RoadLCA 2026

ROADLCA2026_Brochure.pptx-1

Registration

Please fill in the registration form until 30 June 2026 in order to receive early bird discounts!
Papers without a registered speaker will not be considered in the conference program.

EARLY BIRD :
until 30th June

REGULAR/LATE :
01st July – 25th Sept

ON-SITE:
26th Sept. – 2nd Oct.

For full registration information please follow the link

Registration

The 7th edition of the international symposium on Life-Cycle Assessment for Pavements and Bridges under the new acronym “ROADLCA” will be held in Palermo, Italy, September 30th to October 2nd, 2026 with the SMARTI Lab, Department of Engineering and Centre for Sustainability and Ecological Transition of the University of Palermo as main local organizer, and with international support from University of California Davis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Arizona State University from USA and University of Granada from Spain.

The Congress intends to be a global forum for scientists, engineers, road authorities and road pavement industry from diverse countries and cultures, who will interact, exploring ways and strategies to face global and regional challenges on the use of life cycle thinking with focus on pavements and bridges for roads, although the forum also embraces innovations also in railways and airports . This will promote international cooperation and research exchanges in the field of environmentally sustainable transport infrastructure.

The aim of the Congress is to discuss innovation in Sustainability, Resilience, and overall Decarbonisation of each life cycle stage of transport infrastructure for: design, materials, construction, use and end-of-life within in a climate change context. This edition gives particular attention to implementation of industry best practices globally, including policy makers, and will be promoting a conversation to understand opportunities and limitations of harmonizing these international examples at European level and beyond.

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The targeted audience follows:

Road Administrators at all levels, national managers, regions, cities, towns
Asset management professionals
Pavement design and maintenance engineers
Researchers and academics
Industry professionals
Policymakers and government representatives
Infrastructure project managers
Sustainability and environmental professionals
Students and early-career professionals
Technology providers

Previus editions

6^TH Edition 2024, hosted in Arlington, VA
5^TH Edition 2020, hosted in Sacramento, Ca (Online)
4^TH Edition 2017, hosted in Champaign, Illinois
3^RD Edition 2014, hosted in California, Davis
2^ND Edition 2012, hosted in Nantes, Fr
1^ST Edition 2010, hosted in Davis, Ca

Conference themes

LCA METHODOLOGIES FOR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Advancements in LCA methodologies and tools
Data collection, data selection, uncertainty analysis, and interpretation
Comparative LCA studies for infrastructure project types

MATERIALS, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY

Durability and service life assessments
Maintenance strategies to enhance performance and minimize environmental impacts
Evaluating the environmental impacts of materials and construction
Recycling and reuse of materials in pavements, bridges, and roadways
Carbonation of concrete: science, models, research, and implementation

USE STAGE AND END OF LIFE ANALYSES

Pavement vehicle interaction research and implementation
Radiative forcing: science, research, and strategies

CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCY

Life cycle thinking in climate change planning
Climate change mitigation
Human thermal comfort: science, research, and strategies

POLICY, STANDARDS, AND CERTIFICATION

Integration of LCA into regulatory frameworks and industry standards
Policy schemes for sustainable pavements, bridges, and roadways
Integrating LCA into design and decision-making processes
Prioritization of strategies for implementation

CASE STUDIES AND BEST PRACTICES

Successful LCA applications for pavement and bridge projectss
Lessons learned and best practices from sustainable infrastructure initiatives
Lessons learned and best practices for clean procurement
Collaborative approaches for knowledge transfer and capacity building

SOCIAL ASPECTS AND WORK FORCE OF THE FUTURE FOR PAVEMENT AND BRIDGE SUSTAINABILITY

Organizing Committees

LOCAL CHAIRS

Davide Lo Presti (chair),
University of Palermo, Italy

Clara Celauro (vice-chair),
University of Palermo, Italy

INTERNATIONAL CHAIRS

John Harvey (co-chair),
University of California Davis, USA
Imad Al-Qadi (co-chair),
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Gerardo Flintsch (co-chair),
Virginia Tech, USA

Hasan Ozer (co-chair),
Arizona State University, USA
Ana Jimenez Del barco Carrion (co-chair),
University of Granada, Spain

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISING Committee

Maurizio Cellura,
University of Palermo – CSTE
Gaetano Di Mino,
University of Palermo
Sonia Longo,
University of Palermo – CSTE
Antonio Covais,
Circular srl
Maria Luisa Tumminello,
University of Palermo
Manuel De Rose, (SC Co-Chair)
University of Palermo

Anna Granà, (SC Co-Chair)
University of Palermo
Konstantinos Mantalovas, (YMC Co-Chair)
University of Palermo
Eugene Amrah (SC Co-Chair)
Virginia Tech, USA
Lara Diab, (YMC Co-Chair)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ariane Lúcia Oss-Emer,
University of Granada

Full committees list

ROADLCA2026 GENERAL PROGRAMME

ROADLCA2026_Brochure.pptx-1

Download PDF

Pre-Conference Events @ Orto Botanico

additional events are included but needs be selected during registration

28/09 PM – Workshop “Alternative Paving Materials for Sustainable and Resilient roads” by RILEM TC APS

29/09 AM – Workshop “Climate Change and Road Infrastructure”

29/09 PM – Industry Workshop “Road Decarbonisation through Digitalization”,

29/09 Evening – ROADLCA2026 WELCOME RECEPTION with aperitivo and show

Post-conference Social Events

social events are NOT included and in order for the organisation to facilitate these needs be selected during registration

02/10 PM

Palermo tour by AIR
Palermo tour by SEA
Palermo tour by WALKING

03/10 AM and PM

Palermo tour by AIR
Palermo tour by SEA
Palermo tour by WALKING

04/10 AM and PM

Palermo tour by AIR
Palermo tour by SEA
Palermo tour by WALKING

Registration

Please fill in the registration form until 30 June 2026 in order to receive early bird discounts!
Papers without a registered speaker will not be considered in the conference program.

EARLY BIRD :
until 30th June

REGULAR/LATE :
01st July – 25th Sept

ON-SITE:
26th Sept. – 2nd Oct.

For full registration information please follow the link

Registration

Location

The conference will be held in a peaceful and stunning location in one of the most captivating cities in Italy – Palermo.

Palermo is the capital of the Sicilian region in Italy. It is located in the northwest of the island, overlooking the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Throughout history, Palermo has always been a place where different perspectives have been presented and discussed to find balanced and sustainable solutions.

Embraced by the sea, Palermo in summer is an exciting and inspiring venue. We look forward to fruitful discussions and valuable learning experiences in Palermo.

Conference Venues

The University of Palermo will host ROADLCA2026 in the Aula Magna (Building 7) of the Department of Engineering and the Polididattico (Building 19).

The conference venue, located at Viale delle Scienze, is easily accessible by bus from the city center or the central station (routes 104, 108, 118) and by metro (Palazzo Reale/Orleans station). Link in maps

Pre-conference Events will be host at Orto Botanico, in the Sala Lanza, Via Lincoln 2, Palermo

The pre-conference venue is easily accessible from Palermo Central Station, either on foot or by bus (routes 107, 226). Link in maps

Travel information

Palermo International Airport
Palermo International Airport is located about 35 km from the city center. During the summer, it becomes quite busy, offering direct flights to almost all European countries, as Palermo and Sicily are major tourist destinations.

A variety of legacy and low-cost carriers operate flights to numerous European cities. Here, the list of airlines.