The LIFE HUELLAS (LIFE12 ENV/ES/000686) project has released a publically-accessible version of its footprint calculator for the construction of railways. The tool is available from the project’s website: http://life-huellas.eu.
The LIFE HUELLAS project consortium is led by Fundacion CARTIF in partnership with the companies VIAS Y CONSTRUCCIONES and IK-Ingeniería, and the University of Granada. The project aims to reduce the carbon and water footprint of rail infrastructure, by 10% and 5% respectively, by developing decision-making tools and methodologies for use during railway construction.
The construction of railway infrastructure, which accounts for around 28% of the carbon emissions attributed to rail transport, involves a multitude of decisions from planning to execution. The project is therefore reviewing and analysing the environmental and social impacts of every stage in the construction process, using Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Social LCA (SLCA) techniques. The footprint calculator is based on a series of environmental impact and social indicators developed by the project, which are also being made available in a best practices manual. The project’s tools will enable railway construction companies to combine environmental, economic and social analysis to enhance the sustainability of their activities.
Further information on the LIFE HUELLAS project is available on its website and through its newsletters http://life-huellas.eu/newsletters_en. Issue no. 5 of the newsletter is dedicated to the new LIFE HUELLAS footprint calculator .
Source: © European Union, 1995-2016