According to US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, the use of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) is expected to create US$3.6 billion (€2.7 billion) in energy cost savings by 2020.
This estimate follows news that almost 25% of mixtures used during the 2012 US construction season were said to incorporate WMA technologies.
This is revealed in a recent survey, conducted by the
During the period about 86.7 million tons (78.65 million tonnes) of WMA produced by 1,141 asphalt plants in the USA.
The survey says the figure represents a 416% rise in WMA use since a 2009 survey, and notes that “WMA uses less energy to produce, leading to lower emissions and better worker safety.”
The survey also found increases in the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement/RAP (68.3 million tons/62 million tonnes) and recycled asphalt shingles (1.86 million tons/1.7 million tonnes).
“Ensuring high performance roads at a cost-effective price has always been a goal for the asphalt pavement industry. It has spurred us to continue to look for new solutions and to put innovations into practice,” says Mike Acott, NAPA president.
“This survey reflects how the industry is rapidly putting sustainable innovations, such as warm-mix asphalt, to use to ensure that drivers get the smooth, dependable roads they want at a price taxpayers can afford.”
The survey reported 98% of producers used RAP in their mixes, and for the first time the survey looked at the use of ground tyre rubber, steel and blast furnace slags and other recycled materials, though estimates were not calculated.
