Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Geothermal Heated Airport Pavement System

Abstract

<p>Geothermal heated pavement systems (GHPS), viz., the use of geothermal energy to heat pavements, have been used as an efficient alternative to de-icing chemicals and mechanical snow-removal equipment. Although some previous studies on pavement-heating systems have focused on their efficiency and economic viability, up to this point none of them have systematically investigated their potential to contribute toward global warming. This study applies life cycle assessment to analyze and compare greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the use of either GHPS or traditional snow-removal systems on airport runways and gate areas. A GHPS produces lower GHG emissions than a traditional snow-removal system in removing 2.5 cm of snow from an airport runway, and it is anticipated that the actual environmental benefits of using heated-pavement systems may become more evident at higher snowfall intensities or durations. The study also discovered that GHG emissions resulting from the use of GHPS at the airport gate area are about 100 times less in magnitude than those resulting from the use of either GHPS or traditional snow-removal strategies applied to airport runways. This indicates that the use of GHPS in selected airport areas such as airport gate areas (as opposed to runways) can result in much greater sustainability benefits, in terms of improved airport ground crew safety, cost-effectiveness, and reduced environmental impact.</p>