ELSAN participates in a project on sustainable asphalts to fight climate change
May 17, 2021
ELSAN, an OHL subsidiary specializing in the provision of urban, road and infrastructure services, and an expert in the research and development of sustainable asphalts, bituminous mixtures and road surfaces, has participated in a pioneering project in the Autonomous Community of Madrid promoted by the Alcobendas City Council (Madrid). The company has been responsible for the manufacture of asphalt mixes with recycled materials, in addition to a lower temperature production technique. These new environmentally sustainable mixes have been tested in the parking lot of the National Museum of Science and Technology (MUCYT) in order to study their impact on reducing the carbon footprint and promoting the circular economy.
Specifically, ELSAN has developed two new mixes that incorporate aggregate from the milling of aged pavements and steel aggregate from the metallurgical industry, with the main objective of reducing the procurement of natural aggregates through the exploitation of quarries. The solution also contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during its manufacture at a lower temperature, while promoting the implementation of the circular economy, thanks to the reuse, recycling and recovery of waste without reducing the quality of the final mix. This pilot test will serve to test the durability, efficiency and resistance of the new mixes developed for use in future asphalt campaigns and responds to OHL’s commitment, for more than one decade, to the implementation of a culture that has enabled it to achieve leadership positions in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Sustainable and innovative asphalt mixes
The initiative developed in Alcobendas joins other reference projects in which OHL and ELSAN have shown their research character and their constant commitment to innovation in the field of sustainable road pavements and bituminous mixtures. Of particular note is the LIFE EQUINOX project, promoted by the EU and aimed at mitigating atmospheric pollution through the use of an urban environment pavement capable of reducing the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) generated by traffic, which has been tested in urban areas of the city of Madrid. In addition, SMA (stone mastic asphalts) mixes have been developed, which are environmentally friendly and sustainable because they use less energy in their manufacture and incorporate recycled and disused materials in their composition, and Pavisost, a draining and sustainable pavement that stands out for its low maintenance and prolonged useful life, and for its capacity to evacuate water from the roadway efficiently and quickly.
ELSAN has developed two new mixes that incorporate aggregate from the milling of aged pavements and steel aggregate from the metallurgical industry.