Purpose The objective of the study is to progress towards a comprehensive component-based Life Cycle Assessment model with clear and reusable Life Cycle Inventories (LCIs) for high-speed rail (HSR) infrastructure components, and to assess the main environmental impacts of HSR infrastructure over its lifespan, to finally determine environmental hotpots and good practices. Methods A process-based LCA compliant with ISO 14040 and 14044 is performed. Construction-stage LCIs rely on data collection conducted with the concessionaire of the HSR line combined with EcoInvent 3.1 inventories. Use and End-of-Life stages LCIs rest on expert feedback scenarios and field data. A set of 13 midpoint indicators is proposed to capture the diversity of the environmental damage: climate change, consumptions of primary energy and non-renewable resources, human toxicity and ecotoxicities, eutrophication, acidification, radioactive and bulk wastes, stratospheric ozone depletion, and summer smog. Three characterization methods are used: the “Cumulative Energy Demand” method to quantify energy demand, the EDIP method for waste productions, and the CML method for the rest. Results and discussion The study shows major contributions to environmental impact from rails (10–71%), roadbed (3–48%), and civil engineering structures (4–28%). More limited impact is noted from ballast (1–22%), building machines (0–17%), sleepers (4–11%), and power supply system (2–12%). The two last components, chairs and fasteners, have negligible impact (max. 1 and 3% of total contributions, respectively). Direct transportation can contribute up to 18% of total impact. The production and maintenance stages contribute roughly equally to environmental deterioration (respectively average of 62 and 59%). Because the End-of-Life (EoL) mainly includes recycling with environmental credit accounted for in our 100:100 approach, this stage has globally a positive impact (− 9 to − 98%) on all the impact categories except terrestrial ecotoxicity (58%), radioactive waste (11%), and ozone depletion (8%). Contribution analyses show that if concrete production is one of the important contributing processes over the construction stage, primary steel production is unquestionably the most important process on all the impact categories over the entire life cycle. Conclusions These results are of interest for public authorities and the rail industry, in order to consider the full life cycle impacts of transportation infrastructure in a decision-making process with better understanding and inclusion of the environmental constraints. Suggestions are provided in this way for life cycle good practices—for instance as regards gravel recycling choices—and additional research to reduce the impact of current major contributors.

中文翻译：

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高铁基础设施的生命周期模型：法国图尔-波尔多铁路的环境清查和评估

目的 本研究的目的是朝着一个基于组件的综合生命周期评估模型发展，该模型为高速铁路 (HSR) 基础设施组件提供清晰且可重复使用的生命周期清单 (LCI)，并评估高铁基础设施的主要环境影响在其生命周期内，最终确定环境热点和良好做法。方法 执行符合 ISO 14040 和 14044 的基于过程的 LCA。建设阶段的 LCI 依赖于与高铁线路的特许经营商结合 EcoInvent 3.1 库存进行的数据收集。使用和生命周期终止阶段 LCI 取决于专家反馈方案和现场数据。提出了一套 13 个中点指标来捕捉环境破坏的多样性：气候变化、一次能源和不可再生资源的消耗、人类毒性和生态毒性、富营养化、酸化、放射性废物和大量废物、平流层臭氧消耗和夏季烟雾。使用了三种表征方法：量化能源需求的“累积能源需求”方法、用于废物生产的 EDIP 方法和用于其余部分的 CML 方法。结果与讨论 该研究表明，铁路 (10–71%)、路基 (3–48%) 和土木工程结构 (4–28%) 对环境影响的主要贡献。镇流器 (1–22%)、建筑机械 (0–17%)、枕木 (4–11%) 和电源系统 (2–12%) 的影响更为有限。最后两个组件，椅子和紧固件，影响可以忽略不计（分别占总贡献的最大 1% 和 3%）。直接运输可占总影响的 18%。生产和维护阶段对环境恶化的贡献大致相等（分别平均为 62% 和 59%）。由于报废 (EoL) 主要包括在我们的 100:100 方法中考虑环境信用的回收，因此该阶段对除陆地生态毒性外的所有影响类别具有全球积极影响（- 9 至 - 98%）（58 %)、放射性废物 (11%) 和臭氧消耗 (8%)。贡献分析表明，如果混凝土生产是施工阶段的重要贡献过程之一，那么初级钢材生产无疑是整个生命周期中所有影响类别中最重要的过程。结论 这些结果对公共当局和铁路行业很感兴趣，为了在决策过程中考虑交通基础设施的全生命周期影响，更好地理解和纳入环境限制因素。以这种方式为生命周期的良好实践提供了建议——例如关于砾石回收的选择——以及减少当前主要贡献者影响的额外研究。