Green paving solutions offer a number of benefits that make them an attractive option to utilize in paving scenarios.

There are a number of green paving solutions available that offer a host of benefits for the environment. Environmentally friendly paving options include using recycled asphalt and concrete materials, solar reflective coatings, warm-mix asphalt versus hot-mix asphalt, porous asphalt and concrete, and more.

Benefits of Using Green Paving Solutions
The benefits of utilizing green paving solutions are varied and will obviously depend on which option you choose to utilize. Benefits include:

  1. Reducing pollution and waste. Using Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Content, or RAP, keeps useful materials out of landfills. The asphalt industry is the country’s leading recycler, recycling and reusing over 60 million tons of asphalt a year. Similarly, the concrete industry recycles 140 million tons of concrete are recycled annually, according to the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA)
    Recycling also saves on the time, effort, and emissions created from mining or extracting new aggregates. In 2010, the recycling of asphalt pavements and shingles saved 20.5 million barrels asphalt binder, according to AsphaltFacts.com.
  2. Saving energy. In addition to the energy saved by using recycled paving materials, there are green paving solutions that save additional energy. For instance, solar reflective coatings contain infrared reflective pigments that reduce solar absorption. This reduces the heat generated by paved surfaces like parking lots and has the potential to reduce urban heat islands.
    In that same vein, choosing to use warm-mix asphalt over hot-mix asphalt reduces the heat of the mixture by about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, saving on energy and reducing emissions.
  3. Saving costs. Utilizing recycled paving materials and cutting energy use saves costs, but there are other green paving solutions that offer additional savings. For instance, perpetual asphalt is a paving product that, in theory, has a never-ending life cycle as the topcoat overlay is replaced as needed as opposed to replacing all of the pavement. Similarly, special seal coats and additives can extend the life of a pavement, making it better able to withstand weather, oxidation, and more.
  4. Manage stormwater issues. Permeable and porous asphalt and concrete options can also be utilized to manage stormwater runoff.

Tucker Paving offers over 25 years of experience?in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. Contact us or call 863-299-2262?for your next asphalt or concrete installation, maintenance, or repair?project.