Build Sustainability Into Your Asphalt Pavements

Asphalt pavements by their very nature are a sustainable product. They are 100% recyclable, provide a smooth driving surface, and are quick and easy to maintain and repair. To help asphalt mixture producers and road owners recognize, quantify, and document the sustainability of their operations and their products, NAPA produced over the course of 2019 Sustainable Asphalt Pavements: A Practical Guide, a series of publications focused on what an asphalt producer or asphalt project can do now to address sustainability within the confines of good business practice. The Guide helps readers understand the economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability, as well as shows how to recognize and document them in operations and projects.

The four publications in the series are available for free, individually or as a single document, from www.AsphaltPavement.org/PracticalGuide. Webinars discussing each of the publications are available from the same link.

Reclaimed Asphalt Use Reaches New Heights

During the 2018 construction season, on average, new asphalt pavements contained 21.1 percent RAP, according to the latest version of NAPA's annual survey of the industry and its use of recycled materials and warm-mix asphalt (WMA). In total, more than 101 million tons of RAP was reclaimed, saving 61.4 million cubic yards of landfill space. Of this, more than 82 million tons was put back to use in 389.3 million tons of new asphalt pavement mixture. Last year also saw an increase in the use of RAS, with more than a million tons of recycled asphalt shingles being used, which is an increase from 2016 and 2017. The use of RAP and RAS resulted in cost savings of more than $2.9 billion compared to the use of virgin materials.

Use of WMA technologies slightly increased to 157.4 million tons, more than half of which was produced at reduced temperatures. The most commonly used WMA technology was, once again, plant-based foaming. NAPA thanks the 272 companies and 1,329 plants that provided data for the 2018 survey, which was conducted with the support of the Federal Highway Administration. The 2019 construction season survey will begin seeking data in 2020.

NAPA Moves to New Headquarters

As of September 13, 2019, the National Asphalt Pavement Association has relocated its headquarters. The new address is 6406 Ivy Lane, Suite 350, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1441. Telephone and fax numbers are unchanged. Click here for directions.

NAPA's new home is a modern, dynamic space that will allow the association to better serve its national membership. With expanded meeting spaces and advanced teleconferencing capabilities, the new headquarters were designed to support greater collaboration between NAPA staff and member committees and task groups, as well as to enhance the quality of NAPA webinars and educational activities.

"This state-of-the-art facility is built with the industry in mind," said NAPA Chairman John Harper, Senior Vice President of Construction Partners Inc. in Dothan, Alabama. "The improved technological infrastructure, as well as the convenient location, will boost how NAPA staff connects with the association’s members nationwide."

Asphalt Pavements for Heavy-Duty Applications

As an engineered system, asphalt pavements can be designed to carry any traffic load. However, building the right asphalt pavement for heavy-duty, high-stress applications, such as ports and loading facilities, runways, and heavy truck corridors, requires attention during design and construction. To aid in specifying and building asphalt pavements for severe loading conditions, the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has released an updated second edition of Design & Construction of Heavy-Duty Pavements (Quality Improvement Series QIP-123). The new publication covers structural design, material selection, mixture design, production, construction, and quality control considerations for heavy-duty asphalt pavements, including discussion of large-stone mixes, which can be an economical solution for these applications. The book is available as a PDF download thorugh the NAPA Online Store.