A design approach for sustainable bridges – Part 2: case studies

A life-cycle approach, integrating environmental, economic and social criteria, was developed focusing on motorway bridges. The methodology is described in a companion paper (part 1). The proposed approach has two major perspectives (a) an accounting and (b) a decision-making perspective. This paper presents the application of the developed approach to two case studies, referring to both perspectives. From the outcome of the case studies two major conclusions are drawn: (a) the stage of materials production and traffic congestion in work zones are of paramount importance in the life cycle of bridges; and (b) speed of construction and minimisation of maintenance activities over the bridge life cycle are two main requirements for bridge design in order to achieve a sustainable performance.