Greening Up Asphalt

Spiking oil prices have scientists looking into every facet of energy and infrastructure to see where we can make improvements. A group called the Asphalt Research Consortium has set its sights on — how did you guess? — asphalt.

The concoction for blacktop roads consists of 95% sand and rock and 5% oil byproduct, so as the price of oil has increased, so has the cost of laying blacktop. In addition, the mixture must be heated to 300 degrees, an energy-heavy process.

The consortium is looking at cold mixes that use seven times less energy and that may prove to be more durable and even make driving quieter. They are testing different combinations of chemicals, plastics and polymers to try to determine a standard mixture that can replace the current method and be cost-efficient enough to convince construction companies and engineers to abandon the old methods.

They are also looking at how to make asphalt even more sustainable by focusing on recycling. Asphalt is already one of the most heavily recycled products in the country, but switching to a cold mixture might present the opportunity to use even more recycled glass, rubber and concrete.

Blacktop Gets Greener (Autopia)