BIOREPAVATION - INNOVATION IN BIO-RECYCLING OF OLD ASPHALT PAVEMENTS (biorepavation.ifsttar.fr) 

The proposed project is to investigate the merits of application of bio-materials from bio-mass in reuse of asphalt pavements. The project aims to demonstrate that reuse of asphaltic materials fom pavements can be facilitated using bio-materials. To do so, this BioRePavation consortium will assess three technical solutions aiming to reduce the use of virgin aggregates and petroleum bitumen for road maintenance and construction. Successful technical solutions not only will have the advantage of using organic viscoelastic binder but also it will provide equivalent performances in comparison to conventional asphaltic materials. The overall goal is to provide the opportunity for road authorities, or more generally for countries with mature networks, to be self-sufficient in materials via “BioRePavation” using bio-products locally produced and used along with asphalt pavement recycling. The main scientific and technical objective is to prove that alternative binders can be used to recycle asphaltic pavement with the same level of performance in comparison to conventional solutions with petroleum bitumen. To do so, the research team proposes to build a demonstration where three innovative pavement solutions using bio-materials will be tested using an accelerated pavement testing facility. Performances will be evaluated by both measuring the time (or traffic level) needed for the pavement solution to reach a distress mechanism (cracking, rutting, etc.) and investigating the binder physico-chemical evolution using an innovative non-destructive method. Biorepavation will also assess the environmental impacts of the combined use of bio-binders and high-content of RA in asphalt mixes. Special attention will be given to airborne emissions that will be directly measured at laboratory. Obtained data will be used to perform a risk assessment, as well as a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the aforementioned Biorepavation technologies.

PARTNERS

	Organisation name	Country
	French institute of science and technology for transport, development and networks (IFSTTAR) - Coordinator	France
	Iowa State University	USA
	Western Research Institute	USA
	Arizona Chemical	the Netherlands
	EIFFAGE Infrastructures Gestion et Développement (EI)	France
	Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre (NTEC)	UK