The Carbon Footprint of Asphalt Pavements: A Reference Document for Decarbonization
In this follow-up to the GHG Emissions Inventory, NAPA is taking proactive steps to provide a roadmap for the industry and agencies to leverage unprecedented levels of federal funding in IIJA, IRA, and other federal programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It details specific actions individual companies and agencies can take to reduce GHG emissions – making it useful to pavement engineers, asphalt mix producers, paving contractors, policy makers, and other stakeholders with an interest in reducing embodied carbon emissions associated with asphalt pavements.
GHG Emissions Inventory for Asphalt Mix Production in the United States
This first-of-its-kind report documents the asphalt pavement's contribution to GHG emissions nationwide, including avoided emissions achieved with current technologies, along with comparisons to related sectors and research needed to continue reducing emissions.
Readily Implementable Asphalt Technologies
With an ambitious goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, you may be wondering what you can do now. There are many opportunities to optimize asphalt pavement materials, mix production practices, paving operations, and pavement design. Explore these resources to begin implementing environmentally friendly practices, optimizing your operations, and addressing your bottom line – today.
Production Strategies for Saving Money and Reducing Emissions
QIP-132 aims to help mix plant operators apply learnings from QIP-126 and QIP-127 to conserve energy and reduce costs. Details specific opportunities related to the drying/heating process, maintaining adequate storage temperatures, and electrical energy use. Includes self-audit worksheets to make it easy to evaluate individual facilities.
Benefits of Prioritizing RAP
This document underscores the economic, environmental, and performance advantages of prioritizing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in asphalt mixture production. Road owners can achieve substantial cost savings, reduce environmental impact, and enhance pavement performance by embracing RAP, according to the comprehensive findings. The asphalt pavement industry is urged to prioritize RAP utilization for sustainable resource management, reduced emissions, and long-term cost efficiencies.
Agencies & Contractors Surveys on Barriers to Higher RAP Usage in Asphalt Mixtures (SR-229, June 2024)
Agencies & Contractors Surveys on Barriers to Reduce the Production Temperatures of Asphalt Mixtures (SR-230, June 2024)
In this pair of reports, we examine what agencies and contractors say are barriers to increasing usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies. Based on surveys conducted in 2023
5 Benefits of Asphalt Pavement Milling
Milling is a fundamental practice in the maintenance and rehabilitation of asphalt pavements. This paper explores the multifaceted benefits of milling, highlighting its role in restoring pavement geometry, facilitating material recycling, removing deteriorated materials, aiding in surface preparation, and preserving existing infrastructure. By exploring each benefit, this paper illustrates the significance of milling as an essential component of modern pavement management strategies.
Asphalt Mix Temperature Categories
This document is intended to be used as a communication tool. It categorizes average target production temperatures as a defining characteristic of the product from an asphalt plant. The ranges were developed to more effectively communicate industry efforts to reduce temperatures and implement technologies that allow asphalt plants to operate at lower temperatures and thereby reduce emissions.
Efficient Trucking
Trucking represents a significant cost in the production and placement of asphalt mixtures and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In the effort to optimize trucking operations and lower emissions, asphalt producers can focus on planning, scheduling, and management/execution. Download this report to find strategies and techniques within each of these areas, along with a Tactical Checklist to complete a self-audit and find opportunities to increase efficiency.
Sustainability and Resilience
Sustainability and resilience are concepts that are increasingly at the forefront of the planning, design, construction, and management of transportation infrastructure in general and pavements in particular. The two terms are often used interchangeably, yet they are distinctly different concepts.
Resilience of Perpetual Pavements
Perpetual pavements are well known for sustainability benefits, but did you know that they also provide substantial benefits with respect to resilience?
Climate Adaptable Materials for Resilient Infrastructure
Climate change is increasingly becoming a primary concern in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation infrastructure. New approaches, techniques, and tools are needed to address the challenges posed by climate change to increase the resilience of our infrastructure to both gradual changes and extreme events.
How DOTs Can Enhance Sustainability and Resilience in Asphalt Pavements Using RAP and RAS
When successfully engineered, designed, produced, and constructed, pavements incorporating RAP and RAS contribute to both economic and environmental sustainability while maintaining – or even enhancing – the performance and longevity of the pavement and overall resilience.
RAP Mix Shoulders Enhance Resilience and Safety of Roads in Louisiana
Using 'Hot RAP' in the shoulders of rural roads in Louisiana has provided substantial benefits with respect to safety, reduced maintenance costs, and increased resilience to storm events.
How Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA) Supports DOT Goals for Resilience and Sustainability
Warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies offer the potential for significant energy savings, reduced GHG emissions, improved durability and performance, enhanced workability, and support the use of recycled materials.
With support from The Road Forward, NAPA's Plant Operations Subcommittee developed the Plant Efficiency Series to help asphalt mix producers with specific operational topics.
Driving Sustainability with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the Asphalt Industry
The use of KPIs is increasingly hailed as an effective way to measure and manage environmental performance.
Balanced Operations: Strategies for Seamless Collaboration Between Paving Crews and Asphalt Plants
This paper delves into potential strategies that can enhance collaboration, leading to operational efficiencies in asphalt manufacturing plants.
This series of case studies explores opportunities to reduce environmental impacts while improving business practices.
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Using EPDs to Inform Decisions and Modernize Operations
Green Asphalt LLC in Long Island City, New York used NAPA's verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) tool, to quantify the environmental impact of their asphalt mixtures. The tool helps Green Asphalt make data-driven decisions, modernize operations, and provide better information to tell their story.
Using Liquified Natural Gas to Lower Fuel Costs
E.T. Simonds Materials Co. and Kinetrex Energy partnered to reduce delivered fuel prices, obtain cleaner fuel, and reduce operational and maintenance costs with Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).
Insulating to Prevent Loss of Thermal Energy, Reduce Fuel Use and Reduce Costs
Granite Construction Co. shares its data on the benefits of pipe insulation to minimize thermal energy loss — within one year the project paid for itself by reducing energy consumption by 55 percent.
Electric Heated Tank Farm
Learn how an electric asphalt tank farm, an existing technology, was leveraged by Orlando Paving Co. to reduce carbon emissions by 99.5% and save 16.5% on energy usage.
Paving Under Stockpiles Pays Off Environmentally & Economically
This case study shows how paving under stockpiles can reduce aggregate moisture and therefore reduce fuel consumption. Read how they did it at Michigan Paving & Materials, A CRH Co.