Better Roads

RoadScience Joining these state and national programs in October 2012 was the full-scale release of INVEST by the Federal Highway Administration. An acronym for Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool, INVEST 1.0 follows a beta version from fall 2010, and a pilot version in 2011, and is a practical, web- based collection of best practices. "Sustainability is an opportunity for an organization to adjust its course," said Stephen T. Muench, Ph.D., P.E., Green- roads director, and associate professor at the University of Washington-Seattle, at the National Pavement Preservation Conference in Nashville in August this year. "It permits a look at organizational priorities to see if there's a need to adjust them. Rating systems play a role in this adjustment because they are a reasonable means to manage and commu- nicate sustainability efforts." Greenroads follows LEED Whether acknowledged or not, these programs follow the footsteps of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design pro- gram. LEED recognizes environmentally sustainable building and neighborhood design, and LEED certifi cation is adminis- tered by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building industry uses the LEED system to evaluate the degree of "green" design a structure or development incorporates. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a vol- untary third-party rating system in which credits are earned for satisfying specifi ed green building criteria. Projects are evaluated within fi ve environ- mental categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Effi ciency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. Certifi ed, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels of green building certifi cation are awarded, based on the total credits earned. In 2009 LEED was expanded to include complete resi- dential developments, encompassing drives, pavements and parking areas where inclusion of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) can boost sustainability points. This LEED-NR (for Neighborhood De- velopment) rating system integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the fi rst national rating system for sustainable neighborhood design. In February 2012, the Meador Kansas Ellis Trail Project in Bellingham, Wash., became the fi rst-ever project to achieve Greenroads certifi cation. This project – actually a six-block area of downtown Bellingham – was reviewed by the Green- roads Foundation as an independent third party, and was certifi ed to meet Greenroads Silver certifi cation. The City of Bellingham incorporated many sustainable elements into the project's design, including recycled por- celain aggregates made from more than 400 crushed toilets that were diverted from a landfi ll; asphalt with recycled con- tent of 30 percent and recycled concrete aggregates; porous pavements that naturally treat runoff and provide effective stormwater management; low-energy LED street lighting; and new amenities and improvements for pedestrians and bicycles using the Whatcom Creek Trail. An international standard, the Greenroads Rating System is a collection of sustainable roadway design and construc- tion best practices that address concerns about water, envi- ronment, access, community impact, construction practices and materials. There are 11 project requirements that must be completed in order for a roadway to be considered a "greenroad," as well as 37 voluntary credits that a project team can choose to pursue. After a rigorous review process, the Greenroads Founda- tion then assigns a project score based on the number of points earned by meeting the requirements and achieving Drainage is important in sustainable design. In Tacoma, Wash., this roadside drainage swale keeps exhaust byproducts, such as residual hydrocarbon compounds and heavy metals from the pavement surface, out of water supplies. Natural bacteria in soil neutralize products in runoff prior to runoff reaching existing aquifer. credits. If certifi cation is attained this score translates to one of the four certifi cation levels. "The Greenroads Rating System can be used to help man- age, improve and communicate sustainability," Muench said. "It represents an independent verifi cation of sustainable features that truly matter and make a difference." Globally, 12 projects are currently pursuing Greenroads certifi cation, ranging from new construction to reconstruc- tion to overlay and bridge projects. Registration for project certifi cation became available in 2011. More information is available at www.greenroads.org. Better Roads November 2012 23 Photo courtesy of Greenroads

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• Better Bridges: Inventory Improvement- Our annual (since 1979) inventory of Americas bridges. We survey bridge engineers from every state and Washington, D.C., with both quantitave and qualitative questions. The result is rich, up-to-the-minute data and a
• ROADSCIENCE: Rating Raod Green-ness - Now you can choose from several options-and find one that fits best- to evaluate and rate the green-ness of a pavement, to certify its sustainability. Unlike the nationally recognized LEED system- the only accepted en
• Highway Contractor: Paving as Art: a job story- Its work, its science, its engineering. But among these and other qualities, paving is also something that requires the people behind the operation to have an artists touch with machinery, mixes and measurem
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