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Advanced Solutions for Asphalt Pavements

Project description

Novel road paving technology for more eco-friendly roads and maintenance

Current road design and maintenance work uses fossil fuel-dependent technology that has a negative impact on the environment. The EU-funded ASAP project aims to help mitigate this problem by developing unique road paving technology that will extend the lifespan of asphalt roads and reduce their environmental and economic impact. The technology entails recycling and self-healing processes that will replace fossil fuel-dependent technology. A bio-bitumen rejuvenator developed with microalgae oils will be used to rejuvenate aged asphalt bitumen. The project will help revolutionise road design and maintenance processes while reducing their environmental and financial costs.

Objective

The Advanced Solutions for Asphalt Pavements (ASAP) project involves the development of a unique road paving technology which will use a bio-bitumen rejuvenator to rejuvenate aged asphalt bitumen. This technology will help to extend the lifespan of asphalt pavements (roads) and will reduce the environmental and economic impact of roads and road maintenance processes. Recycling and self-healing processes will replace fossil fuel dependent technology. Self-healing will involve rejuvenating aged asphalt bitumen using a bio-rejuvenator developed using microalgae oils (rejuvenating bio-oil). Microalgae has been selected because of its fast growth, versatility and ability to survive within hostile environments, such as wastewater.

ASAP will utilise microalgae, cultivated within the wastewater treatment process, as a source of the rejuvenating bio-oil. The solvent (Soxhlet) processes will be used to extract the oil from the microalgae. To ensure the efficiency of the oil extraction process, an ultrasonication process will be used to pre-treat the microalgae. The suitability of rejuvenating bio-oil as a replacement for the bitumen rejuvenator (fossil fuel based) will be ascertained via a series of standard bituminous and accelerated tests. A rejuvenator-binder diffusion numerical model will be developed, based on the Delft Lattice concrete diffusion model, to determine the conditions required for rejuvenation to occur and to ascertain the healing rate of the asphalt binder. These parameters will facilitate the selection and optimisation of the asphalt self-healing systems (specifically the amount of bio-oil rejuvenator and time required) to achieve full rejuvenation.

This novel approach will benchmark the effectiveness of this intervention against existing asphalt design and maintenance processes and assess feasibility. The ASAP project presents an opportunity to revolutionise road design and maintenance processes and reduce its environmental and financial costs.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

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Coordinator

NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 187 572,48
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 187 572,48
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