Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/506694
EquipmentWorld.com | May 2015 57 greatest impact is in what hap- pens at the plant side, according to T. Carter Ross, vice president of communications for NAPA. Sustain- able practices are an easy shift for plants, he says, looking at the types of fuel burned, whether it's natural gas or diesel, to heat aggregate. "You aim for greater efficiencies in trucking and ensure the use of things like biodegradable release agents, but the most sustainable/ ecological practices are tied to how the mix is designed and produced, not how it is placed," he says. "Contractors have been doing sustainable practices for a while at an instinctive level," Carter adds. "Now it's more scientific with best management practices and using things like softer binders. It's more economical in a sustainable way." Carter says entries in their Dia- mond Awards program last year showed just how top of mind sustainability is with asphalt con- tractors. Last year, the association added a sustainability achievement to the program. "Our expectation was that about 10 percent of applicants would in- clude sustainability, but 28 percent actually did," he said. "We were very happy to see that. We feel that the economy had an impact, in try- ing to refine sustainability efforts." Future considerations For asphalt pavements, the future of sustainability will most certainly include increased use of recycled materials as part of the overall mix in asphalt pavements. NAPA says RAP comprised on average 20 percent of asphalt mixes in 2013, and that figure could be as high as 40 percent if softer binders and rejuvenating agents are used as suggested by the Pavement Eco- nomic Council. And as Wathne said, full depth reclamation, while not a new tech- nology, will be on the rise, particu- larly with the increasing scarcity of materials and with the process becoming more efficient with ad- vances in equipment technology in reclaimers and pulver mixers. Older equipment required multiple passes to break up an old road, but new reclaimers can do the work in one pass going up to 18 inches deep. But no matter the technology that comes into play, and obvi- ously technology advances further each year, the true future of sus- tainable paving will require the in- dustry, and contractors, to measure the impacts of their sustainability practices. "The upcoming challenges for contractors, going forward," Dylla says, "is quantification." And as all involved in the road and bridge building sector can attest, funding is above all the big- gest challenge. "If we don't have the funds, we don't have anything, and this puts sustainability on the back burner," Dylla says. FOR OFF-ROADS, BACKROADS AND BUILDING YOUR OWN ROAD. Introducing the rugged new Hauler ® 4x4. Powered by a 28-hp Subaru EFI gas engine, it boasts an industry-leading 800-lb. bed capacity to haul everything your work demands. With user-selectable 4WD and 4-wheel independent suspension, no job is out of reach. Visit Cushman.com/hauler4x4 to see it in action. ©2015 Textron Inc. All rights reserved.