Sustainability has become a major issue across various industries, and the asphalt industry is not an exception. As worldwide concern regarding environmental degradation such as resource depletion and global warming intensifies, so is the journey of the asphalt industry to adopt greener practices. Sustainable practices are transforming the production, use, and disposal of asphalt in landfills from searching for new alternatives in paving to the use of recycled materials. These practices have long-term economic benefits as well as reducing their harmful environmental impact.
- Recycling of Asphalt: A Green Measure
More use of recycled material, specifically recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), is on the rise, which is one of the biggest asphalt trends. Used asphalt that has already been applied to parking lots, highways, and roads is milled and recycled to create RAP, and that can be used for future road development projects. It reduces the virgin material being used, waste is minimized, and the carbon footprint associated with asphalt production is minimized.
RAP utilization is now widespread in most locations, and others even require asphalt mixtures to have some percentage of recycled content. Recycling asphalt not only saves on materials cost but also decreases landfill waste and consumption of natural resources.
- Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA): Reducing Emissions and Energy Consumption
Another technological advancement, making warm-mix asphalt (WMA) to the improve sustainability of the asphalt industry is, its production at lower temperatures, usually between 200°F and 250°F, as opposed to hot-mix asphalt (HMA), which is produced at higher temperatures over 300°F. There are several environmental advantages of this lowering of the production temperature. First of all, less energy is required for WMA production, hence the overall reduction in the carbon footprint of producing asphalt. Additionally, the lowered temperatures minimize the emission of hazardous gases that tend to worsen the air quality, including greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Green Infrastructure and Perpetual Pavement as Sustainable Paving Solutions
Another reaction to the increasing need for green infrastructure is the emergence of sustainable pavement options.
Perpetual pavement, a building philosophy centered on building hard, low-maintenance roads, is one of the interesting innovations. Instead of resurfacing the entire road, perpetual pavements are built in layers of asphalt in a way so that only the surface can be rebuilt in case it is required. This extends the life of the pavement and also eliminates waste and the necessity for mass reconstruction. Second, asphalt is being used more and more in green infrastructure projects that strive to control runoff and enhance the cityscape.
- Bio-based asphalt as a low-carbon alternative
Besides energy-efficient manufacturing and recycling, another upcoming sustainable alternative that is receiving industry interest is bio-based asphalt. Plant oils, lignin, or algae are used as renewable feedstocks and mixed into the asphalt blend to create bio-based asphalt. One can reduce the carbon footprint of asphalt production by substituting a part of the traditional petroleum-based binders with such renewable feedstocks, making the economy more circular and sustainable.
As nascent as it is, however, bio-asphalt does possess the potential to serve as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventionally manufactured asphalt, and as its development continues, its use should grow.
Sustainable practices are transforming the asphalt industry with a greener process for asphalt production and paving that substitutes the traditional methods of paving and producing asphalt. By using recycled material, warm-mix asphalt, low-carbon option analysis, and new pavers, the industry is already making huge strides in the conservation of the environment. These sustainable practices serve as growth drivers and with increasing pressure on green infrastructure solutions, the industry is evolving and looking for ways to meet the needs, showing sustainability and construction as synonymous terms.
Sources:
Company: Waltspaving.com
Research org: Research gate
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