Greening our road construction: views from the transportation industry in South Africa

Abstract

Climate change is quite possibly the biggest challenge that the global population has had to face. Each year the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing, and we are all under increasing pressure to end this trend. Concrete production is one of the largest contributors to CO2 emissions, and any opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of constructions should be embraced. Within the transport environment, the building of new roads, and the erection of crash barriers alongside them, is an area of high concrete consumption, and efforts need to be taken urgently to reduce the carbon footprint of road construction in the future. The preponderance of cement in standard crash barriers poses an opportunity for the replacement of standard cement mix with greener alternatives. Stellenbosch University recently carried out research into the technical feasibility of such mixes, with positive results. But the readiness of the transport industry in South Africa is unclear. How concerned is the industry about climate change? Is there a sense of responsibility about addressing it? Is there appetite and willingness within this industry to allow change to happen? This paper presents the results of a survey with professional engineers working in the transport field in South Africa (SA), as well as respondents from the South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL) and the manufacturing sectors, to help identify what the prevailing opinions are about the likelihood of green alternatives in the manufacturing of crash barriers for SA roads. The paper reflects some practical concerns raised, as well as a sense that the problem of climate change in not necessarily viewed as a priority for the industry quite yet.