Tarmac and National Highways deliver low carbon resurfacing
Tarmac and National Highways has delivered a groundbreaking carbon savings in a strategic road network resurfacing trial.
The trial on the A64 has delivered one of the UK’s lowest carbon resurfacing schemes on the strategic road network without using carbon offsetting.
With supply chain partners, the firms successfully reduced carbon emissions on the project by 75% compared to a traditional maintenance project of a similar scale, with over 260 tonnes of carbon savings delivered.
An extensive range of innovative low carbon materials were used, including innovative paving technology and plant equipment to deliver the significant carbon savings. Overall, 41.3% of the project’s carbon reduction total was delivered using low carbon raw materials, 14.7% from the transport of materials and the paving process, including the use of electric plant equipment, and 44% from employing sustainable manufacturing techniques.
A warm mix asphalt was used together with a pioneering ‘carbon sink’ bio-component binder from Shell, which locks carbon into the road to prevent it being released into the atmosphere. The lower layer of the pavement used 40 per cent recycled asphalt planings (RAP) with a further 20 per cent in the surface course to help reduce the need for primary materials.
A number of zero emissions plant vehicles and prototypes were used including electric and hybrid road rollers and an electric bond coat sprayer, minimising noise and further reducing tailpipe emissions as well as CO2.
Tarmac’s Cross Green asphalt plant in Leeds, which manufactured many of the materials used on the project, was powered by a combination of biofuel and clean electricity.
The sharing of vital learnings and expertise from this project will help the supply chain collectively adopt new approaches and tackle the sector-wide challenge of decarbonisation.
Brian Kent, National Technical Director at Tarmac, said:
“This trial sets a blueprint for low carbon delivery on the strategic road network and the exacting requirements of decarbonising every element of highways maintenance. It demonstrates how shorter, more focused use of road networks can improve efficiency, boost productivity and minimise nighttime closures, reducing disruption for road users.
“The ambitions of this scheme reflect our commitment to delivering not only low carbon pavements but also the significant benefits of new delivery models which will be essential as part of the transition to net zero.”
Angela Halliwell, Head of Carbon and Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Planning, National Highways, said:
“National Highways has ambitious plans, backed by science, to decarbonise the road network. We aim to achieve net zero for our corporate emissions by 2030, for our maintenance and construction activities by 2040, and for our whole network by 2050.
“A net zero Britain will still travel by road, and finding low carbon ways to maintain our road network is vital. National Highways’ carbon management system and low carbon opportunities register capture innovations like those used on this project, with the intention to make them standard procedure across the road network in future.”
Image courtesy of Tarmac