Embedding sustainability in paving
Australia still has over half a million kilometres of unpaved roads and over 350,000 kilometres of paved roads which will require ongoing maintenance – that’s why it’s important the pavements sector continues to optimise the materials used in roads and refines the production methods to deliver safer and more sustainable solutions to the roads network and wider communities.
Sustainable paving solutions were the focal points of discussions at the Australian flexible Pavement Association’s AfPA 2021 Symposium in August. From bio-sourced additives for binder improvement to reviving graded seals with lower environmental impact binders, a range of solutions were presented to help achieve more sustainability in the pavement sector.
Trackless bond coats
Encapsulated biochar as bitumen
Modified graded seals
While the solutions presented at the AfPA Symposium each offered sustainable uses of material in road pavements, embedding sustainability in the procurement of roads is a more fundamental way in which the sector can enhance its sustainability levels.
This is where associations and organisations such as the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) and the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) are working actively with the industry to ensure just that.