Asphalt is Green
Raising environmental concerns, fuel costs and the steadily declining natural resources affect not only the cost of asphalt mixes per se, but is forcing the industry to go green. Today, every professional in the field understands that going green is not just a fashion statement or eyewash, but it is posing a very crucial question about survival. It is impossible to be profitable without being green.
Blesson Varghese
There are numerous methods that the road building industry has adapted to reduce their energy consumption and to be more carbon friendly. The urgency is so great that at each level starting form equipment design to production and laying techniques, focus has to be consistently placed on reducing the carbon emission.
This technical note describes the various techniques available and presently being implemented world over for production of Low energy asphalts or Carbon friendly mixes. Production techniques for warm and half warm mix asphalt either use chemical or mechanical solutions. The modifications made to existing plants in order to produce low energy asphalt by chemical methods (additives) are minor, whereas more significant modifications must be made to mechanical methods (foam bitumen or sequential coating). This paper covers the possible solutions and provides A summary on its advantages.