Asphalt

The Carbon Trust and Lafarge Tarmac have unveiled low-energy road building materials which could save £46.2m over the next ten years for UK road industry, following a three-year research project.

The new project has eliminated market barriers for the use of lower temperature asphalt in road building, a move which will reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions by up to 39%, creating the equivalent carbon savings of taking over 345,000 cars off the roads.

Road material used under conventional method is made by bonding aggregates and bitumen into asphalt by heating them to temperatures of 180°C to190°C.

However, the latest project tested the use of low-temperature asphalt (LTA) material that facilitates mixing and working at lower temperatures with the similar results as the conventional method.

Under the trial, the project team developed specifications for use, which will help speed up the production as well as adoption of lower temperature asphalts.

"This project will help unlock barriers to bring lower temperature asphalt into wider use."

Lafarge Tarmac Asphalt and Aggregates business managing director Martin Riley said: "This project with the Carbon Trust will help unlock barriers to bring lower temperature asphalt into wider use, cutting energy use, reducing CO2 emissions and enabling us to deliver projects more quickly for clients.

"It will take time for these materials to become available, but as producers follow our lead and adopt this technology, there will be a growing movement to embrace LTAs as direct replacements for conventional hot asphalts."

The study was funded by Lafarge Tarmac and the Carbon Trust via the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) with support from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Image: The latest project tested the use of low temperature asphalt (LTA) material that facilitates mixing and working at lower temperatures. Photo: courtesy of Carbon Trust.