The green movement is afoot. It’s touching every aspect of our lives lately and there’s no getting around it. But did you know that engineers are working on a greener blacktop now, too?
I don’t mean the roads and parking lots are going to look like grass. Rather, researchers and scientists at the Asphalt Research Consortium are looking for ways to cut manufacturing costs by reducing or getting rid of the five percent of oil byproducts used in today’s asphalt. Did you even know they used oil byproducts in the roads on which we drive? It’s like gas prices are affecting every single thing in our everyday lives.
But oil isn’t the only thing that has a negative effect on the environment. When creating asphalt, workers must heat the mixture up to 300 degrees, a process that uses a large amount of energy.
The consortium is considering several alternatives to the current way engineers create asphalt. One way is to develop the mixture by using cold mixes. This uses one-seventh the amount of energy as the 300-degree mixes. But that won’t only use less energy, it will also make the asphalt more durable and quieter for driving.
The researchers are also looking at using recycled materials and other products to make the asphalt less oil-dependent and more durable and sustainable.
If these changes take effect, you’ll be able to drive your new car home from your local Pontiac dealer on cleaner, more sustainable and quieter roads. How does that sound?
