Texum | SWISS REINFORCEMENT COMPANY
Vy des Charettes 7, 1530 Payerne | T + 41 26 422 24 31

 

Environmental issues

Thinking about our common future

 
 

Issues and consequences

In a world where natural resources are becoming scarcer, it is essential to control our consumption.

The relatively heavy ecological impact of an operation in the road construction world, as well as the treatment of polluting materials previously used, are at the origin of current issues that deserve the attention of everyone.

 

The world of road construction is looking for solutions that limit the ecological impact. Maintenance policies are now oriented towards recycling bituminous materials, as well as solutions that limit the amount of waste produced, a factor closely linked to the need for natural resources.

Our solutions at much lower depths than conventional reinforcement solutions allow us to limit the ecological impact of a pavement restructuring in:

  • Significantly reducing the use of mineral raw materials that are becoming scarcer (gravel and oil)
  • Significantly reducing the amount of waste to be disposed of and treated, resulting from the faulty road structure

 

PAHs: A consequent ecological impact

The energy savings generated by reductions in the quantities of materials to be produced or waste to be treated are clear.


However, the ecological impact of a pavement reinforcement also and above all depends on one important factor: the presence of PAHs.

 

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were introduced into pavements by the use of tar (from coal distillation) until 1993, or other fluxes or coal derivatives until 2005.

The presence of PAHs within bituminous pavement structures remains quite frequent to this day. Although they are sometimes present in quantities that allow asphalt mix recycling (according to applicable standards), PAHs are in most cases the reason for waste generation.

Indeed, asphalt heavily polluted with PAHs will have to be treated in a specialized landfill: it is then not recyclable. We may note that the specific facilities for treating this waste are very expensive and do not have infinite capacity. Depending on the surface to be treated, the presence of PAHs can be a guiding development axis, which can influence the economic viability of the project.

The presence of these PAHs also requires the adequate protection of all personnel involved in a site concerned, in order to limit any risk of intoxications, PAHs being carcinogenic.

Despite their negative aspects, PAHs have an interesting characteristic: they are neither polluting nor dangerous as long as they are buried in asphalt pavements that should not be milled.

 

TEXUM expertise

Aware that PAHs are a black spot in the world of road construction, causing additional costs and health risks, the Texum team has integrated these parameters into its development approach.

Based on this postulate, Texum proposes innovative reinforcement solutions by intervening at shallow depths, thus limiting the quantity of polluted materials to PAHs to be treated in order to enable project owners to obtain alternative solutions when PAHs are present.

  • Reinforcement of roundabouts and cornering areas

TEXGRID® CV 150 GIRO solution

  • Reinforcement of pavements

TEXGRID® CV 200 solution
TEXGRID® CV 200/200 solution

 
 
 
 
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OFFICE@TEXUM.SWISS
T : +41 26 422 24 31

VY DES CHARETTES 7
CH - 1530 PAYERNE