Asphalt Is Sustainable and Eco-Friendly!
When customers are researching asphalt companies in Raleigh, they’re looking at more than just prices – they’re looking at companies’ ecological records. Buyers increasingly recognize the need for eco-friendly building solutions, which leads many to question how bad asphalt might be for the environment. After all, it’s made partially from petroleum byproducts.
Fortunately, the answer is that asphalt is far more eco-friendly than you might expect. While tar is used in its production, it isn’t much, and there are numerous factors that make asphalt a ‘green’ material.
How Asphalt Companies in Raleigh Provide Eco-Friendly Asphalt
Why is asphalt safe for the environment?
1 – Total recyclability
Probably the best aspect of asphalt paving is that it is 100% recyclable – and it is! In fact, asphalt is the most-recycled material in America. It’s estimated that more than 90% of the asphalt reclaimed from old projects (such as tearing up old parking lots) makes its way into new construction.
Every year, millions and millions of tons of asphalt are reclaimed and reused, which greatly reduces demand for new asphalt to be made.
2 – Improved production methods
In short, there are three ways that new asphalt can be created:
Cold Mixtures use a heatless chemical reaction to create bonds within the asphalt. This does minimal ecological damage, but the resulting asphalt is relatively weak and mostly used for low-impact jobs like tennis courts and pedestrian paths.
Hot Mixtures are the strongest type of asphalt, but also the worst for the environment because it requires the most energy to create. Fortunately, hot mix asphalt is typically reserved for truly high-demand applications like airport runways.
Warm mixtures use methods similar to hot mix, but with relatively low temperatures – only around 120F. This substantially reduces energy use compared to hot mix, while producing great general-purpose asphalt for roadways and construction.
The industry is continuing to make strives in improving warm mix asphalt, and increasing its use over hot mixtures whenever possible. The result is a substantial reduction in energy use, even when new asphalt must be made.
So, if you’re concerned about the environmental impact of asphalt, rest easy. Asphalt companies in Raleigh, and everyone involved in asphalt production, are working to make it as eco-friendly as possible. If in doubt, be sure to ask your asphalt contractor about their use of reclaimed or recycled asphalt – they’re bound to be using it.
For your own projects in Raleigh, Blalock Paving has been proudly serving the area since 1968. Contact us for a free quote.
