Comparative analysis of emissions from the manufacture and use of hot and half-warm mix asphalt

This paper presents the results of a research study whose main objective was to analyze the environmental benefits derived from a cleaner production technology for manufacturing asphalt mixes. This study measured polluting emissions during the construction of two consecutive stretches of highway on which a hot mix and a half-warm mix were spread. Combustion gases (CO, NOx, O2, CO2), total organic carbon (TOC), particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were measured during the manufacturing of hot and half-warm asphalt in plant and also during the spreading and compaction processes. The results obtained in this research project show that for the same manufacturing and spreading conditions, the half-warm mix asphalt (manufactured at less than 100 °C) is a cleaner production technology and can be considered more environmentally friendly since it considerably reduced polluting emissions.