RC116 JanFeb 2025 - Magazine - Page 30
TRANSPORTATION
OPPORTUNITY
KNOCKS
A roadmap to cutting road
construction emissions and costs
by Jean-Martin Croteau
OR A COUNTRY AS VAST AS CANADA the road network is its
circulatory system, connecting communities large
and small. This is critical infrastructure with over
1 million kilometres of public roads linking people
and places across the country and governments in
Canada invested $24 billion on building and maintaining it in 2023 alone. With this investment comes a huge
opportunity to innovate and reduce costs and cut the environmental impact of the sector by cutting emissions and
reducing waste.
According to GRESB, globally construction and associated materials production is responsible for 11 per cent
of greenhouse gas emissions, and the sector will account
for a growing proportion as other sectors decarbonize. As
energy grids and transportation electrify more emphasis
will switch to construction and the embodied emissions—
those generated through making materials, logistics and
transportation, and the construction of infrastructure. As
governments try to balance environmental goals and economic impacts, the road sector represents an opportunity
to have a positive environmental impact and cut costs.
Jean-Martin Croteau is Technical
Director with Colas Canada.
30
Cutting costs, cutting emissions
There are many ways to reduce emissions in road construction:
using less materials through smart design;
selecting materials with more e昀케cient manufacturing
process and using cleaner energy sources for production
by switching to cold mix or warm mix asphalt, using biobased binders, or electrifying equipment;
reducing transportation of materials for example by
using in-place recycling;
using materials and processes that last longer such as
providing additional protective coatings for roads;
choosing materials that can be reused or recycled.
RENEW CANADA – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
COLAS CANADA
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RENEWCANADA.NET
