INNOVATION IN HIGHWAYS
Roadways has invested in a new Research & Development and Innovation Centre at Plus X Brighton. Here’s The Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Councillor Alan Robins, officially launching the new Centre here.
The concrete carried in a single drum mixer truck typically involves as much CO₂ as driving 17,000 kilometres by car. That’s halfway around the earth!
Some construction professionals and much of the wider public are simply not aware how the carbon footprint of concrete and other construction materials can be an order of magnitude greater than other everyday items.
Just ten wheelbarrows of concrete has the same carbon footprint as a flight ticket from London to Madrid.
Looking at it another way: it would take a football stadium full of mature trees two years to absorb the CO₂ of that single concrete mixer truck.
We’ve set up our Brighton office to do something about this.
We know what’s possible as we’ve already developed and launched asphalt that saves 40% CO₂. For each lorry load, that’s a CO₂ saving equivalent to driving 3,500 kilometres by car.
We’re actively looking to collaborate with civil and structural engineers, architects, and anyone with an interest in the industry who has the same ethical and environmentally-focused goals as ourselves. Please get in touch!
See the full press release here.
See examples of environmentally friendly schemes we have delivered already
Roadways is deeply committed to offering our clients environmentally friendly products and the latest technology. Together, we forge carbon savings, safe working practices and first-class quality projects.
We invest in our future and that of our planet.
We have worked with the University of Sussex Innovation Centre (SINC) and are engaged with the Green Growth Platform at the University of Brighton to add to our portfolio of greener products and services.
An innovative recycling approach to road maintenance resulted in development of four new environmentally friendlier products that were developed and launched successfully with Costain/ Jacobs (East Sussex Highways), Balfour Beatty Living Places (Southampton City Council), Lewes District Council, and other clients who joined us in the quest to find better ways to work.
All these products save around 40% of CO₂ emissions in comparison to standard road construction products:
- Cold asphalt
- HBM
- CBGM
- Low carbon concrete
Traditionally, road renewal involves mere resurfacing. Longevity is not ensured and asphalt continues to fail due to poor road foundations. Roads need to be resurfaced again in two to three years – or sooner.
Roadways’ strategic approach to road maintenance ensures the underlying problems are rectified by rebuilding the road on a new foundation.
Road recycling using Roadways’ products and methodologies, in line with our sustainable approach, involves the new foundation being built using modern, environmentally-focussed technologies. Carbon savings of over 11,500kg were made on one site by recycling materials dug from the existing broken road and putting these back with new stronger properties.
Further environmental benefits came from avoiding 1,200 tonnes of virgin aggregates taken from the sea or quarries and diverting over 1,400 tonnes of waste from landfill. This follows ‘circular economy’ principles: designing waste out of the environment, keeping materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.
- We have targets for new materials to develop each year and adopted by clients.
- We monitor environmental benefits. These include tonnes of carbon saved, and tonnes of primary aggregates that don’t need to be blasted from the earth or dredged from the sea.
- We also monitor how innovation helps us to succeed as a business and deliver for our customers.
We’re looking forward to sharing news of the next product in our eco-friendly range.
You’ll be amazed at how we can save the planet – one road at a time.
See our success stories using eco-friendly productsROADWAYS THE VIRTUAL WAY
We have embraced technology – as we have all had to do through the pandemic – to save time and resource.
Our project meetings are held online, leading to quicker, more effective communication. Our carbon footprint is reduced as there is no travelling to meetings. Our clients appreciate this agile way of working.
We promote a paperless office environment, digitising wherever we can.
On ITV Meridian, we explained more about our online approach…
Talk to us about your next project needs