Asphalt Pavement Industry Moves Ahead With Sustainability

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Sustainability, the consideration of environmental, social, and economic impacts, is an increasing priority for road owners and agencies, and the asphalt industry is responding by adopting green construction practices. The Asphalt Sustainability Conference, Nov. 4–5 in New Orleans, will focus on current and forthcoming sustainability initiatives within the asphalt pavement industry. The conference is organized by the National Asphalt Pavement Association with the sponsorship of the Federal Highway Administration.

Keynote Speaker Udo Heukrodt, Global Director Key Account Manager for the Road Construction Segment at Volvo Construction Equipment, will lead off the conference with a presentation on Volvo’s Construction Climate Challenge.

The conference brings together a day and a half of case studies and research into sustainability efforts being spearheaded by the asphalt pavement industry. Contractors, construction managers, environmental managers, engineers, designers, decision makers, researchers, and academics are all encouraged to attend, as are environmental agency personnel, public works officials, engineers, designers, and those involved in green construction. This program is designed to help those looking to compete in the emerging “Green Construction Market” understand the sustainable attributes of asphalt pavements and how to effectively communicate them to various stakeholders.

Sessions over the day and a half conference include a discussion of the FHWA Sustainable Pavements Technical Working Group’s efforts; sustainable plant operations; maximizing the benefits of recycled materials; porous asphalt for improved water quality; pavement-vehicle interaction; the role of pavement smoothness in pavement life; and pavement reflectivity and the built environment. The conference will also feature a panel discussion on sustainability research and the next generation featuring Dr. Richard Willis from the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University, Dr. Kamil Kaloush from the National Center of Excellence on SMART Innovations at Arizona State University and Dr. Marwa Hassan from the Louisiana State University. Also during the conference, NAPA Director of Sustainable Engineering Dr. Heather Dylla will discuss the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program being led by NAPA and the process involved in creating transparent and credible EPDs.

NAPA Asphalt Sustainability Conference attendees may earn up to 10.5 personal development hours (PDHs) during the meeting. For additional information and the full program schedule or to register, visit www.AsphaltPavement.org/SustainabilityConference.

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