Increase the recovery of asphalt and bituminous membranes in a circular economy perspective

Although there is talk of circular economy every day, there are still sectors in some countries where much more could be done with a view to environmental sustainability. The field of bituminous compounds destined for recycling sees lights and shadows.

The bitumen, with which bituminous compounds such as waterproofing membranes or asphalt are made, comes from the distillation of oil and comes in the form of a viscous black liquid, the classification of which is expressed with respect to the degree of penetration.

In modern production we find three types of bitumen:

•  Distillate
•  Oxidized
•  Blown

The sectors in which bituminous products are most used are construction, where bituminous membranes are used for waterproofing structures and the road sector in which aggregating compounds are used for the production of asphalt.

Like all products, bituminous compounds also have a predetermined life cycle, after which they must be removed and replaced . The replacement operation is part of the good circular economy procedures, through which waste must be recovered for reuse.

As regards bituminous membranes, the waste must be sent to the shredding and selection plants and can be reused in the formation of road surfaces, as the elements are compatible with asphalt mixtures.

As for the product resulting from the milling of road pavements , this represents par excellence the constitutive element of the mixtures for the new asphalts.

In reality, the recycling of bituminous waste, especially road waste, enjoys light and shadow in Europe, with very different numbers among the nations.

Germany, for example, reuses about 84% of the waste from road surfaces, Belgium even 95%, France 70%, the United Kingdom 90%, while Italy only 25%, according to the data of the Siteb road and bitumen association, bringing the European average to 60%.

The numbers of asphalt mills in the world are really important, if we consider that only in Germany they generate about 13 million tons per year and, considering the quality of a product for asphalting, in countries like the United States, the Japan and England are measured by the number of times they can be reused.

The recycling and reuse of bituminous compounds in a correct way would lead to lower oil imports, reduced circulation of heavy vehicles and reductions in emissions into the atmosphere.

See the section on recycled building materials

Automatica translation. We apologize for any inaccuracies. Original article in Italian.