WAM FOAM ASPHALT PRODUCTION AT LOWER OPERATING TEMPERATURES AS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE TO HMA

A co-operation between Kolo Veidekke and Shell initiated work on Warm Asphalt Mixtures (WAM) with laboratory experiments back in 1995. The work resulted in the WAM Foam process which was presented for the first time at the Eurasphalt & Eurobitume congress in 2000. WAM Foam is a new process for producing asphalt of hot mix quality, at lower operating temperatures (100-120 degrees C) in a convential asphalt plant with only minor modifications to the equipment. Asphalt production and quality have been further investigated by several field trials, full-scale applications (about 48000 tonnes of dense asphalt concrete have been laid) and extensive laboratory testing during the last four years. The road sections have been monitored closely and appear to be as durable as those made with hot mix technology. Lower production temperatures result in energy savings of approximately 30% and in an equivalent reduction of CO2 emissions. Simultaneously, reductions in other emissions and in fume exposure have been observed, resulting in an improved work environment for both plant operators and asphalt workers. Several plant emission measurements have been performed by an expert external agency and the reductions have been confirmed for the WAM Foam process. In light of the increased focus on the environment in the asphalt industry, the WAM Foam process could play an important role in reducing the industry's greenhouse gas emissions. For the covering abstract see ITRD E121480.

  • Availability:
  • Corporate Authors:

    FOUNDATION EURASPHALT

    PO BOX 255
    BREUKELEN,     3620 AG
  • Authors:
    • LARSEN, O R
    • MOEN, O
    • Robertus, C
    • KOENDERS, B G
  • Publication Date: 2004

Language

  • English

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00980862
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • ISBN: 90-802884-4-6
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Nov 3 2004 12:00AM