Comparison of Carbon Footprint of Trenchless and Open-Cut Methods for Underground Freight Transportation

摘要

Carbon dioxide (CO_2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. The construction industry is a major producer of such emission due in part to the magnitude of operations and the vast array of equipment. The proposed underground freight transportation (UFT) uses unmanned vehicles to move freight through tunnels and pipelines between terminals. This paper presents a comparison of carbon footprint for conventional open-cut and trenchless technology methods, particularly tunneling in rural area. The paper considers building a freight pipeline in a proposed route from Huntsville to Madisonville, Texas, under existing right-of-way and with a pipe diameter of 8 to 13 ft. The objective of this paper is to quantify carbon emissions produced by construction equipment for hauling excavated soils during pipeline construction. Trenchless technologies with minimum surface and subsurface disruptions offer a viable alternative and result in lesser carbon emissions compared to open-cut method. The findings of this paper will assist the pipeline construction industry in technology selection to minimize environmental impacts.