Pollution Engineering - March 2009 - (Page 19)

GREENCONNECTIONS By Barbara Quinn A Different Kind of Repair A new, greener polymer is changing how America does blacktop A nyone who has driven through the obstacle course of a modern highway project has seen the traditional resurface-or-replace approach to damaged asphalt roadways. Not so easily discerned are the environmental issues associated with asphalt and coal tar, which is a common sealant. Of particular concern are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, a suspected human carcinogen released from coal tar. A second issue is the heat absorbed and held by asphalt, raising the urban heat index, or UHI, and contributing to climate change. In 1996, Jack H. Wilson, Sr. founded PolyCon Manufacturing to produce a polymer composite microoverlay (PCMO) product he had developed. Named E-Krete, the PCMO was tested by the Army Corps of Engineers in a two-year study to evaluate its ability to preserve asphalt pavements from abrasion and environmental damage. The material was approved by the Corps for use on parking ramps for the B-1 Bomber at McConnell AFB; by the Federal Highway Administration for use on airport tarmacs and taxiways; by NASA at its sites in Georgia, Texas and California; and by EPA for participation in its Design for the Environment program. In 2004, the private sector jumped in, when Wachovia Bank commissioned the application of the polymer on 150 of its properties. How it works E-Krete is a non-petroleum, water-based polymer composite pavement coating. The polymer retains its elasticity while bonding to asphalt, chip seal, polished stone and other bituminous products, concrete, primed metal or itself. The polymer is distributed in two-part kits that include a liquid and a dry mix. The two are mixed with water on-site, and spread onto the pavement to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cracks of up to ½ inch require no pre-filling, and a choice of finishes tailor applications to traffic requirements. According to tests by the National Center for Asphalt technology at Auburn University, the PCMO provides a solar reflectivity index that exceeded the requirement for LEED projects and dropped the temperature of the typical asphalt heat island by as much as 12 degrees. analysis comparing the costs of chip seal, asphalt and the polymer on a 21-foot wide road mile over a 12-year period. According to that analysis, the cost of the polymer was $53,000 compared to chip seal’s $240,000 and asphalt’s $300,000. “That’s a real savings,” said Wilson. PE Ceilcote APC Ceilcote APC manufactures stock and custo m Fiberglass Rein forced Plastic (FRP) fa ns known for exce ptional reliability and durability. Our fans can meet your dem anding corrosive environments for ye ars to come. Br eathe Easier knowing Ceilcote APC is on your team. www.ceilc oteapc.com For more information about E-Krete and related products from PolyCon Manufacturing, visit their website at www.polyconmfg.com or reach James Kopf, VP of Engineering, at jim@polyconmfg.com or (601) 898-1024 Ba Barbara Quinn has written about environmental, public po policy and economic development issu issues for over 25 years. She has been pu published in magazines serving the env environmental, industrial and municipal co communities. She can be contacted at bq bqwords@comcast.net. Tracking the costs The polymer carries a 10-year warranty and extends the life of high-cost infrastructure without adding environmental problems. The company conducted a life-cycle Visit www.pollutionen www.pollutionengineering.com and electronically forward a copy of this article to a colleague or customer. MARCH2009 www.pollutionengineering.com 19 http://www.polyconmfg.com http://www.pollutionengineering.com http://www.pollutionengineering.com

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Pollution Engineering - March 2009 Contents The Editor’s Desk EnviroNews PE Events Legal Lookout Green Connections Get Ready to Count Carbon Getting Rid of Foreign Oil Green Goes Underground Thermal Oxidizers Ocean-Front Remediation Pumps, Pipes and Valve Products Air Monitoring Equipment PE Products Classified Marketplace Advertisers Index State Rules

Pollution Engineering - March 2009

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