01333338

Component

http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/2233-02

Operational efficiency is a simple way of addressing nonproductive time of diesel-powered construction equipment that performs a construction activity and is defined as the ratio of nonidle activity time to total activity time including idle time. The effects of diesel equipment operational efficiency on total emissions for construction activities have not been fully established; thus a fundamental understanding of operational efficiency is needed to evaluate the effects on total pollutant emissions of diesel-powered construction equipment. This paper presents a methodology to assess the effects of equipment operational efficiency on the total pollutant emissions of construction equipment performing construction activities. This methodology estimates the percentage of additional pollutants emitted due to a reduced operational efficiency, based on the ratio of idle to nonidle emissions. Results for a case study of six bulldozers indicate that pollutant emissions, in addition to the minimum amount required to complete a specific quantity of work, increase as operational efficiency decreases. This conclusion allows the savings resulting from increased efficiency to be determined. Furthermore, additional pollutant emissions for a specified operational efficiency increase as the ratio of idle to nonidle emissions increases. The ratio of idle to nonidle emissions varies according to pollutant and is approximately 1:2 for hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, 1:5 for nitrogen oxides, and 1:7 for particulate matter.

01358580

11-3186

English

pp 11-18

2011

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309167499

Print

Figures (2) ; References (14) ; Tables (4)

Bulldozers; Carbon monoxide; Case studies; Construction equipment; Diesel engine exhaust gases; Engine idling; Hydrocarbons; Nitrogen oxides; Particulates; Pollutants

Operational efficiency

Environment; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment; I15: Environment

PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 15 2011 11:24AM

• Characteristics of Low-Speed Vehicle-Specific Power Distributions on Urban Restricted-Access Roadways in Beijing
• Characterization of On-Road Emissions of Compressed Natural Gas and Diesel Refuse Trucks
• Comparison of Air Quality–Related Mortality Impacts of Different Transportation Modes in the United States
• Corridor-Level Air Quality Analysis of Freight Movement: North American Case Study
• Costs of Automobile Air Emissions in U.S. Metropolitan Areas
• Determining End Limits of Quieter Pavement Projects
• Ecological Assessment Process and Credit System for Highway Capacity Projects
• Effects of Aging on Tire–Pavement Noise Generation for Concrete Pavements of Different Textures
• Evaluating Effects of Engine Operating Variables on Particle Number Emission Rates Using Robust Regression Models
• Evaluation of Effectiveness of Coordinated Signal Control in Reducing Vehicle Emissions During Peak Hours Versus Nonpeak Hours
• Evaluation of Variables Affecting Sustainable Highway Design With BE²ST-in-Highways System
• Integrated Bus Information System: Vehicle Procurement Resource for Transit
• MOVES Versus MOBILE: Comparison of Greenhouse Gas and Criterion Pollutant Emissions
• Onboard, Real-World Second-by-Second Particle Number Emissions from 2010 Hybrid and Comparable Conventional Vehicles
• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Criterion Pollutant and Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory: Calendar Years 2006 to 2008
• Port Columbus, Ohio, International Airport Southwest Noise Berm–Wall Project: Comparison of General Prediction Method and ISO 9613-2 Computations
• Reflections from Highway Noise Barriers and Use of Absorptive Materials in the United States: Why Small Increases in Noise Levels May Deserve Serious Consideration
• Statistical Approach to Estimating Truck Traffic Speed and Its Application to Emission Inventory Modeling
• Tire Noise Generation and Propagation over Porous and Nonporous Asphalt Pavements
• Using an Activity-Based Framework to Determine Effects of a Policy Measure on Population Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide