8 INNOVATIONS IN ROAD SURFACE PRODUCTS AND TECHNIQUES

To the untrained eye, a road surface is just a layer of asphalt or concrete. But there is an abundance
of products, techniques and treatments that can do everything from preventing pavement from
cracking to lessening traffic noise to helping us conserve water.
There is a lot of great technology available. We are way ahead of where we were even 10 years ago,
so obviously we have to take advantage of it, says Ludomir Uzarowski, principal, Pavement and
Materials Engineering, Golder Associates Ltd.
Here are eight innovations in road-surface products and roadbuilding techniques that are driving the
future of road construction.
1. Noise-reducing asphalt: There have been a few cost-benefit analyses done that show that using
asphalt to reduce noise levels makes more sense than constructing sound wall barriers, says Jim
Bird, director of performance for the Western Canada Asphalt, Paving & Construction product line at
Lafarge. Durawhisper is a Lafarge product designed to reduce traffic noise while meeting all the
normal specifications for hot-mix asphalt. Its ideal for use in residential areas.
2. Eco-friendly manufacturing: As a result of the focus on green technologies that is permeating the
industry, asphalt mixes are being developed that have less of an impact on the environment.
Lafarges Duraclime is a warm mix that meets all the specifications of a hot mix. Because it is
manufactured at a lower temperature, odour, smoke, fuel consumption and emissions are reduced
during manufacturing. According to the companys website, using Duraclime can lower the carbon
footprint of an asphalt-producing plant by up to 20 per cent.
Cost-wise, Duraclime is about the same as traditional hot-mix asphalt. Says Bird, Im not sure that
anybody has a good reason not to use Duraclime. Regardless of whether its a Lafarge product or one
belonging to our competitors, the technical data coming out of analyses concludes that warm mixes
are equivalent to hot mixes in terms of performance standards.
3.Eco-friendly ingredients: Another way manufacturers are making roads more sustainable from an
environmental perspective is by using recycled material in the mix. For instance, Canadian Road
Builders Inc. offers a mix called Vegecol that is made entirely from renewable, plant-based material
and can be used on major roads as well as for walking and biking paths.
Like Duraclime, Vegecol is manufactured at a cooler temperature, reducing its carbon footprint. As
an added benefit, there are no petrochemical ingredients to contaminate run off water.
4.Computer modelling: The advances in roadbuilding are coming in engineering areas, says Gene
Syvenky, chief executive officer, Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association.
Computer modelling is being used much more for designing structures, benefiting taxpayers and
resulting
in
better
performing
roadways.
Using computer modelling for a structure like an overpass, for instance, is much more effective,
explains Syvenky. Engineers can test ideas and you can instantly see the impacts, including the cost
impacts, of changes.
5.Water-saving pavement: Built using porous asphalt or pervious concrete, water-saving paved
surfaces allow storm water to drain through the surface into a catchment area below. The products
work well in parking lots, allowing owners to collect runoff and store it for uses such as on-site
irrigation.

Its very expensive for municipalities to treat water and irrigation may not be a very good use of
clean water, Bird says. Porous asphalt also helps filter sediment out of runoff water, which is
another benefit for municipalities.
Lafarge has used porous asphalt in trial projects in Calgary, including a demonstration section in the
parking lot of the new water building. Whats not known is how the asphalt will handle Alberta
winters.
With our winter sanding efforts, there is some trepidation as to how quickly the permeability
deteriorates, Bird says. We just have to work out strategies for maintaining a porous parking lot.
6.Perpetual pavements: Perpetual pavements are designed to last around 50 years, compared to 20
years for conventional pavements. According to Uzarowski, the durability is due to the components
of superior-performing asphalts and the ability to model and analyze road systems before
construction.
Fatigue cracking occurs when the tensile strength at the bottom of the asphalt exceeds the limit. So
the trick with perpetual pavement is to design it from the bottom up, Uzarowski says.
Uzarowski and his team designed the first municipal perpetual pavement in Canada, the Red Hill
Valley Parkway in Hamilton, Ont., constructed in 2007. The bottom layer is a rich bottom mix, a
specially designed mix packed with asphalt cement that is basically indestructible, and therefore
highly resistant to cracking.
The middle and top layers are made of high-quality Superpave asphalt mixes that resist rutting,
cracking
and
wear.
On the day the construction is completed the pavement will start to deteriorate. Thats normal,
Uzarowski says. But if its a perpetual pavement, nothing will happen at the bottom and the
majority of the pavement remains sound. Deterioration will occur at the top, but its easy to fix.
Repair work only has to be done every 20 years or so and, because it only involves milling and
replacing the surface, it can be done overnight.
While theyre too expensive for low-traffic-volume roads, perpetual pavements are predicted to
become increasingly popular for major roadways.
7.Full-depth reclamation: Repairing roads has traditionally involved removing the old asphalt
pavement and hauling it off-site for disposal. Full-depth reclamation is a repairing technique in which
the old asphalt is mixed with the underlying gravel and the resulting asphalt/gravel combination is
used to form a new road base.
Mixing the asphalt into the gravel has been proven to produce a better-quality base material, saves
the cost and environmental implications of removing the old asphalt from the site and reduces the
amount of new aggregate used.
8.Collaboration: Its not a product or a road building technique, but it is affecting the quality of
roads. Industry partnersthe roadbuilder group, transportation people from all levels of
government, consulting engineersare sharing information and best practices, and taking a much
more collaborative approach in creating a solution, Syvenky says. The result going forward is going
to be better products and even more innovation.