Warm mix asphalt use in Slovenia and in Europe: A review

Abstract

Recently, we have witnessed an extreme increase in the prices of energy and raw materials, on the one hand, and economic expansion, due to the business growth in construction sector, part of which is also the asphalt industry, on the other hand. The asphalt industry in particular is facing increasing challenges of economic acceptability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as improving working conditions. One of the possible solutions proved to be warm mix asphalts (WMA), which can be produced and compacted at reduced temperatures in comparison to hot mix asphalt (HMA). The beginnings of WMA technology in Europe date back to 1999, while in Slovenia the first field test was conducted in 2005. In the last two decades a numerous research and studies on the properties and technologies of WMA production have been conducted. According to EAPA (European Asphalt Pavement Association), the use of WMA cumulatively in Europe in period from 2013 to 2020 is slowly increasing, but the differences in WMA production in individual European countries are significant. The article presents an overview of WMA production techniques, their advantages and disadvantages and their usage in individual European countries in comparison to Slovenia.