□Manufactured sands



1818

Key Recycled Construction Material Projects

• Review of Material Specs (RTA QA 3051 & 3052) to allow wider

range of recycled materials in base and sub-base

+

1919

Glass in Concrete & AsphaltSand & Cement-substitute (SCM)

2020


2121


2222

Fly Ash5-10% utilised / balance to landfill

2323

Fly AshConcrete manufactured aggregates

24


Slag in RTA Construction & Issues

25

Slag in RTA construction

Slag Types

»Blast Furnace Slag

•Crushed and screened “BFS”

•Granulated “GBFS”

• Ground Granulated “GGBFS”

»Steel Furnace Slag - “SFS” or “BOS”

•Crushed and screened

»Electric Arc Furnace Slag– “EAF”

•Crushed and screened

Iron

Steel

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Pavements & Slag Usage

Asphalt

Select (mod)

Select

Subgrade

CementedNatural

BFS / SFSHeavily Bound

Lean Mix

Concrete

CementedHeavily / Bound Concrete

Base

ConcreteSubbase

BFS

•as graded base/subbase material

•unmodified (5MPa ~ 12 months)

•modified – crushed BFS aggregate

and GBFS / crusher dust, activated

with 2% GGBFS/lime

SFS / BFS / EAF

•used in Newcastle (repl BFS)

•heavier / higher compactive effort

•Freelime expansion issues > weathering required

GGBFS as modifier

•lime/GGBFS as binder in nat mats

•Improves durability / capacity

•Slow set (vs cement) for extended

working times

BFS Crusher Dust as SMZ

•Minus 6mm “dust” sometimes

used in Select

GGBFS as binder (SCM)

•can be used in Subbase or Base

•replaces up to 70% of cement

•Improves/changes workability

•Reduced water demand

•less shrinkage

•Increases cohesiveness

•Slower set and strength gain

– affects logistics / trafficking

•Reduces paste porosity >

reduced bleed

SFS in Asphalt

• coarse aggregate

• high skid resistance

• high stress pavements

• strong interlock

• resistance to stripping

• blended with natural for

grading

GGBFS in Cemented Layers

•as binder

•usually 2% blend with lime (85/15)

•Insitu deep lift stabilisation

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1 m1 m

minimumminimum

covercover300 typ

»GGBFS as a binder in concrete:

□ for severe corrosion environments

(Exposure Categories B2 and C) -

significantly reduces the ingress of

chlorides (protects reinforcement)

□Replaces up to 65% of cement

□Slower strength gain impacts stripping

and prestressing

□higher ultimate strength

□ flyash generally used as alternative


Bridge Construction

28

Challenges

RTA Annual Usage & Haulage

~200,000 THeavily Bound Bases EFA/SFS

BFS

~200,000 TModified or Bound Bases BFS

~100,000 TAsphalt using SFS

$$$

$$$

29

1 m1 m

minimumminimum

covercover300 typ

»RTA Cement and Specifications

□ room for innovation – min. levels of GGBFS in concrete

pavements

»Rigid Pavements - plastic shrinkage cracking

□ reduced bleeding good for surface quality,

□entrapped mix water can worsen surface plastic shrinkage

cracking (particularly in hot and windy conditions)

»Rigid Pavements - GBFS as a fine aggregate

(sand)

□Coarse nature impacts on workability and finishing

Issues

Final Issues

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» www.rta.nsw.gov.au/

environment

□ Environmental Policy

» www.rta.nsw.gov.au/

doingbusinesswithus

□Technical Directions

□Guideline Documents

□Specifications

•Roadworks

•Bridgeworks

□Specification Guides

More information

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» RTA interested in working with industry to find solutions to

address climate change and sustainability issues

» Increased likelihood of sustainability requirements in RTA

contracts

» Increased focus on sustainability in statutory approvals

» Broad adoption of recycled materials in construction often leading

to improved performance


Key Messages

32

Questions?

Con Lambous [email protected] 8588 5752Justin Moss [email protected] 8837 0702