Perpetual Flexible Pavement vs. Rigid Pavement: An Economic and Environmental Cost Comparison

Abstract

India needs roads that can handle a large volume of traffic and have a long service life due to the scarcity of natural resources and their rising cost. Over the last decade, type. As a result, the notion of a perpetual flexible pavement with a life of more than 50 years and great structural capacity has emerged. Perpetual flexible pavement has a direct competition with cement concrete-based rigid pavement. The comparison of life cycle cost (LCC) and life cycle environmental cost (LCEC) is an analytical method for determining the long-term viability of any pavement. This paper examined the overall sustainability of each pavement by comparing (1) the life cycle cost with the help of net present value (NPV) method and (2) life cycle environmental cost considering greenhouse gas emissions from various activities in construction and maintenance of pavements over a 50-year analysis period. The cross-sections of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway with perpetual flexible pavement and the Mumbai-Pune expressway with conventional rigid pavement, both of which have been designed for a long service life and a good structural capability were chosen for the investigation as a case study. The findings of the present study reveal that the per kilometre life cycle cost of perpetual flexible pavement is 2.12 lakh rupee less than the rigid pavement. Also, perpetual pavement emits 4.5 times less greenhouse gases than rigid pavement over their design life. In comparison to a rigid pavement during a 50-year design life, the study concludes that perpetual flexible pavement is not only economically effective but also environmentally sustainable