Comprehensive Fuzzy Assessment on the Life-Cycle Environment Impact of Bridges

A life cycle assessment (LCA) framework using fuzzy mathematics was developed to evaluate the environmental impact of bridges. The bridge life was divided into 5 stages: bridge design, raw materials processing, construction, operation, and demolition. An evaluation index system was established by analyzing the environmental impact of a bridge. Bridge life-cycle environmental impact was categorized into 5 grades: great negative influence, little negative influence, no influence, little positive influence, and great positive influence. Based on the improved AHP method, a fuzzy method was introduced to evaluate comprehensive environmental impact of bridges. The Highway Yangtze River Bridge in TaiZhou City in JiangSu Province was analyzed as a representative case study. Results show that major environmental impact appears during raw materials processing and construction. The method can be used to assess the life-cycle environmental impact of construction projects and help the stakeholders make decisions.