Develop sustainable indicator to measure pavement sustainability on network and project level

This paper discusses some key findings of a research study on sustainable pavement by University of Waterloo Centre of Pavement and Transportation Technology (UW CPATT) with the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO). The ultimate goal of the research is to develop a practical framework for MTO to quantify sustainable pavement engineering practices as an initial step to sustainable highway infrastructure in Ontario. The main focus of this paper is about the development of the indicators for pavement design that demonstrates pavement sustainability. These sustainable indicators provide a balance measure estimating economic, social, and environmental aspects of a pavement design alternative. Three indicators are presented in this paper: Parameter D, Green Discounted Life Cycle Cost (GDLCC) Type P, and GDLCC Type N. Life cycle cost and green pavement rating score from a design alternative act as the basis for the indicator development. The paper will discuss the logic and methodology of each sustainable indicator. The application of the indicators on MTO projects is also examined in this paper. Lastly, through the preliminary application, the strength and flaw of indicators are examined to fully understand how these sustainable indictors can act as a decision support tool for MTO daily practice.