Every four years, approximately 1,000 people associated with the bitumen and asphalt industries from around the world come together at the Eurobitume & Eurasphalt (E&E) Congress, to hear about and discuss the latest technical developments and thinking, and to network with each other. The 7th E&E Congress in Madrid (rescheduled at 2021) is themed ‘Asphalt 4.0 for future mobility’ and recognises the fact that the future mobility scenarios being developed now as part of the fourth industrial revolution - 4.0, often referred to as ‘smart industry’ - will clearly have impacts on our road infrastructure in the future. The traditional ways of travel will change and the use of automated and guided vehicles will have a greater effect on road requirements. With more than 90% of the existing European road infrastructure represented by asphalt materials, the asphalt, bitumen and other related industries need to accommodate the future mobility solutions. We need to be ready for these future requirements and able to help create ‘smart’ roads with ‘smart’ asphalt.
There will be a record number (72) of technical paper speakers at the 12 technical sessions, which address specific areas within the overall ‘Asphalt 4.0 for future mobility’ theme and have been split into the 10 sub-themes summarised below:
1. Health and Safety
Ensuring the health & safety of the workforce and the public is a critical aspect of all activities that we undertake. Our industry has been working over many years to improve working conditions and manage the risks associated with the handling and application of our products. Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
Work zone safety
Exposure monitoring & reduction
Noise reduction
Air quality
Water quality
Skid-resistance
Visibility
2. Sustainability and Environment
Today the importance of the impact of our activities on the environment cannot be ignored, with the focus on green public procurement and sustainable development increasing. Asphalt is one of the most reused / recycled products. Although recycling has been used for many decades still new techniques are being developed and higher percentages of reuse / recycling become common practice. Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
New reuse / recycling techniques
Use of rejuvenators
Sustainable development
Life Cycle Inventory
Carbon footprint
Energy efficient pavements / Rolling resistance
3. Future Roads and Mobility
The development of future automated and guided vehicles may present new challenges for pavement engineers. These vehicles might need new pavement technologies. In addition to the road network being used for the transportation of people, it is increasingly also a conduit for other technologies. Intelligent infrastructure management enables faster communication and reduced delays. Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
IT and sensors in infrastructure
Cleaning air by using absorptive pavement materials
Heated/cooled roads
Dual-purpose pavements (cool pavement technology, energy generation, etc.)
Intelligent roads
Roads as a means of connectivity
4. Binder Performance and Testing
Bitumen is a complex product and therefore new test methods are developed to describe the behaviour of bitumen. Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
New test methods
Performance based standards/regulations
Evaluation of test methods
Predictive performance models
Bitumen modification
Bitumen ageing
5. Asphalt Mixture Performance and Testing
A sustainable pavement must be durable and its performance should meet the requirements over a long period. The required performance for the present and future can be achieved by using an adequate design of the pavement and mixtures by using suitable binders and where needed additives. Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
New mixtures
New test methods
Evaluation of test methods
Performance based contracts and experience with these contracts
Performance based standards/regulations
Construction Products Regulation
Additives
Predictive performance models
Durability
6. Asphalt Production, Paving and Compaction Techniques
New technologies are being developed and used in the production, transport, paving and compaction of asphalt mixtures. New techniques are available for continuous quality control in various stages of the process. Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
Process control
Process optimisation tools
Intelligent paving and compaction
Continuous Quality Control systems
Autonomous equipment / autonomous asphalt rollers
Quality management systems
Efficient production techniques
7. Warm Mix Asphalt / Low Temperature Asphalt
A practical way of reducing the energy used during the production of asphalt is the use of low-temperature asphalt or warm mix asphalt. In addition to energy reduction, low production and paving temperatures also reduce emissions and occupational exposure in the workplace.
Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
Temperature reduction technologies
Ways to stimulate these techniques
Performance
8. Maintenance and Rehabilitation
In many countries the focus has shifted from construction of new highway infrastructure to maintaining the existing road network. Increased utilisation of the network means that opportunities exist for novel maintenance techniques and faster intervention. With limited resources available it is important that maintenance intervention is properly planned and carried out in the most effective way. Papers were invited on topics covering the following areas and other related subjects:
Pavement Management systems
Asset management
Surface treatments
Innovative maintenance techniques
Performance based maintenance
Fast application technology
Road condition monitoring
9. Case Studies and Non-Highway Applications Success and Failure from Real Practice
This category represents a new approach and is focused on practical experience in both highway and non-highway applications. The truth is always on the road and good laboratory results don’t always translate to practical outcomes for a variety of reasons. Learning from good and best-practice represents a valuable treasure trove of knowledge. Papers were invited on projects including ports, railway tracks, aircraft runways and other applications that reported on new ideas that have been tested at industrial-scale production and/or a real construction site and have proven themselves in practice for a reasonable time. These papers could be success or failure stories, where the cause of the failure is well-understood. At best, they contain an approach that has already been reported at the development stage at one of the previous congresses.
10. Bituminous Emulsions
More infos about this category at the following link: https://www.eecongress2020.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/bituminous-emulsions_abstracts.pdf
