Analysis of Carbon Emissions of Asphalt Pavement with Bottom Ash

To investigate the impact of fly ash size and content on power consumption and carbon emissions, an analysis was conducted to assess their influence on the optimal asphalt content. The study employed the quota method and carbon emissions factor method to evaluate carbon emissions and power consumption. Carbon emissions were calculated for mixtures with varying bottom ash ratios. The findings indicate that the size and content of ash can affect carbon emissions during the production stage, primarily through the release of carbon dioxide. As the ash content increased, production power consumption gradually decreased, leading to a decline in carbon emissions. The influence of ash particle size was found to be dependent on its content. For ash contents below or equal to 20%, larger particle size ash effectively reduced power consumption and carbon emissions. However, as the content continued to increase, ash with a medium particle size demonstrated better carbon benefits. These research findings can be a significant guidance for asphalt pavement design and serve as a valuable reference for controlling carbon emissions.