Design sans titre (29)-1

AECOM Case Study

Link-road construction project for the major road network in the UK

 

Project Overview

AECOM used ORIS to evaluate the 60-year Whole Life Cost and environmental impact of preliminary pavement designs for a 1.6 km link-road in the UK’s Major Road Network.

At the conceptual design stage, the goal was to:

  • Optimise pavement design while minimising environmental impact
  • Assess both the construction phase and long-term maintenance needs
  • Leverage locally available materials to support a circular economy

Approach & key solutions

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The project focused on a comprehensive evaluation of pavement designs, considering both the construction phase and a 60-year lifecycle analysis.

 

  • Sustainable Material Selection

    The project prioritised the sourcing of locally available road construction materials to reduce environmental impact. A key innovation was the use of steel slag, a by-product from the steel industry, as a substitute for a portion of the aggregates in the pavement surfacing. This strategy lowered the consumption of natural resources while maintaining performance standards.
  • Whole Life Cost & Environmental Impact Assessment

    Using ORIS, AECOM conducted a detailed lifecycle appraisal, assessing not only initial construction costs but also long-term maintenance needs over a 60-year period. This enabled the selection of the most economically and environmentally advantageous pavement design.
  • Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency

    By incorporating industrial by-products into the pavement design, the project embraced a circular economy approach, reducing material waste and optimising resource usage.

Impact & key results

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The integration of ORIS at the early design stage resulted in significant benefits

 

  • Carbon footprint reduced by 0.52 million kgCO₂ (-15%)

  • Estimated cost savings of £0.87M at the early design stage

  • Material consumption reduced by 14.6 kTonnes (-15%)

  • 50% reduction in aggregate consumption for TSCS asphalt mixtures containing steel slag