Roads are one of the most important infrastructures of the modern era, providing mobility and connectivity to millions of people every day. The choice of material to be used for the design and construction of road paving therefore becomes crucial, with long-term environmental, economic and social implications. But what are the main differences and the pros and cons of traditional asphalt and recycled asphalt?
Traditional asphalt is produced using virgin materials, such as bitumen, aggregates and filler. This material offers a number of advantages:
However, the production of traditional asphalt also has a number of drawbacks to consider
Recycled asphalt is produced using recycled materials such as milled asphalt or bitumen recovered from old abandoned road surfaces.
Recycled asphalt offers a number of advantages, including:
However, the use of recycled asphalt could present some problems such as:
In the debate comparing traditional and recycled asphalt, these data regarding the use of recycled asphalt in the United States are of particular interest:
According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), asphalt recycling in the United States is growing at a rate of 10% per year. This growth is driven by a number of factors, including:
NAPA also predicts that asphalt recycling in the United States will reach 30% of total production by 2030.
Here are some concrete examples of using recycled asphalt in the United States:
Recycled asphalt is a sustainable and advantageous solution for road paving. Its large-scale adoption is growing and will help reduce the environmental impact of the road construction industry in the coming decades.
This commitment to sustainability demonstrates the fundamental role of companies such as CAMSAMERICA, always active in promoting innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, helping to build a future with eco-sustainable infrastructure; as we often say: “the roads of the future are green”!