2002 Volume 4 Issue 4 Pages 011-022
Life cycle inventory analysis of transportation system has lately attracted a considerable attention. Huge amount of materials and energy are required for large scale transportation system not only on its operation phase but also on its construction process, maintenance works and demolition process. This study develops the model based on Input-Output framework for life cycle assessment. Life cycle carbon emission of transportation systems is estimated in the context of inter-city expressway and Shinkansen in Tohoku region of Japan. It was found that the Shinkansen system emits more than half of life-cycle carbon dioxide in the initial stage, and only 23 percent of emission derive from its train operation. The Shinkansen system emits much larger amount of carbon dioxide than the Expressway system in the construction phase, however, the life-cycle emission for sixty years is almost half of the road system.
