Comparative analysis of costs and environmental risks between Panama Canal bridges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37387/ipc.v14i2.442Keywords:
life cycle assessment, life cycle cost, bridges, Panama Canal, environmental riskAbstract
This study compares the costs and environmental risks of the Centenario and
Atlantic bridges across the Panama Canal using a life cycle assessment and life cycle cost
perspective. The functional unit was dened as an operating road bridge that guarantees
cross-canal connectivity over its reference service life, and the system boundaries included
raw material extraction, material production, transport, construction, maintenance, and
end-of-life. Secondary technical and academic sources were combined with Ecoinventbased
emission factors implemented in OneClick LCA and with sensitivity scenarios for
service life, maintenance frequency, and climate exposure. The results suggest that the
Atlantic Bridge has a higher initial cost but lower relative material intensity and a lower
expected need for corrective maintenance, whereas the Centenario Bridge concentrates
higher direct environmental pressures because of its older conguration and material
demand. Contextual risks associated with salinity, hydrological variability, and maritime
emissions were identied but treated as external system pressures rather than direct
bridge inventory loads. The paper contributes a transparent comparative framework
for design, maintenance prioritization, and public procurement decisions for resilient
infrastructure in Panama.
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