Going Green with

Sustainable Asphalt
RAP, Recycling, Energy and
the Carbon Footprint
Greening the Blacktop

Overview

Why Asphalt is sustainable

Perpetual Pavements
Carbon Footprint
RAP & Recycling
Warm Mix Asphalt
Porous Asphalt
Energy & Emission Reductions

Why
Asphalt is
Sustainable

Sustainable
Pavements

Sustainable Pavement
Durability

Asphalt is the Perpetual Pavement

Road

itself doesnt wear out

Simple, fast maintenance
Reclaimedis then reused
Total removal/reconstruction not
needed

Sustainable Pavement
Requires

less energy to construct an

asphalt pavement
Per ASCE20% less
Less energy consumed by public
Less maintenance keeps traffic moving

Perpetual Pavements

40-75 mm STONE MATRIX ASPHALT, OGFC or Superpave

100 mm
to
150 mm

Max Tensile Strain

Zone
Of High
Compression

High Modulus
Rut Resistant Material
(Varies As Needed)
Flexible Fatigue Resistant
Material 75 - 100 mm

Pavement Foundation

Rehabilitation
Possible Distresses
Top-Down Fatigue
Thermal Cracking

Structure Remains Intact

Raveling

50 - 100 mm

Solutions
Mill & Fill
Thin Overlay

High
Quality
Stone
Matrix,
Mill
Surface
Use
for OGFC
RAP or
Superpave

20+ Years
Later

Carbon
Footprint

What the heck is a

Carbon Footprint?

A carbon footprint is defined as:

The total amount of greenhouse
gases produced to directly and
indirectly support human activities,
usually expressed in equivalent
tons of (CO2)
Doesnt segregate GHGs
Environmental Sustainability

Climate Registries
Organizations

that collect and

compile emissions data generally
voluntary (CA, NE US)
Encourages voluntary early
actions to increase energy
efficiency and decrease GHG
emissions

What is a Greenhouse Gas?

Gases

that trap heat in the

atmosphere Allows us to
live here
Some occur from nature,
others from anthropogenic
activities

What is a Greenhouse Gas?

Principal greenhouse gases
entering the atmosphere from
human activities are:
Carbon

dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxides (N2O)
Fluorinated gases (HFCs & PFCs)

Regulatory Concerns
Efforts

to make you report emissions

Benefits of being ahead of the wave
Demonstrates concern for the public
and the environment

Opportunities to Reduce
Emissions
Sustainable
Warm

Pavements

Mix

RAP
Plant

O&M
Truck and other equipment
maintenance

RAP &
Recycling

Recyclability
Asphalt

is the No. 1 recycled material

Biggest Re-user
1995 FHWA Report to congress
90

Million tons reclaimed

80% recycled
2006

Contractor Survey

~69% reused in HMA

~27% other recycling
<3% discarded

Why Recycle RAP into HMA?

Best

and Highest use

Reduces demand for new materials
Reduces carbon footprint
Contains valuable materials
Aggregate ~95% >$10/ton
Asphalt ~5% > $400/ton
Value >$29.50/ton (minus processing)

 Shingles

Shingles

Materials used in HMA

>20% asphalt binder
Fibers
Sand
Usually 5% of mix
Saves 1% binder >

$6.00/ ton of HMA/WMA

Tear-offs

Over the past two years, MoDOT has allowed

contractors to put used shingles that have been
removed from rooftops into their asphalt mix. The
result is a very durable, more-rut resistant asphalt
at a much lower price.
The use of recycled shingles saves $3 to $5 per
ton of asphalt. That may not sound like much at
first, but consider this: a typical resurfacing
project would use about 30,000 tons of asphalt,
for a savings of $90,000 to $150,000.

Other Recycled Materials

Crumb

rubber
(from tires)

Steel

slag

Glass

Warm Mix Classifications

Lower Temperature Advantages

Lower energy consumption (30%)
Lower plant wear
Decreased binder aging
Early site opening Return to user
Cool weather paving
Compaction aid for stiff mixes
Cooler working conditions

Porous
Asphalt

What are Porous Pavements?

Open-Graded HMA/WMA ~ 2
Agg. (#57) ~ 1 2 Thick
Clean Uniformly Graded 2-3
Crushed Agg. (#2) 40% Voids
Non-Woven Geotextile
Uncompacted Subgrade

Porous Pavement
Stormwater

quality improved

with:
Porous pavement, and
Open Grade Friction Course
Can eliminate the need for
stormwater structures

Water Quality

Walden Pond 1977

1997 Report: Twenty years later, a long time
for one paving job on that busy parking lot, it
still looks good and works well.

2008

Energy &
Emission
Reductions

Warm Mix
Will dominate the market in < 5 years
Reduced energy consumption
Reduced emissions
No hazardous fumes/worker exposure

Plants compatible in congested areas

No odors

The sooner the better!

 Use

Remedial Efforts

the components of the carbon

footprint to identify problem areas
Take action and make adjustments to
reduce emissions
Switch to Warm Mix sooner
Conduct energy audits
Take action to reduce energy

Energy Use by Road Material Type

Colas Group Data

Reduced Energy Consumption

Energy Audits
DOE

Software
Use RAP
Warm Mix Can Reduce Energy by

Cover the Aggregate

Why is Asphalt Sustainable

100%

Recyclable
Can use other recycled materials
Low carbon footprint pavement
Long life & fast resurfacing
Warm-Mix Asphalt
Porous pavement for stormwater

NAPA Theme
RAP + Porous
+ Warm Mix + Perpetual
Pavements =

Sustainability

Summary & Review

Why Asphalt is sustainable

Perpetual Pavements
Carbon Footprint
RAP & Recycling
Warm Mix Asphalt
Porous Asphalt
Energy & Emission Reductions

Questions?