Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Implementation of Portable Emissions Measurement Systems PEMS for the Real-driving Emissions RDE Regulation in Europe
Published on: December 4, 2016
High-Resolution Mapping of Material Stocks in Belgian Road Infrastructure: Material Efficiency Patterns, Material
Zhaoxing Wang1, Dominik Wiedenhofer2, André Stephan3
1Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB), University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
Abstract:
Road infrastructure is an integral part of built environment stocks, as it delivers essential social and economic services. While previous work has assessed material stocks, flows, and embodied emissions, spatially refined mapping of materials accumulated in road infrastructure can highlight hitherto underappreciated synergies between improved spatial planning, material stock efficiency, and urban mining. In this study, we mapped the materials stocked in road infrastructure across Belgium, explored the patterns of material stock efficiency and the recyclability of end-of-life road materials, and examined the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of improving stock efficiency and recycling. We assembled data scattered across various governmental sources and crowdsourced platforms and developed a comprehensive database to warehouse locational information on road typology, layer geometry and thickness, material characteristics, traffic volume, climatic conditions, and soil conditions. Our results reveal a strong but nonlinear correlation between material stock efficiency and population density, indicating that spatial planning can reduce the required road stocks and associated GHG emissions. Urban mining potentials in road infrastructure hinge on multiple factors, such as the proximity to recycling facilities and the degradation of pavements during use. Our counterfactual analysis shows that urban road planning and reusing recycled asphalt can cut GHG emissions by up to 53 and 70%, respectively. Therefore, material-efficient road planning and improved material recycling can help realize circular economy potentials and mitigate GHG emissions moving forward.
Related Concept Videos
Design Example: Alignment of a Road Line Using GIS
Design Example: Sustainability in Concrete Building
There are multiple approaches to achieve sustainability in a commercial concrete building. For instance, construct a concrete parking area under the building, utilizing pervious concrete paver blocks in open areas to facilitate rainwater collection through an underground...
Manipulation and Analysis
Thematic Layering in GIS
GIS Software, Hardware, and Sources of GIS Data
Short-distance Transport of Resources

