ASPHALTopics | Summer 2014 | VOL 27 | NO3

Interstate 24 in Georgia was resurfaced with Porous
European Mix, a permeable surface layer with a
larger aggregate that allows for efficient shedding
of rainwater from the roadway.
the engineering features and performance characteristics
of these long lasting pavements. Because only the surface
layer of pavement needs replacing, greenhouse emissions
associated with the processing and placement of raw
materials is reduced. Roadways don’t require complete
removal and replacement and traffic delays or road
closures are minimized, thereby lowering the greenhouse
gas emissions associated with large construction projects.
New green initiatives for the asphalt industry include
the move toward product transparency and measuring
a product’s impact on sustainability. A new program at
NAPA is working to develop an ecological protocol for
asphalt pavement mixtures and asphalt ingredients. The
NAPA Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) Program
was developed in conformance with ISO 14025, which
establishes the principles and procedures for developing
Type III EPDs, which are similar to nutrition labels for
packaged food. Just as a nutrition label reports on the
nutritional value of the product, EPDs report the potential
environmental impact of a product. NAPA-certified EPDs
will provide engineers, specifiers, users and producers
with comparable environmental data so that they can
make better comparisons about asphalt mixes and
ingredients and the potential environmental impact
of those products.
“We’ve seen EPDs in a number of sectors, such as food,
retail and building materials, and now it’s trickling down to
Departments of Transportation,” says Heather Dylla, Ph.D.,
Director of Sustainable Engineering for NAPA. “EPDs are
an additional tool to support agency decision-making in
accounting for the potential environmental impacts.”
EPDs require Product Category Rules (PCR) in order
to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a product.
NAPA’s EPD Program is currently developing a North
American PCR for asphalt mixtures. The draft is expected
to be complete by spring 2015, with a public review to
follow. The final stage is third-party verification that the
PCR is ISO compliant and technically sound.
In Ontario, the emphasis on best practices to lower
emissions has been a mainstay for several decades.
OHMPA’s Trillium Award, created in 2002, is a coveted
distinction that is awarded to plants that exceed the
standard required by industry regulation. Candidates
undergo a rigorous assessment of operations, including
fuel storage Emergency Response Plans, spill prevention
and attention to visible emissions. To date, 55 plants have
earned the Trillium Award. The award expires after three
years and 35 past recipients have been recertified. ››
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