PCA report calls for government to look at paving together with fuel standards

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has released a new report calling for roads and pavement structures to be included in the EPA, White House mandated, fuel standards for heavy-duty trucks. Road surfaces play a significant part in fuel consumption levels and thus greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA, White House mandated fuel standards for heavy-duty trucks are expected to be introduced later this year. The PCA report asks policymakers to consider a dual mandate to their fuel reduction objectives, with one part centred on vehicle efficiency and the other on pavement selection. PCA estimates that a fuel reduction policy focused on paving 15% of all the roads scheduled for repaving with a rigid surface like concrete would save nearly 7 billion gallons of fuel by 2035.

“Massachusetts Institute of Technology research suggests that fuel economy gains can be achieved by converting flexible payments to more rigid pavements,” said Edward Sullivan, Chief Economist and Group Vice President at PCA. “This was confirmed in real-world conditions by Florida International University that concluded tractor-trailers use 4.5 percent less fuel on rigid surfaces.”

Addressing both road surfaces and emissions standards together will speed up the impact of emission standards, Sullivan says. The White House projects that heavy-duty trucks, which make up just 4% of highway vehicles, are responsible for 20% of fuel consumption from the transportation sector. Current fuel-economy standards are aimed at reducing truck fuel use by as much as 20%.

A copy of the fuel report can be found here.

Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/16092014/pca-report-calls-for-government-to-look-at-paving-with-fuel-standards-490/