Rubberized Asphalt: Paving Our Green Future
Rubberized asphalt is an innovative technology that makes roads more affordable to maintain while also increasing sustainability. Policymakers are starting to take notice—in 2020, the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), which represents senior elected officials in all 50 states, passed a resolution proclaiming rubberized asphalt as "a sustainable, innovative pavement material which serves motorists, neighborhoods, state departments of transportation and the environment." While the benefits of rubberized asphalt are not highly publicized, the material could be a game changer for future infrastructure projects.
There is clear evidence that rubberized asphalt is more affordable and greener than non-rubberized asphalt.Research from the University of Missouri and the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association finds that compared to regular asphalt, rubberized asphalt produces 34% less CO2 emissions, doubles the lifespan of roads, and costs 43%less over the life cycle of the road. Current road construction practices result in high emissions and have seen costs skyrocket over the last 50 years. Increased use of rubberized asphalt would reduce these out of control costs and emissions from road construction.
(AC is an acronym for asphalt concrete and ARAC is an acronym for asphalt-rubber asphaltic concrete)
Not only is rubberized asphalt less expensive and more sustainable, it is also more durable. While non-rubberized materials will likely be unable to withstand increased extreme weather events and other effects of global warming, rubberized materials are resilient enough to withstand increased heat, rain, and wind. With an unprecedented amount of infrastructure spending included in the Biden administration's Build Back Better plan, durable rubberized asphalt should be the material that paves the way towards a sustainable, resilient future.
Already, some municipalities across the U.S. have taken notice and reaped the benefits of paving recycled rubber roads.Bend, Oregon recently resealed its roads with recycled rubber material, saving the town $70,000 per mile, and a town in Michigan found that its rubberized asphalt roads withstood extreme weather better than its asphalt-only roads. When implemented, rubberized asphalt roads have been able to perform at a high level.
With American infrastructure crumbling and climate change adding new stresses to our aging highway system, we need long-term sustainable solutions, and must not default to the same broken practices and materials—like non-rubberized asphalt. Policymakers are starting to understand this, but local and federal authorities need to do more to encourage rubberized asphalt usage. Rubberized asphalt is an easy win for the environment, governments, and drivers. Its use is rooted in science and proven through experience. It is time for sustainable, durable rubberized asphalt to become the primary material paving America's roads.