Modern Cold Patch: Stronger, Sustainable Road Repairs
Modern Hydrogen
Clean hydrogen on-site. No new pipelines. No new storage. No delivery trucks. Near zero and negative CO2.
“We have the potential to produce something pretty rare — a road material that is not only environmentally sound but also of a higher quality and more cost-effective than regular asphalt products.” - Shane McDade, CEO of Road Recyclers
Report Overview
We understand the importance of finding innovative solutions that meet both sustainability and budgetary goals. Modern Asphalt Cold Patch is a groundbreaking product designed to address both emissions reduction and cost-efficiency in road repairs. We explore the findings from lab-scale tests and real-world applications, with a specific focus on its potential benefits for project managers overseeing road projects.
Finding sustainable material alternatives is becoming paramount. Modern Asphalt Cold Patch offers a promising solution by utilizing solid carbon captured from natural gas, resulting in lower embodied emissions. Through comprehensive lab-scale tests, through independent third-party testing conducted by world-leading asphalt researchers, we have observed a remarkable 250% increase in mix stiffness, along with no loss in workability measurements. These findings not only indicate a reduction in the amount of binder needed but also highlight the potential for stronger and more durable asphalt that can withstand higher service temperatures.
One notable case study involves Modern Asphalt and Road Recyclers in Bexar County, Texas. The demonstration project, initiated in November 2023, focused on public road pothole repairs. By thoroughly evaluating the material's performance and workability, this project provides valuable insights for project managers implementing similar solutions in their road repair projects.
Throughout this whitepaper, we explore the economic implications of incorporating Modern Asphalt Cold Patch, shedding light on potential cost savings and environmental impacts. We will provide details on the carbon sequestration benefits of the solid carbon formed in the production process, emphasizing its stability and longevity. Additionally, we will discuss the ease of integrating the cold patch into existing production procedures, ensuring a seamless transition for project managers.
With a focus on empirical evidence and real-world applications, this whitepaper aims to help project managers make informed decisions regarding road project budgets and to win more bids.
A Lower-Emission Asphalt
Using fewer petroleum-based materials is a sustainability imperative and a smart business decision.
Specific asphalt mixes are used to repair potholes, which are fractures in the pavement that can appear due to wear or severe weathering events like flooding. Asphalt itself is made up of a blend of pebbles, stones, sand, and a binding agent called bitumen that’s derived from petroleum. Binders are not only the most emissions-intensive ingredient in asphalt, but they’re the most expensive aspect. As of January 2024, Binder costs an average of $500-700 per ton. Reducing reliance on petroleum-based binders is key to withstanding pricing volatility as well as key to meeting the growing demand for less-carbon-intensive construction projects.
Modern Asphalt Cold Patch, a product made with carbon captured from natural gas, is used as a lower-emission substitute for asphalt with traditional binders.
Performance
"This project demonstrates that our material increases asphalt traffic loading without losing workability." - Michael Baba, Modern Asphalt Product Development Manager
Independent Lab Results
Certified by The Modified Asphalt Research Center at UW-Madison
Independent lab tests found that adding Modern Asphalt reduces of the proportion of binder needed in the mix, and it can also make the asphalt stronger and able to withstand higher service temperatures. Results showed that the Modern Asphalt cold mix performed better in traffic loading metrics than standard mix designs.
Modern Asphalt Cold Patch contains no ash, meaning it won’t oxidize quickly, and no heavy metals that could be washed into waterways.
In Bexar County, Texas, Modern Hydrogen teamed up with Bexar County asphalt supplier Road Recyclers to use Modern Cold Patch on public road pothole repairs in the area. Road Recyclers incorporated the Modern Asphalt product into their cold asphalt mix, which was then used on pothole projects on public roads in San Antonio.
“What you’re seeing here is the very first time this material has been put down on a public roadway, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been extensively studied. We did mixes, trial runs, made sure it met the established criteria for a patch of this kind,” said Shane McDade of Road Recyclers in an interview with KSAT-TV News. “Everybody wants to look at cost savings. Everybody has to look at speed and constructability of a way to maintain their roads.”
The aim of the 6-month project is to evaluate how the material compacts and performs with traffic, translating to how useful it will be in the field.
Repairing Potholes in Bexar County
“It’s going to last longer, and we won’t have to come out as many times to patch it up. Drivers will have less inconvenience because the road won’t be blocked as much...We will be using the product with no additional cost to the county.” - Tony Vasquez, Bexar County Public Works Department Chief
Road Recyclers’ Patch Pro with Modern Asphalt Cold Patch product was used by county workers to repair potholes on a two-lane street in Bexar County, TX in November, 2023. The repair crew saw cut the holes, broke them out, then swept them before filling them with the Patch Pro mix with Modern Asphalt. The asphalt was reported immediately to be workable and could be easily ranked to the proper grade. The crew reported that the material had an appropriate resistance, and it did not have agglomerated chunks that had to be broken apart.
A vibratory plate compactor was used to bring the asphalt to the appropriate density. It only needed to be passed over by the machine once to reach the desired compaction level to be immediately usable.
In recent tests, the performance of the Modern Asphalt Cold Patch showed that it adheres better and is more resistant to traffic and other types of abrasion compared to the status quo cold-patch material used by Bexar County.
Over the 6-month review period, Bexar County workers will do regular visual reviews on a “continuing basis” to see if and how the Modern Asphalt material deforms compared to its grade or relation to ground level.
Cantabro and HVEEM
On surface streets with the same amount of traffic and weather type, Modern Asphalt Cold Patch showed a 2.5x increase in cantabro, which is the measure of how stiff it is. According to Asphalt Manufacturer Road Recyclers CEO Shane McDade, the Modern Asphalt Cold-Patch also showed a 10 percent increase in HVEEM, which is within acceptable range of adhesion change. To improve the performance of cold patches, there can be a slight increase in HVEEM while increasing cantabro
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Test Protocol
Cantabro Degradation Test Method
HVEEM Compaction Test Method
Given the promising field tests, Modern Asphalt Cold Patch could be used on other types of higher-traffic roads as well as runways for airplanes. However, more testing is needed to confirm.
Carbon in Modern Asphalt
"By putting their captured carbon into the patch, we are locking down carbon otherwise going into the atmosphere, so it's truly green... But we're doing it without sacrificing quality like some green products do, and without adding a huge amount of cost like some green products do." - Shane McDade, CEO of Road Recyclers
When storing carbon in a solid form in asphalt, it is environmentally stable for more than 500 years. The sequestration residence time is 500 to 5,000 years.
The solid carbon formed through this process does not react with environmental factors such as gases in the atmosphere, rain, or minerals in soil. The use of carbon in asphalt is similar to how solid carbon is now being used in other types of building materials such as bricks and cement.
Given the amount of carbon sequestered in each pound of Modern Asphalt Cold Patch and the number of potholes projected to be filled by Bexar County annually, it is projected that Bexar County will have sequestered a total of 1,057,510lbs of carbon by 2026. That amount of solid carbon is equivalent to sequestering 3,172,530lbs of CO?
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The carbon for Modern Asphalt comes from decarbonizing natural gas. To decarbonize natural gas, a high-temperature process called methane pyrolysis splits the molecules in natural gas into solid carbon and clean hydrogen gas. The clean hydrogen is used on-site at the point of use for industrial operations, process heat, and fleet fueling. The solid carbon is processed at the Modern Hydrogen headquarters facility in the Seattle, Washington area.
There is optimal carbon sequestration value by using solid carbon, derived from natural gas, in asphalt and elsewhere in the construction industry. The resulting asphalt is waterproof and storage stable.
When it comes time to recycle the asphalt, there is no concern of oxidation because the mix does not use ash and temperatures do not rise to levels that would alter the state of the carbon.
The following graph shows the potential national economic value of sequestering solid carbon in asphalt, across all sectors of the industry.?
Procedure
The starting formula for the cold patch used limestone rock asphalt (LRA) with binder and carbon in the first few batches. Carbon was added directly to the aggregate drum along with the binder.
The carbon easily integrated with the aggregate and binder, creating a cohesive mixture. Then, the shear forces of the aggregates being tumbled ensured that the carbon was fully and evenly mixed in with the binder.
Compared to how traditional asphalt is made, the production of the cold patch did not require any special equipment or procedures.
Conclusion
Modern Asphalt demonstration projects and lab tests are ongoing to learn how to reduce dependence on oil-based binders to save money and save the environment.
A lower embodied-carbon asphalt will attract sustainability-conscious clients and help projects stand out from competitors with lower costs and sustainable mix designs.
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Contact
For feedback, partnerships, or further information, please contact Michael Baba and the Modern Asphalt team.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.Modern-Asphalt.com
Modern Asphalt - Your partner in cost reduction, decarbonization, and performance enhancement in the asphalt industry.