Input from every asphalt mix producer in the United States is being sought for the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s annual survey on the use of recycled materials and warm-mix asphalt. This survey is conducted by NAPA under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and is an important tool for tracking the use of sustainable practices by the asphalt pavement industry.
The confidential survey gathers information about the use of these materials during the 2016 construction season. Responses are sought from plants in all 50 U.S. states, as well as all U.S. territories.
“The more companies and plants that participate in the survey, the more accurate the assessment of the asphalt pavement industry’s sustainability,” stated Kent Hansen, NAPA Director of Engineering, who is administering the survey. “The findings of this survey help demonstrate to road owners and the driving public the opportunity to expand use of recycled materials and warm-mix technologies, which have environmental and economic benefits.”
NAPA and FHWA have tracked usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) annually since the 2009 construction season. The results from the 2015 construction season were released last month, showing that more than 77.2 million tons of recycled material was used in asphalt pavement mixtures during 2015. This includes RAP and RAS, as well as other recycled materials, such as ground tire rubber and slags.
In addition, nearly 120 million tons — nearly one-third of total asphalt pavement mixture produced in 2015 — used WMA technologies to reduce mix-production temperatures. The full results of the 2015 survey are available at www.AsphaltPavement.org/recycling.
All asphalt mix producers operating in the United States and in U.S. territories are encouraged to participate in the confidential survey via www.surveymonkey.com/r/RMWMASurvey2016. The deadline for responses is April 30. Respondents should download a printed version of the survey from http://goaspha.lt/2016NAPA-FHWASurvey before beginning the survey to ensure all relevant data is on hand.
Data from the survey is kept completely confidential and is only used to determine quantities. State-level data is reported only if three or more companies from the state or territory participate. No company-specific information is disclosed or used for any purpose.
Because the data are aggregated by state, companies or branches active in more than one state need to complete a separate questionnaire for mixes produced for each state. If a plant provides mix for more than one state, the tonnage should be divided accordingly.
Survey results will be shared with the industry, and agencies to help in the implementation of recycling and warm-mix technologies, as well as to broaden public understanding of the sustainable nature of asphalt pavements.
