5.7 Eco-road building for emerging economies
The construction and maintenance of road surfaces and pavements requires sealers and binders which are currently based on highenergy, environmentally damaging fossil fuels (bitumen and asphalt) or cement. Furthermore, developing countries find that importing and transporting these products is costly and that the heavy loads damage domestic road infrastructure.
A 'technology scouting' methodology identified promising alternative technologies that could develop sustainable, low-carbon footprint solutions using local resources and initiate local employment in developing countries. These could arise from local agricultural and manufacturing operations, and waste streams from industrial activities and power generation.
Six potential technology areas recommended for further examination are:
- Wood or palm lignin
- Pine resin or tall oil
- Drying oils and semi-drying oils
- Oil, resin and biomaterial blends
- Pozzolanas as cement substitutes and other waste streams
- Geotextiles and biofibre reinforcement.
These technologies could contribute to achieving provision of affordable and sustainable universal access across the developing world.
Issuing body: Global Transport Knowledge Practice
Type: Report
Title: Eco-road building for emerging economies: an initial scan for promising alternative technologies
File type: PDF
File size: 1.9 MB
Year of publication: 2008
Number of pages: 20
