®
Responsible Pavements at an Affordable Price
EcoMat® pavement systems provide asphaltic paving materials which can be mixed and placed at temperatures up to 100°F
(37.8°C) lower than traditional asphalt mixes. Produced using state-of-the-art technologies, EcoMat® mixes are more workable,
easier to use, and better for the environment. Lower working temperatures reduce equipment wear and tear, thereby
improving the service life and operational effectiveness of the production equipment. As an added benefit, EcoMat® can qualify
users’ projects for LEED credits.
Increased Service Life
The special process used to produce EcoMat® allows the asphalt
mix to maintain its workability at temperatures lower than those of
conventional hot-mix asphalt. These lower production temperatures
produce mixes with binders which are aged less and are less susceptible to low-temperature cracking. Because EcoMat® is less susceptible
to cold temperature extremes, pavements built with EcoMat® asphalt
will have longer average service lives and greater durability.
Energy Savings
EcoMat®’s environmental advantages begin at the plant where the asphalt mix
is produced. Conventional hot-mix asphalt requires that it be heated to high
temperatures, which consume a significant amount of energy in the process.
EcoMat®’s recommended temperature is a minimum of 50°F (10°C) cooler than
its hot-mix counterpart, resulting in a 10-15% reduction in the energy needed
to power the plant’s burner under normal circumstances. The reduction in the
plant’s energy consumption directly translates into environmental benefits,
reducing the plant’s carbon footprint as well as resulting in lower emissions.
Longer Paving Season and Haul Distances
Lower Plant Emissions
The lower temperatures used in EcoMat®’s production process significantly improve upon an already environmentally-friendly
product that is one of the world’s most recycled materials. The EcoMat® production process reduces greenhouse gas emissions
by 10-15% compared to the conventional hot-mix process and can lower Volatile Organic Contents (VOCs) by as much as 50%.
By using the asphalt mix at a cooler temperature, EcoMat® improves one of the best available paving materials.
Improved On-Site Air Quality
Another advantage of EcoMat® is that its reduced temperatures further reduce
emissions during the transportation of the product and in the construction process.
For each 10°C reduction in temperature, emissions can be reduced by as much as a
factor of two. EcoMat® can lead to emission improvements of as much as 30-50%
over those found when working at conventional temperatures. EcoMat®’s cooler
working temperatures improve air quality and offer an added benefit to workers,
providing a cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable working environment.
EcoMat®’s properties allow it to remain flexible and more workable for longer periods of time and make it less affected by cold
weather. Because of these properties, EcoMat® can be used on cooler days, when paving with conventional hot mix would be
difficult or impossible. Also, EcoMat®’s extended workability allows it to be hauled longer distances, making paving possible at
difficult-to-reach job sites.
EcoMat® allows for rapid re-introduction of traffic thanks to its fast setting and cooling times.
Enhanced Recycled Content
The recent focus on sustainable development has made the use of recycled materials more important now than ever.
Because EcoMat® reduces binder aging which occurs during production, more recycled asphalt pavements (RAP) can be added
to EcoMat® than in conventional hot mix asphalt without any negative impacts on low-temperature properties. Projects using
EcoMat® with RAP are also eligible to earn additional Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits for
Recycled Content.
LEED
EcoMat®, as a warm surfacing product, can contribute to LEED credit in the following ways:
Materials and Resources (MR)
Innovation in Design (ID)
Regional Priority (RP)
n MR 3.2, Material Reuse n ID 1.5, Innovation in Design n RP 1.4, Regional Priority
n MR 4.4, Recycled Content
n MR 5.2, Regional Material
Better Handling and Performance
Better Performance,
Better for the Environment.™
EcoMat® produced asphalt meets or
exceeds the performance of conventional
asphalt mixes and offers improved handling
characteristics of the mix.
Steam from Conventional Mix
EcoMat