NCAT Hosts Summit on Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement

NCATThe National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) recently hosted a Summit on Increasing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel & Conference Center at Grand National in Opelika, Ala. Approximately 70 attendees discussed strategies for using RAP in asphalt mixes in order to save money for highway users as well as state budgets constrained by the current economic climate.

This summit of decision makers for state departments of transportation included presentations and open discussion on how to best utilize RAP to stem the rapid escalation of asphalt binder prices. They also plan to take actions to allow higher RAP content in asphalt pavement construction.

The recent rise in binder prices has affected agencies and contractors, impacting highway paving practices. The use of RAP in asphalt mixes currently results in a reduced materials cost of $2.6 billion per year. Doubling RAP usage would cut materials costs by 14 percent, and tripling RAP usage would, in effect, cancel out the rise in raw material prices over the past year, according to industry leaders.