CEMEX Surfacing have saved £1.3 million in disposal costs and eliminated 1,120 tonnes of CO2 emissions by using an innovative product on a highway contract for Amey.
Resurfacing a 2.5km stretch of dual carriageway on the A45, in Birmingham, the project involved planing and removing 10,000 tonnes of contaminated tar-bound materials from the highway, which would normally present significant disposal costs.
But instead of throwing the rubble away, CEMEX crushed, screened and graded the material before working on site to produce Viafoam – a cold-mixed, low-energy-demand foam asphalt. The recycled material was made from 80% of the recovered planings, plus pulverized fuel ash, cement and foamed bitumen.
This process prevented the use of around 12,500 tonnes of virgin aggregates, as well as the need to travel 60 miles to the nearest landfill site, which, in turn, reduced carbon emissions and eliminated transportation and waste-disposal costs.
In total, nearly 14,000 tonnes of Viafoam (up to 400mm thick) were used on the road-resurfacing project.
Dean Welburn, director of asphalt for CEMEX UK, said: ‘The planings have a value that extends beyond their disposal and this contract shows both the financial and environmental savings that can be made by using a product, such as Viafoam. The addition of a tiny percentage of cement and specially graded crushed-rock fines allows us to produce a consistent, high-quality product not widely available in this market.’
John Sunderland, business director for Amey, added: ‘As a leading highways services provider, protecting and enhancing the environment is a priority. This innovative technique and product provides us with the opportunity to offer substantial efficiency and environmental savings for our client, as well as minimizing waste and disruption.’
Resurfacing a 2.5km stretch of dual carriageway on the A45, in Birmingham, the project involved planing and removing 10,000 tonnes of contaminated tar-bound materials from the highway, which would normally present significant disposal costs.
But instead of throwing the rubble away, CEMEX crushed, screened and graded the material before working on site to produce Viafoam – a cold-mixed, low-energy-demand foam asphalt. The recycled material was made from 80% of the recovered planings, plus pulverized fuel ash, cement and foamed bitumen.
This process prevented the use of around 12,500 tonnes of virgin aggregates, as well as the need to travel 60 miles to the nearest landfill site, which, in turn, reduced carbon emissions and eliminated transportation and waste-disposal costs.
In total, nearly 14,000 tonnes of Viafoam (up to 400mm thick) were used on the road-resurfacing project.
Dean Welburn, director of asphalt for CEMEX UK, said: ‘The planings have a value that extends beyond their disposal and this contract shows both the financial and environmental savings that can be made by using a product, such as Viafoam. The addition of a tiny percentage of cement and specially graded crushed-rock fines allows us to produce a consistent, high-quality product not widely available in this market.’
John Sunderland, business director for Amey, added: ‘As a leading highways services provider, protecting and enhancing the environment is a priority. This innovative technique and product provides us with the opportunity to offer substantial efficiency and environmental savings for our client, as well as minimizing waste and disruption.’
