Identification of Environmental Hotspots in Concrete Pavements of Nepal: A Cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract

Despite the rapid expansion of rigid road pavements in Nepal, their lifecycle environmental impacts remain largely unquantified. This study presents a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (C2G-LCA) of a 1-km concrete pavement section along the Gwarko-Lamatar-Dahaltar (NH15) corridor. Results reveal that material production phase dominates overall environmental burdens, with cement production accounting for 86.1% of material-phase global warming potential (GWP) and driving roughly 89% of endpoint damages to both human health and ecosystem quality. These findings emphasise an urgent need to incorporate supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as fly ash and GGBS, into regional pavement designs and green procurement policies, while examining their availability, substitution rates, and cost-carbon trade-off. Ultimately, this research establishes a strong foundation for practical, evidence-based planning for low-carbon infrastructure, directly supporting Nepal’s decarbonisation and climate resilience targets under Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0.