José Antonio Fernández Gallar visits Elsan team at the hot bituminous mix manufacturing plant, located in the Arganda del Rey machinery park (Madrid). OHL’s construction subsidiary has recently participated in a project on sustainable asphalt to fight against climate change

Sustainable and innovative asphalt mixes

ELSAN has developed two new mixes that incorporate aggregate from the milling of aged pavements and steel aggregate from the metallurgical industry, with the main objective of reducing the procurement of natural aggregates through the exploitation of quarries. The solution also contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during its manufacture at a lower temperature, while promoting the implementation of the circular economy, thanks to the reuse, recycling and recovery of waste without reducing the quality of the final mix. This pilot test will serve to test the durability, efficiency and resistance of the new mixes developed for use in future asphalt campaigns and responds to OHL’s commitment, for more than one decade, to the implementation of a culture that has enabled it to achieve leadership positions in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The initiative developed in Alcobendas joins other reference projects in which OHL and ELSAN have shown their research character and their constant commitment to innovation in the field of sustainable road pavements and bituminous mixtures. Of particular note is the LIFE EQUINOX project, promoted by the EU and aimed at mitigating atmospheric pollution through the use of an urban environment pavement capable of reducing the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) generated by traffic, which has been tested in urban areas of the city of Madrid. In addition, SMA (stone mastic asphalts) mixes have been developed, which are environmentally friendly and sustainable because they use less energy in their manufacture and incorporate recycled and disused materials in their composition, and Pavisost, a draining and sustainable pavement that stands out for its low maintenance and prolonged useful life, and for its capacity to evacuate water from the roadway efficiently and quickly.