Summary Reader Response - Draft 1

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 In the article, “Sustainability”, Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association (2013) discusses the “green” effects of asphalt. The article states that asphalt is considered “green” because it is non-disposable and reusable regardless of its age, while also allowing other waste products to be involved in the process. The article also explains how the development of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is revolutionary in asphalt paving through the incorporation of old asphalt into new asphalt. This is due to the fact that lesser pristine resources are used, thus reduces spending and fuel usage, which benefits both contractors and the environment. The article also highlights innovations such as Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) and porous pavements that are beneficial to the environment. The article claims that WMA reduces carbon footprints. In addition, porous pavements allow rainwater drainage into recharge beds for soil absorption and replenishes aquifers rather than forcing water into sewers.

Although I feel that the article is biased towards the advantages of asphalt, I do believe recycled asphalt is inevitable and should be the ideal choice in its industry.

Firstly, recycled asphalt is cost-efficient. According to Thompson (2018,) asphalt pavements do not require much work in the repair services. This means that few labours will be needed during this time. The article also pointed out that only the top layer of the damaged road is the only part removed when the repairs and maintenance services are being carried out. This reduces the cost of hiring trucks since only a few of them will be needed to dig up the top layer. Previously used materials are reused during the repair process too. Due to the recycling process and fewer damages which occur on the roads, the services reduce the expenses significantly.

Despite having all of these benefits, recycled asphalt is far from perfect, as it also has its disadvantages. The article successfully identified the relevant pros of recycled asphalt. However, the article disregarded certain disadvantages of asphalt which could sway readers to have a completely different opinion. The author could have included some disadvantages in order to make the article more neutral.

Firstly, the article did not elaborate a crucial drawback regarding the properties of recycled asphalt. According to (Federal Highway Administration, 2016), recycled asphalt varies in quality, size, and consistency depending on the initial asphalt material and the methods used to reclaim the asphalt. The article also stated that there is insufficient information regarding other possible applications of recycled asphalt due to the fact that most recycled asphalt are only integrated into pavements. This limits the versatility of recycled asphalt.

Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association, (2013, May 23). Sustainability. https://moasphalt.org/why-asphalt/green-asphalt/

Green Prophet (2018, September 11) 7 Green Benefits of Using Eco-Friendly Asphalt. https://www.greenprophet.com/2018/09/7-green-benefits-of-using-eco-friendly-asphalt/

Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology (2016, August 3) User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/rap131.cfm

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