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Life Cycle Assessment of railway infrastructure in Belgium

Congrès [avniR] 2017

Angel L. Merchan, Sandra Belboom and Angélique LéonardChemical Engineering, PEPs

Université de Liège

a.merchan@uliege.be 9/11/2017 – Villeneuve d’Ascq , France

LCA of inland freight transport

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Rail transport operation

Inland Waterways transport operation

Road transport operation

End-of-life

Production

Rail equipmentRail Infrastructure

Raw materials

Rail infrastructure Rail equipment

Electricity Diesel Construction

Maintenance

Manufacturing

Maintenance

End-of-life

ProductionGas-oil

Barge

IW InfrastructureCanal Port facilities

Manufacturing Maintenance

End-of-life

Production Diesel

Road

LorryManufacturing Maintenance

Year

2012

17.5%

24.2%58.3%

Euro I-VI

Rigid <7.5 t Rigid 28 - 32 t

Rigid 7.5 - 12 t Rigid >32 t

Rigid 12 - 14 t Art.14 - 20 t

Rigid 14 - 20 t Art. 20 - 28 t

Rigid 20 - 26 t Art. 28 - 34 t

Rigid 26 - 28 t Art. 34 - 40 t

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Transport performance

(million tkm and pkm)

Freight 8 442 8 148 7 882 5 439 5 729 5 913 5 220

Passenger 9 607 9 932 10 403 10 426 10 609 10 848 10 857

Operating performance

(million Gtkm)

Freight 20 014 18 987 18 794 12 995 12 645 13 051 11 522

Passenger 25 664 26 308 26 287 27 001 30 190 30 870 30 896

Kilometric performance

(million train-km)

Freight 15 15 15 12 13 12 12

Passenger 78 80 80 81 81 82 83

Rail Infrastructure demand and allocation

► Allocation of construction and disposal

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► Allocation of operation and maintenance

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Transport performance

(million tkm and pkm)

Freight 8 442 8 148 7 882 5 439 5 729 5 913 5 220

Passenger 9 607 9 932 10 403 10 426 10 609 10 848 10 857

Operating performance

(million Gtkm)

Freight 20 014 18 987 18 794 12 995 12 645 13 051 11 522

Passenger 25 664 26 308 26 287 27 001 30 190 30 870 30 896

𝐷𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑟. 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑚 ∗ 𝑎

𝑡𝑘𝑚=

𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑 (𝑚

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐺𝑡𝑘𝑚 (𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 + 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟∗ 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜

𝐺𝑡𝑘𝑚 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝑡𝑘𝑚 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝐷𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑟. 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑚 ∗ 𝑎

𝑡𝑘𝑚=

𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑 (𝑚

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 − 𝑘𝑚 (𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 + 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟∗ 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜

𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 − 𝑘𝑚 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝑡𝑘𝑚 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

Rail infrastructure: tunnels and bridges

► The Belgian railway network has a 2.6% of tunnels (95 km)

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Schmied & Mottschall (2010) Rozycki et al. (2003)

Mined

tunnels

Trenched

tunnels

Mined

tunnels

Trenched

tunnels

Share of tunnel type 75% 25% 61% 29%

Life span (years) 60 60 100 100

Concrete (m³/m) 37. 2 49 44 t/m 71 t/m

Steel (t/m) 1.6 6.1 2.1 2.8

Excavation soil (m³/m) 127.9 300 270 t/m 700 t/m

Electricity (MWh/m) 2.2 0.5 - -

Diesel (L/m) 140 100 - -

Schmied & Mottschall (2010) Rozycki et al. (2003)

ViaductsConcrete

bridgesIron bridges

Rail glen

bridges

Railroad

bridges

Share of bridge type1 26% 57% 17% 90% 10%

Life span (years) 60 60 60 100 50

Concrete (m³/m) 31.6 14 - 55 t/m 89 t/m

Steel (t/m) 3.51 1.5 7.2 3 4.9

Excavation soil (m³/m) 26.17 5.234 5.234 - -

Diesel (L/m)2 8.4 6.1 6.1 - -

► The Belgian railway network has a 2.2% of bridges

Rail infrastructure: track bedding, rails, sleepers and fastening system

Type MaterialInfrabel Main lines Side lines

kg /

sleeperlife span

sleeper /

m Rate

sleeper /

mRate

Sleeper

Concrete

Concrete 286.240

1.67

79%

1.3

35%Steel 7.8

Wooden

sleeper

Oak Wood 8025 21% 65%

Creosote 5.07

Type MaterialInfrabel Main lines

kg /

sleeperlife span

sleeper /

m Rate

Sleeper

Concrete

Concrete 286.240

1.67

79%Steel 7.8

Wooden

sleeper

Oak Wood 8025 21%

Creosote 5.07

Type MaterialInfrabel

kg /

sleeperlife span

Concrete

sleeper

Concrete 286.240

Steel 7.8

Wooden

sleeper

Oak Wood 8025

Creosote 5.07

Ratio main and side lines in the Belgian railway network

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Main lines 69.18% 69.19% 69.49% 72.87% 72.58% 71.61% 72.07% 74.22% 74.11%

Side lines 30.82% 30.81% 30.51% 27.13% 27.42% 28.39% 27.93% 25.78% 25.89%

Rail infrastructure: track bedding, rails, sleepers and fastening system

There are several techniques to fix the rails to the sleepers

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Fastening systems (unit/sleeper)Screw

spikeClip Bolt

Base

plate

Rubber

pad

Material Steel Steel Steel Steel Rubber

Weight (kg/unit) 1.1 1 0.3 3.5 0.6

Life span (years) 30-35 35-40 30-35 40 20-25

Fastening systems (unit/sleeper)Screw

spikeClip Bolt

Base

plate

Rubber

pad

Material Steel Steel Steel Steel Rubber

Weight (kg/unit) 1.1 1 0.3 3.5 0.6

Life span (years) 30-35 35-40 30-35 40 20-25

Concrete sleeper Rigid and elastic clips - 4 4 - 2

Fastening systems (unit/sleeper)Screw

spikeClip Bolt

Base

plate

Rubber

pad

Material Steel Steel Steel Steel Rubber

Weight (kg/unit) 1.1 1 0.3 3.5 0.6

Life span (years) 30-35 35-40 30-35 40 20-25

Concrete sleeper Rigid and elastic clips - 4 4 - 2

Main track

Wooden sleeper

Base plate A 4 4 4 2 -

Direct to rigid clips 6 6 - - -

Base plate Pandrol 4 4 - 2 -

Laminated base plate

Pandrol6 4 - 2 -

AVERAGE 5 4.5 1 1.5 -

Side track

Wooden sleeper

Base plate A with 4 holes 8 4 4 2 -

Direct with 6 screw spikes 6 - - - -

Base plate with 2 holes 4 - - 2 -

Base plate with 4 holes 8 - - 2 -

AVERAGE 6.5 1 1 1.5 -

Rail infrastructure: switches and crossing

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2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Switches main lines 4 446 4 438 4 510 4 526 4 513 4 488 4 470 4 348 4 309

Switches side lines 8 378 8 161 7 904 7 692 7 588 7 519 7 327 5 712 5 522

Rail infrastructure: overhead contact system

► Examples of overhead compound lines (left) and overhead R3 lines (right)

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Overhead lines Km

Compound 3kV DC 4 330

R3 3kV DC 490

High Speed Lines 25kV AC 450

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Share electrified tracks 81.82% 81.94% 82.72% 83.11% 87.16% 87.59% 90.03% 91.49% 89.15% 87.96%

Share non-electrified tracks 18.18% 18.06% 17.28% 16.89% 12.84% 12.41% 9.97% 8.51% 10.85% 12.04%

Rail infrastructure: maintenance

We have considered in the maintenance both : Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions from the machinery

New materials used in the track renewal

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2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Rails renewal in main lines (km/year) 61 100 140 212 99 121 119

Rail grinding (km/year) 1 038 1 038 1 038 1 038 1 038 1 038 1 038

Sleepers renewal in main lines (km/year) 147 171 170 150 175 90 110

Switches and crossings renewal (units) 62 86 100 82 62 65 72

Ballast renewal (km/year) 59 96 110 115 59 31 22

HerbicideMain

tracks (kg)

Secondary

tracks (kg)

Glyphosate 262 4 173

Clopyralide - 9.4

Fluroxypyr - 18.8

MCPA - 557

Diflufenican 42 215

Tryclopyr 332 416

2,4 D 298 818

Flazasulfuron 7.5 -

LCIA 1 tkm of rail freight transport (diesel traction) in Belgium in 2012

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Rail transport operation

End-of-life

Production

Rail equipmentRail Infrastructure

Raw materials

Rail infrastructure Rail equipment

Diesel Construction

Maintenance

Manufacturing

Maintenance

16%10%

50%44%

20% 16%

13%

7%

11%

44% 52%

23%

56%

3%10%

3%

2%

3% 18%

7%1%

2%

12% 4%

14%

6%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Rail transport operation Diesel Railway track construction

Railway track maintenance Rail equipment Rail equipment maintenance

Max. in 5 indicators

LCIA 1 tkm of rail freight transport (electric traction) in Belgium in 2012

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Rail transport operation

End-of-life

Production

Rail equipmentRail Infrastructure

Raw materials

Rail infrastructure Rail equipment

Electricity Construction

Maintenance

Manufacturing

Maintenance

22%12%

51%

44%

36%

44%37%

45%37%

54%45%

59%

4%12%

3%

2%

6%

5%7%

5%10% 4% 28% 6%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Rail transport operation Electricity supply mix Railway track construction

Railway track maintenance Rail equipment Rail equipment maintenance

Max. in 10 indicators

Conclusion and perspectives

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Intermodal terminal

Main haulage by rail, barge or lorry

Post-haulage by road

Intermodal terminal

Port of Antwerp

► Study of consolidated intermodal routes

► Detailed study of the Belgian railway infrastructure

► Railway infrastructure is important for the LCA of the rail freight transport, especially when electric traction is used

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Thank you for your attention.

Questions?

9/11/2017 – Villeneuve d’Ascq , France

Angel L. MERCHAN

Department of Chemical Engineering, PEPs

a.merchan@uliege.be