More Recycled Asphalt Installed on Swiss Roads
Published: Thursday, Sep 7th 2023, 09:41
Aktualisiert am: Freitag, 13. Oktober 2023, 14:12
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Tests with recycled asphalt on Swiss roads have shown promising results. In Uster ZH and on the Lukmanierpass GR, the proportion of recycled asphalt could be increased without any loss of performance, according to the Empa on Thursday. With a joint project of the Swiss Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute (Empa), the Federal Roads Office (Astra), the Federal Office for the Environment (Bafu), the cantons of Zurich and Graubünden and several industrial partners, the researchers wanted to increase the proportion of recycled asphalt in roads. So far, significantly more asphalt waste has been generated in Switzerland than can be reused, according to the Empa. 750,000 tonnes of asphalt from the Swiss road network are deposited on landfills each year. A hindrance to more asphalt recycling has been that the binder in asphalt ages and stiffens over time, leading to susceptibility to cracking. In addition, the material is often very heterogeneous. The Empa researchers have therefore developed calculation models with which the perfect mixture for a specific application can be calculated. With one model, the permissible variability can be calculated depending on the future use. With another, the dosage of the rejuvenating agents to be added can be calculated. These are oily substances that soften the old binder in the asphalt and make it usable again. On the Aathalstrasse in Uster, 30 percent recycled asphalt was added to the surface layer. Typically, for such a heavily trafficked road, no recycled material is used in the surface layer, according to the Empa. Nevertheless, no cracks occurred. On the route over the Lukmanierpass, the climatic conditions are considered difficult for the use of recycled asphalt. However, according to the Empa, the material was resistant to cracking despite temperature fluctuations. The two test sections will be monitored for the next two years.nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
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