To address the carbon neutrality objectives within the highway construction sector, this research employs a three-tier analytical framework to resolve the debate concerning carbon emissions associated with screw piles and cast-in-place piles. Utilizing methodologies such as quota-based data modeling, and engineering functional adaptability assessment, the study consolidates emission factors across the entire lifecycle chain—encompassing material production, transportation, construction, and processing. This integration enables the development of a refined carbon accounting model for the pile materialization stage. Monte Carlo simulation is leveraged to quantify the impact of parameter uncertainty, incorporating a case study from highways in the Hang-Jia-Hu Plain. This approach establishes, for the first time, a carbon performance assessment framework benchmarked against bearing capacity requirements. Static analysis reveals that under equal volume conditions, the carbon emissions of screw piles primarily originate from steel consumption, with a total carbon footprint 2.78 times higher than that of cast-in-place piles. Sensitivity analyses indicate that cast-in-place pile emissions exhibit significant sensitivity to transport distance, material recovery rate, and vehicle type, whereas the prefabricated nature of screw piles results in considerably weaker parametric responses.

Jiaxin Lu, Dengke Pu. Embodied Carbon Footprint Comparative Analysis: Screw Piles Versus Cast-in-Place Piles in Foundation Engineering. Academic Journal of Architecture and Geotechnical Engineering (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 1: 104-111. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJAGE.2026.080113.

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