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OPENING SPEECH OF THE E&E CONGRESS BARCELONA 2000

Javier Navarro

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning to everybody.

It is a pleasure for me to have the chance of welcoming all of you to the Second Eurasphalt -

Eurobitume 2000 Congress in Barcelona.

I wish to thank the Honorable Sr. D. Antoni Subirà, Councelor for Industry, Trade and Tourism of

the Government of Catalonia, and Dr. Josep Cuervo, President of the Commission of Urban Services

and Maintenance of the City Council of Barcelona for their presence here this morning, to open this

meeting.

The 2nd Congress is fi rst of all a technical gathering, where the newest trends and bitumen applications

will be shown, as well as a meeting point strategical and scientifi c, because we will not forget to cover

the economic and research aspects nor the environmental, always among our Industry’s fi rst and more

important concerns.

This is the 2nd Congress jointly organised by EAPA (European Asphalt Pavement Association) and

Eurobitume and we will maintain the standards of quality of the previous one, which was held in

Strasbourg in 1996. In this occasion, because it is celebrated in Spain, the Spanish Petroleum Industry

Association AOP, has had the pleasure of cooperating with the Organisers.

I believe that the Congress contents are perfectly expressed by its theme “Asphalt for the 21st Century:

Performance and Competitivity”, in which we fi nd the essential points of the message to be delivered

in the forthcoming sessions: to respond to the future demands and to offer more quality adapted to the

market requirements just to have at any time the best products available.

The papers will be presented in a General Session and four Technical.

The fi rst one, which will be today, is in fact a General Management Seminar whose programme is

“Strategies and Scenarios for the future of the European Asphalt and Bitumen Industries”.

We will have the occasion of listening to other sectors from Europe and the rest of the world, like the

Political, the Academic, the Health Institutions.


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They will be accompanied, of course by the strategic refl exions of both our own Industries’, Petroleum

and Building.

It is the fi rst reference to the the ideas of Competitivity and insight into the 21st century of our Congress’

theme.

The remaining references will be dealt with during the next days, when the papers read will be

assembled in the Sessions whose titles you already know. You will have the occasion of hearing to

papers on Performances and on what might be expected from our products in the future, both in their

applications of today and in the ones less conventional in the present time but already pointing towards

new developments, in the research laboratory and in the full-scale industrial uses.

I believe that we are opening a Congress of the same level regarding quality and of the same technical

interest as the other meetings organised by EAPA and Eurobitume, a real “meeting point” of our

industry.

The investments required only in Spain are huge: the Spanish Budget of the Ministerio de Fomento

dedicated to infrastructure and Road maintenance is in the order of 400 billion Pesetas, almost 2,5

billion euro. Of this, a sensible amount will be spent in our Industies, and this is an evidence of our

optimistic insight into the future.

The best place to hold this Congress is without any hesitation, the City of Barcelona, and especially in

these days, in which it is celebrating its main “Fiestas”.

That is why, Ladies and Gentlemen, I warmly welcome you to the 2nd E&E Congress, Barcelona 2000,

wishing you the most enjoyable and fruitful stage.

Thank you.


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INTRODUCTION BY EAPA

Peter Rothwell

Mr President, Mr Mayor, Minister let me welcome you to the second Eurasphalt and Eurobitume

Conference here in Barcelona. I would like to thank you for your opening remarks and for your kind

messages of goodwill to both our Associations.

The Congress theme is Asphalt for the 21st Century, Performance and our ability to compete.

We have two conferences taking place over the next three days. Today there is a General Management

Seminar at which we shall look at the strategies and scenarios for the future of the asphalt and bitumen

industries. We will look at some of the major issues, which are affecting our industry. We shall look

at the technical developments in the United States and we shall have strategies for performance and

competitiveness with speakers drawn from within Europe but also as far afi eld as New Zealand.

We have speakers from not only our two industries but also from our client industries in terms of both

road contracting and managing road networks.

The second part of our Conference which begins tomorrow, covers more detailed technical sessions on

bitumen binders and asphalts and is a follow on from the fi rst joint congress in Strasbourg in 1996, the

EAPA workshop in 1998 in Berlin and the Eurobitume workshop in Luxembourg in1999.

I would like to open my address to you by giving you a review of the European Asphalt Pavement

Association, EAPA for short as we know it, and to outline the changes which have occurred since

Strasbourg in 1996, and to look at our objectives for the future and to show how we are positioning

ourselves to satisfy our clients’ principal needs.

EAPA began its life in 1973 and established its fi rst permanent offi ce in Breukelen in the Netherlands in

1990. Our membership is drawn from associations and companies across 24 European countries. That’s

an increase of 5 compared with 1996. New members have joined from Belgium, Rumania, Russia,

Slovenia and Switzerland and a number of our associate members in 1996 have become full members

by the year 2000. These are Estonia, Italy, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

There are some 300 million tonnes of asphalt produced and laid annually in Europe. 70% is produced

by EAPA members. Since the majority of European roads are asphalt, the fruits of our labours are

experienced by millions of Europeans every single day.

So what of asphalt in the year 2000? Has it changed signifi cantly since the last conference? My

then predecessor, Arvo Kaksonen, began his presidential address by saying, and I quote “in principle

asphalt techniques have not changed that much in the decades past. The asphalt mix is made of bitumen

and aggregates more or less in the same way as in the 1930s”. He went on to talk about research

and development, the improvements to health and safety and touched on the then new challenges of

harmonised European standards, technical approvals and technical specifi cations.

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What a different era we now fi nd ourselves in. The environment reigns supreme, health and safety, quite

rightly, occupies our foremost attention and this not only affects ourselves but more particularly our

clients as well.

Let me look fi rst of all at the environment. High on the political agenda of the European Union is the

development of European transport corridors, the pricing of roads and the development of inter-modal

transport, but it is proving extremely diffi cult to gain suffi cient political attention for the importance of

road transport and road infrastructure. This is in complete contrast to the United States where the TEA

21 proposals for transport development are providing a huge boost to the their roads sector.

There are I believe big confl icts ahead. Most of the European governments believe that further

development of road infrastructure should be constrained for environmental reasons. We, along with the

rest of the world, have a growing vehicle population, we have growing vehicle congestion and in most

developed nations a public transport system which is unable to cope with consumer needs. There is a

reluctance to use public transport until it improves, and although there are exceptions in some countries

there is insuffi cient investment in public transport to improve it.

There is growing resentment to high taxes that motorists, both private and commercial, have to pay.

Since the 1960s the proportion of tax on fuel has grown remorselessly until now where in some EU

countries, this can be as high as 8l% of the retail price.

In Europe we have a very strong environmental lobby with real political power in Germany, Netherlands,

Austria, Sweden and Denmark and increasing pressure in other nations. Road building and infrastructure

development is at an all time low. However, with the imminent entry of Eastern European countries there

will become a desperate need to improve their road infrastructure. Will all the confl icting approaches of

the “Greens” overcome the need for rapid economic growth, and if so, what is the future for the asphalt

industry in Europe?

All this seems to present a bleak picture for an industry which is primarily roads related. However, it

has also created opportunities for our industry. In the last 30 years traffi c growth and particularly lorry

traffi c growth, has been very signifi cant for our industry. We have responded with improved compaction

plant and techniques; introduced new mix designs and stability requirements to increase resistance

to deformation under heavy traffi c loadings to name but two. As heavy vehicle weights continue to

increase, so there has been a recognition that further improvements for the deformation resistance to

asphalt mixes would become necessary on very heavily traffi cked roads. So came the modifi ers in terms

of binder additives and also material additives into the mixtures, which have grown signifi cantly during

the 1990s. The modern asphalt road lasts longer.

In the 1990s noise has become a major concern. In some countries, concrete motorways have been

overlaid with asphalt to reduce the noise level affecting adjacent homes. We now produce quieter

materials, we have porous asphalt and other noise reducing surfaces. In many of our markets during the

last decade it is clear that clients are becoming less involved in technical issues related to our products.

Our clients face cost-cutting measures in their design and technical departments which reduces their

resources that have traditionally been available to work in our areas of expertise. This has meant that

the asphalt industry has found itself confronted with a changing role pattern. Asphalt producers and

contractors are taking a much greater responsibility for their products and services than they have done

hitherto with the introduction of functional contracts. This has thrown a greater responsibility onto the

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shoulders of the asphalt producer the likes of which have never been experienced before. My members

have to deliver a product to the best available technology which is fi t for purpose and preferably defi ned

according to a performance standard for the mix. This has to comply with the requirements coming

from the EU Construction Products Directive.

So as we enter this new millennium we have moved signifi cantly from materials which were designed

to keep down dust and allow traffi c to move more freely and safely around the roads in the earlier part

of the last century, to the new roads which don’t deform, are quiet, produce less spray and have a long

life. So we have made major advances in terms of longevity and cost effectiveness for the client, safety

for the motorists and noise reduction for the environment.

The industry has responded technically to the very major demands, which have been placed upon it in a

way that has satisfi ed not only the immediate client but also the client’s user, the motorist. The European

asphalt industry can be very proud of its technical achievements during the 1990s. But the rise of the

importance of the user and those affected by roads became major factors in the last decade of the last

century.

In spite of the successful technological approach by the asphalt industry to answer the nations needs,

there is still an ongoing battle between the roads lobby and the environmentalists. Foremost in that

battle is CO2 emissions and this is not only a problem for just the roads industry but for the vehicle

manufacturers and the oil industry as well.

In the medium term, say over the next 5 to 20 years, the exploitation of new fuels and products will

materially assist CO2 reduction. Lighter weight materials, the hybrid engine and the development of

fuel cells using a more sustainable fuel should allow a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions for vehicles by

the year 2015. In the longer term, bio-mass derived methanol with fuel cells could allow negligible CO2

impact. As you will see from the slide, major manufacturers like Ford, Chrysler and Mercedes already

have experimental fuel cell vehicles on the road.

These improvement measures will make it more possible for congested areas such as Europe to plan

realistic transportation programmes that will cover the development and

maintenance of both new and existing road infrastructure to cope with the continuation of increased

vehicle use. The UK government has recently recognised the need in its 10 year Transport Plan to

maintain the existing infrastructure in line with modern standards.

Over the next decade quieter surfaces will be laid on over 60% of the strategic network, including on all

concrete surfaces. This is real success for the technological developments in the UK.

Before I fi nish, I want to refer to two initiatives which have been ongoing during the last 4 years.

The awareness of continuous improvement of the working environment has become increasingly

important in view of occupational health and safety aspects. One area where there was a need for

something special has emanated from the large amount of inconclusive evidence about the hazard

classifi cation of bitumen and asphalt fume available in Europe.

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Seven European nations (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and France)

joined forces to contribute to a large-scale epidemiological investigation covering some 56,000 asphalt

workers across those countries.

The study, which is a joint undertaking by EAPA, Eurobitume and CONCAWE (this is the European

Oil Companies organisation for the environment, health and safety) was designed and managed by the

world renowned international agency for research on cancer (IARC) in France which is part of the

United Nations World Health Organisation.

The objective of the study was to assess the statistical relationship between deaths in asphalt workers

from cancer compared to deaths from cancer within all workers. It is clearly a most important study and

you will be hearing later this morning from Dr Paolo Boffetta who is head of the Epidemiological Unit

of IARC in France. I look forward to hearing his conclusions.

As President of EAPA I would like to take this opportunity to thank my members for the contribution

they have made to this study and the willingness they have shown to share company information.

The second initiative refers to life cycle inventory where a critical study of the energy consumption

within bituminous pavements has been completed. The objective of this research is to see what is the

environmental impact of the production of asphalt in terms of energy consumption on one hand and

emissions on the other. A better understanding of these factors may provide opportunities to reduce

further energy consumption in the whole of the asphalt process thus reducing CO2 emissions. The most

effective way of reducing emissions is to lower the temperature at which asphalt is made. This process

has the added advantage of minimising asphalt fuming. This research has now been analysed and during

November there will be a seminar for members which will examine the draft report as well as examining

proposed actions from the project group.

I hope I have answered my fi rst question “so what of asphalt in the year 2000”? After a century of

unabated volume growth the last decade saw a fundamental change. Pressure from environmentalists,

the development of the “super lorry” and government’s restrictions on public funding for transport led

to a change in focus for the asphalt industry. We have had to become more outward looking and problem

solving for both our clients and the road using community. It is no coincidence then that the major

technical advances in asphalt have come in the last decade.

And the future? I believe that the technical advances we have made and are continuing to make will

remove many of the objections that the environmental lobby have laid against us. That coupled with the

technical advances in the internal combustion engine will I believe see our industry begin to accelerate

in growth once again.

I therefore now leave you in the capable hands of Martin Carlson who is President of Eurobitume.

Martin is the Technical Director of Nynas in Sweden and has been Eurobitume’s President for the last

18 months. He’s been instrumental in bringing together a much closer relationship between EAPA and

Eurobitume.

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Asphalt for the 21st Century:Performance and Competitiveness

Asphalt for the 21st Century:Performance and Competitiveness

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60s

70s

80s90s

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Porous AsphaltPorous Asphalt

10mm W/C10mm W/C

20mm B/C20mm B/C

Geo GridGeo Grid

Type B GranularType B Granular

Sub-BaseSub-Base

DrainageDrainage

systemsystem

ImpermeableImpermeable

Geo-Textile Geo-Textile

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Process Data Parameters

•asphalt recipe

•machinery data

•energy uses

Process Database

•unit loads/m2 or tonneasphalt for differentoperations

•emissions

Eco-profile & Graphics

Pavement Parameters

•pavement dimensions

•asphalt quantity

•transportation data

•maintenance strategy

LCI results

LCI Model for Asphalt Pavement

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Outward LookingOutward Looking Problem SolvingProblem Solving

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OPENING SPEECH BY PRESIDENT OF EUROBITUME

Martin Carlson

1045 from 51 countriesHonored guests , dear hosts, accompanying persons and last but not least dear participants. In total you

are over 1045 from over 51 countries….

eurobitumeeuropean bitumen association

2nd 2nd Eurasphalt Eurasphalt & & Eurobitume Eurobitume CongressCongress




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Global Welcome

On behalf of the members of Eurobitume I wish you welcome to the 2nd Eurasphalt & Eurobitume

Congress. It all sounds very “Euro” but the participation clearly points at the globalization of our sector.

Therefore a special Welcome to colleagues from Africa, Asia, Australaia and the Americas both North

and South. Welcome to representatives of industry, academia and road authorities from throughout the

world and of course welcome to exhibitors both national and international.

A congress provides a framework for meeting, sharing and learning. Once you are here it is up to YOU

to make it valuable.

Partnership

The European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA) and the European Bitumen Association

(Eurobitume) both have a long tradition of organizing European congresses. However as mentioned by

Peter this is the second time we have joined forces to organise a congress and this joint effort together

with other joint projects has moved our towards a closer and mutually benefi cial partnership.


2nd Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress



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Changes

Many of you were present at our fi rst joint congress in Strasbourg in 1996. Since then our industry

has experienced a period of unparalleled change. We have seen major restructuring both in the bitumen

and the contracting industry. The word is mergers. We see a trend towards alternative funding and

privatisation of road research and we see changes in the relation between contractors and authorities.

Issues that were national some years ago, are now European or even Global. It is also clearly changing

the role of our industry associations.

Time to refl ect

We work in a fast moving environment where short term goals dominate our day to day agendas.

It is therefore vitally important for the long term health of our industry that managers make time in

their diaries to review and refl ect upon the strategic future of their businesses. For our industry to be

competitive and play it´s role in the maintenance and development of the transport infrastructure we

need all stakeholders to think about the long term -both in the private and in the public sector.



•• Restructuring and mergersRestructuring and mergers

•• Alternative funding of researchAlternative funding of research

•• National European GlobalNational European Global



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Today’s general management seminar has been conceived to stimulate strategic reviews and I have the

pleasure to give you a brief introduction to the day. But before I do this let me add to the description that

Peter Rothwell has given you of EAPA’s activities by sharing with you what Eurobitume has achieved

over the past four years . Let us remember that Eurobitume today includes 17 companies and 5 national

associations. These companies produce over 90% of bitumen in Europe.

Eurobitume Health and Safety focus

Firstly, we have developed a high quality team of health and safety specialists.

The bitumen industry in Europe has to comply with an extremely large number of health and safety

laws and regulations,. A good understanding of the principles involved, the impact legislation can

have on business operations and also the various factors which can infl uence the development of

legislation, are an essential part of modern Business, particularly for multi-national companies. The

Eurobitume specialist group has provided the members of Eurobitume, EAPA and other organisations

with a continuous resource to help address concerns answer questions and to support studies relating

to the storage, handling and the application of bitumens. We want to take this opportunity to thank this

group and the members of Eurobitume for supporting this signifi cant investment in manpower. This is

an area of excellent collaboration with EAPA and our international counterparts particularly in USA.



Achievements: 1Achievements: 1

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Eurobitume Environmental focus

Secondly, we have proactively developed the necessary foundations for assessing the environmental

impact of bituminous applications. The general public and public authorities increasingly express

concern and demand information regarding the environmental impact of industrial activities and we

believe that industry must plan for a future where there will be an increasing spotlight on environmental

issues. We want to emphasise that Bitumen is environmentally sustainable through 100 percent

recyclability and the assessment of life cycle impact allows us to demonstrate this. Eurobitume

has produced a life cycle inventory or “eco-profi le” for bitumen production and as mentioned by

Peter Rothwell we have joined with EAPA in a project to provide a tool to allow the assessment of

the environmental impact of an asphalt road. A presentation of this project on behalf of EAPA and

Eurobitume will be given during the Technical Congress.

Eurobitume Product Performance focus

Thirdly, we have developed our knowledge with regard to the performance of bituminous binders.







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The road construction industry and road materials suppliers face a number of challenges, which

have caused new materials and technical solutions to be developed. Empirical tests, forming the

fi rst generation of European standards, do not provide reliable means for a rapid assessment of the

performance of new products. We need performance related tests to ensure proper use of bitumen and to

facilitate and encourage product research and and development.

The Eurobitume Workshop on Performance Related Properties held in Luxembourg last year with

support from EAPA represented a major stepping stone in the development of performance related

standards in Europe. One of the learning points from the Workshop was that the process itself, by which

new standards are developed is very important as well as the partnership between suppliers, contractors

and other stakeholders.

Eurobitume has decided to take an active part in this process. Our members have invested in a two year

project to help develop performance related standards for bituminous binders and we have appointed

a full time project manager.We are now in an intensive phase of the process. Co-ordination and

communication are essential. Above all it is important that all parties with a stake in the future of binder

standards express their viewpoint openly and clearly so that the wide diversity that is the strength of

Europe can be allowed to fl ourish whilst at the same time the high performance of our road network can

be assured.

This project is fundamental to the ability of the industry to provide the tools whereby binder suppliers

and contractors will be able to meet the challenges of the future.

We look forward to hear from the presentation of Mr Katalagarianakis for the Commission how

fundamental and fast track projects such as this can be supported by the EU.

Eurobitume is confi dent that industry will be able to deliver the answer to the challenges in Europe.

We ask you never to forget that. In the great majority of cases existing solutions and empirical

specifi cations present the right solution – there is no need to over design. But to respond to the increasing

demands we need to know the expected performance of our research developments and we need shorter

lead times between innovation and implementation. Thus our three way focus during the past four

years. And this will continue in the future. Eurobitume wants to ensure that the applications of bitumen

will be safe for the individual, safe for the environment and will provide the performance required in a

competitive way. All of which brings us back to our seminar.

European Perspective scenario Mr Baron



European Perspective scenario:European Perspective scenario:

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Today we wish to provide an international dimension to your scenario planning to which you will add

the many different national regional and local environments within which the industry competes in

Europe.

The European perspective on transport will be given by Mr Baron from the European Commission

Directorate on Transport and Energy (DG TREN).

He will speak about the white paper on transport which is about to be published.

Health, Safety and Environment scenario Dr Boffetta Mr Munzing Mr Acott

Health safety and the environment are subjects which form an important part of all of our future

thinking and we have asked fi rstly Dr Paolo Boffetta of the World Health Organisation to report on the

international epidemiology study of asphalt workers which industry is helping to fi nance and secondly

Mr Tell Munzing to stimulate your thinking on new ways of considering these issues.

We can also look forward to a contribution on how the USA see these subjects from Mr Mike Acott of

NAPA who will also speak about product performance.

Research scenario Mr Katalagarianakis



Health, Safety and Environment scenario:Health, Safety and Environment scenario:



Research scenario:Research scenario:

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Research is as always a key issue for the future and Mr Katalagarianakis from the European Directorate

DG Enterprise will give us the European commission view on this.

Following our scenarios we will consider strategies to help us to succeed.

I have said that we are experiencing unparalleled changes within our industry and these are of different

types. Let me give you three examples of major change.

Change 1 Restructuring Mr Dupont Mr de Fabiani

Firstly, change to our organisations with mergers, rationalisations and reorganisations. And in this

respect the rate of change doesn´t seem to slow down. We will hear much more of this from Mssrs

Dupont and de Fabiani this afternoon.

Change 2 Road Financing Mr Dunlop Mr McEwanSecondly, changes to the fi nancial management of the road sector because of the general desire of

governments to move responsibilities from the public sector to the private sector. Most of our economies

in Western Europe have been touched by this revolution the pace of which is also accelerating. This type

of change will also be addressed this afternoon from the perspective of each side of the public-private

partnership through Mssrs Dunlop and McEwan.

Change 3 CommunicationProfessor von CubeThirdly, change to the productivity of our business due to the signifi cant increase in the speed at which

we communicate and manage our business activities. Whilst at our Strasbourg Congress four years ago

the mobile phone and the internet were already evident as instruments of change nevertheless I think that

most of us will agree that the internet society had not then arrived.

Now four years later it is possible to say that we are witnessing a revolution in productivity stemming



•• RestructuringRestructuring : : MrMr Dupont / Dupont / Mr Mr De De FabianiFabiani

•• Road FinancingRoad Financing : : Mr Mr Dunlop / Dunlop / Mr Mr McMcEEwanwan

•• CommunicationCommunication : Professor von Cube : Professor von Cube

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from the speed of electronic communications. E-mail, the internet, the mobile phone, e-commerce and

the like allows our organizations, businesses and projects to be managed in totally different ways.

Most of us are trying hard to learn how to extract the benefi ts of this communications revolution whilst

ensuring that the potential tyranny of the e-mail inbox is turned to our advantage.

What we have to learn is how to manage it in a way that helps to get the best out of people. Professor

von Cube will speak later today on the motivation of people and stimulate some thinking on this.

This completes our review of the program today but this Congress will provide much more:

The congress

I started by saying that the congress provides a framework, with

A General Management Seminar A Technical congress

An Exhibition A Poster session with a speakers corner

And last but not least it is an opportunity for you to meet and discuss with your colleagues.

What this Congress is about is fi nding new and better ways to improve performance and increase

competitiveness.


2nd 2nd Eurasphalt Eurasphalt & European Congress& European Congress



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Thanks to the efforts of the members of Eurobitume and the close co-operation of our partners EAPA it

is possible for us to look forward with great confi dence to the future, a confi dence which will allow us

to take a positive and pro-active approach to the future.

We think that black is beautiful. Bitumen is a wonderful engineering material and this congress will

allow us to demonstrate this

On behalf of the members of Eurobitume I wish you a warm welcome to Barcelona.


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EU TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE – FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES

Alain Baron

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Chairman,

First of all I would like to thank Mr Lyall and Von Devivere for the invitation to participate in this

Barcelona congress.

It is a real pleasure for me to have today the opportunity to explain the Commission proposals in the

framework of the development of the common transport policy during the period 2000-2010.

There are no doubt that success of the common transport policy represents one of the keys of the success

to increase the competitiveness of Europe in order to guarantee high growth and employment levels. In

this context, the transport system will have to face signifi cant challenges during the next decade; among

them I would like to mention:

• the changes in the economy and in particular the development of the E-economy, the impact of

which, in terms of transport demand, is still not well known ;

• the challenge of the enlargement towards Eastern Europe: this should represent an excellent

opportunity for the construction industry to develop its activities in these countries as new connections

and the upgrading of the existing road and rail networks will be necessary.

In addition, the Mediterranean dimension should not be omitted, as the area represents a large

potential of growth in the near future;

• and last but not least, the recent increase in the price of oil - and the risk that it remains at such a

level (above 30 USD/barrel) during the next years has to be taken into account in the transport policy

planning.

This un-expected increase also represents a major challenge which do not only affects transport

activities but – I am sure - it is also a matter of concern for the asphalt and bitumen industry for which

crude oil is the primary material used in their production.

Indeed, most of the various aspects the Common transport policy are also of interest for the asphalt

and bitumen industry. Among the actions supported by the Commission, I believe that your industry

could also be involved in research programmes to develop new types of asphalt, safer for the workers -

guarantying better driving conditions and reduced levels of noise for the neighbouring population.

The current objectives of the common transport policy were set in 1992, with the publication of a

white paper on the issue. This was the very fi rst time that a common strategic approach on the transport

system’s development was undertaken at Community level. The main message delivered by this white

paper was the opening of the transport market in a context of sustainable mobility. Its aim was to ensure

that the transport system would be able to face the challenges of the development of the internal market

and the removal of the frontiers within the Community which were abolished from the 1st January

1993.

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Eight years after the publication of this document, it appears that the time has come to make an

assessment of the results and, if and where necessary, to adjust the policy.

Many major achievements occurred between 1992 and 2000 notably in the liberalisation process. This

has led to a signifi cant increase of the supply of services especially in air transport, linked with large

reduction in the prices. In road transport, a complete removal of bureaucratic restrictions permitted the

liberalisation of cabotage, which was completed in 1998.

It would be too long to describe all the actions that were set up to make the transport system more

effi cient and compatible with the objectives of the internal market. However, I will just mention the

other sectors in which signifi cant progress were made:

• The technical harmonisation of transport means;

• The interconnection of the national networks, in particular through development the trans-European

transport networks. In addition to the TEN-T, the projects fi nanced through the European Regional

Development and the Cohesion fund programmes aim to improve the connections within the cohesion

countries and between these countries and the rest of the Community. Missing links were built and

will continue to be completed– to the benefi t of all the countries, among which obviously Spain was

one of the main benefi ciary during the period 1994-1999.

• The interoperability of the rail networks developed at fi rst for high speed in 1996 and now about to

be extended to the conventional rail network;

• Finally, intelligent transport systems (navigation aid - tracking – road and rail management systems

etc...), thanks to an increased fi nancing support from the Community Framework Programme are now

operational, allowing safer and more effi cient transport.

These were the positive aspects of the implementation of this policy. However, the assessment of the

results also identifi ed some gaps, in particular in the way the traffi c growth was managed. Congestion

in particular in urban areas - increased dramatically over the past decade.

Road safety levels still remain unacceptable today - 42.000 persons killed on the Community roads

every year. Nobody would accept a “Concorde” crash every day...however, the number of daily fatalities

is equivalent to such crash. The fi nancial cost – over 42 billion € per year only for the fatalities, and

above all the human cost are extremely high.

As regards the impact of transport on the environment – 28 % of greenhouses were produced in 1997

by transport activities. The objectives of the Kyoto conference in 1997, aiming to a stabilisation of the

emission of these gases by 2010 are far to be reached - although ambitious programmes - such as “auto-

oil” are to be launched.

Another issue of concern is represented by the low level of enforcement of the social an safety rules in

Europe - this is particularly true in the road haulage sector – and it represents a danger for the road users

and a distortion of competition versus the other modes.

Finally, one of the main objectives of the 1992 white paper was to reduce the imbalance between modes,

the results, so far are insuffi cient. Despite a signifi cant growth of the use of short sea shipping, the

potential of some environmentally modes for freight transport, such as inland waterways and rail is far

from fully used.

The results of this assessment decided the Commission to update its action programme for the period

2000-2010 and to propose new measures and priorities to strengthen the effi ciency of the transport

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system as a whole. The 1992 white paper represented the fi rst step in the identifi cation of the transport

system imbalances, we should now go further and propose appropriate solutions to face the challenges

of the mobility in the XXIst century.

The areas of action.

On the basis of the challenges that I mentioned above, three main areas of actions have therefore been

identifi ed :

- to master the increase of traffi c during the next decade in order to ensure a sustainable mobility and to

guarantee the competitiveness across an enlarged Community;

- to reduce the negative impact of transport and increase safety levels for the users of transport and those

living close to the infrastructure ;

- to reduce the impact of transport on environment, in terms of noise and air pollution, – which affect

a signifi cant share of the population. According to a recent study, air pollution is responsible of an

increasing number of fatalities in Europe. The improvement of the situation could also be achieved by

the improvement of the energy effi ciency of the transport modes.

The proposed actions.

The fi rst set of actions relate to aim to master transport growth.

Increase of the transport demand over the past decade has been higher than foreseen leading to perverse

effects such as the development of the congestion in particular in urban areas and on some sections of

the network. As regards the coming years, due to the EU’s strong growth objective of 3.0 per year – the

induced traffi c effects of the enlargement and the consequences of the globalisation of the economy, the

impact on demand will be signifi cant. Forecasts give a fi gure of over 50% of growth for freight transport

during the period 1998- 2010, whereas passenger transport will increase by about 20 %.

There are doubts that our transport infrastructure system – as it stands - will be able to face the traffi c

increase. This could undermine economic growth and in the meantime generate negative effects in terms

of increased pollution, congestion and traffi c hazards. In other words, the net effect would be a reduction

of the quality of life.

One possible approach to the expected traffi c increase during the next decade would be the construction

of new transport infrastructure – however – this should not be considered as the only solution.

Diffi culties to fi nd funds, increasing public environmental concerns, lack of available space to build new

infrastructure, have to be taken into account. This is particularly true in sensitive, or in urban areas.

All these facts lead to the conclusion that a more comprehensive approach than simply building new

infrastructure has to be found.

A series of structural actions are necessary to ensure that future demand is compatible with the objective

of sustainable mobility.

The improvement of network use - to take advantage of the existing capacities - the promotion of the

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use of competitive alternatives to road transport for passengers and for freight and the application of the

principle of “polluter pays” in transport to regulate use of infrastructure are among the other answers to

be developed in the coming years.

In this context the imbalance in the transport demand was one of the key issues addressed in the 1992

white paper.

The current tension in the road haulage industry in Europe shows that the sector is dominant and fragile

at the same time and its effi ciency and its fi nancial reliability requires to be improved. In parallel,

the Commission also intends to continue its efforts to develop credible alternatives to road transport.

Liberalisation of rail transport which has started but far from completed will have to be continued. In

a similar way, although signifi cant progress were achieved in the recent past, further harmonisation to

reduce national administrative burden or rules preventing the development of inland waterways and

short sea shipping will have to be introduced.

An increased market share of these modes, in particular on long distances, could only be achieved if they

are able to provide a better service quality responding to the industry needs. Higher fl exibility such as

“door to door” services - through the development of intermodality are the directions to follow.

To complement these actions, community fi nancing will play a signifi cant role for the further

development and improvement of the trans-european transport network. The Commission will focus

its support during the period 2000-2006 on the remaining projects of the 14 Essen projects as well as

to the removal of road and rail bottlenecks on the networks. The table behind me shows the level of

fi nancing and the increased fi nancing perspectives with respect to the previous period; in this context,

according to the current fi nancial regulation, studies can be fi nanced up to 50% of the total amount,

whereas construction is limited to 10%.

Additional support is to be provided in the research sector as well as on the ITS which represents one of

the key of success to increase the level of performance for the network as a whole.

Safety, environment and energy effi ciency are the other issues for which additional efforts have to be

made. In particular as regards road safety – signifi cant efforts on education and training should be

undertaken. In addition, efforts will focus on the way to ensure – at Community level – the effective

enforcement of the social and safety rules, for all transport modes. This is an extremely important action

as we are all directly or inderectly concerned by the safety issues. As regards the energy effi ciency

of transport, I believe – this is my personal opinion – that the current petrol crisis should be seized

to improve the effi ciency of all transport means and to reduce the dependence of transport from fossil

fuels. This could be achieved by supporting research projects which aim to reduce fuel consumption

and to implement new technology for transport means using clean and renewable energies. But we

should go beyond research and propose before the end of the decade technically and economically viable

alternatives to current fuels.

To conclude, I would say that this set of measures – that is likely to be proposed in a new white paper

on the Common Transport Policy – will require that actions are also taken in other sectors in order to be

fully effective. Transport is not isolated and in the future, it will be necessary to better associate transport

policies with urban planning development – with social policies on working time management – with

energy strategies to have better chance of success in improving the effi ciency of our transport system.

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1

European Commission - Directorate General for Energy and Transport

2000-2006: figures could be revised

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

1993-95 1996-99 2000-06

TEN-T budget line

TEN-T (mio €)

of which 14Essen projects

2

European Commission - Directorate General for Energy and Transport

Sustainable transport in Europe - facing

XXIst century challenges:

developments of the Common Transport

Policy.

E&E congress - Barcelona 20.09.00

by Alain Baron, EC DG TREN B1

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PIB et mobilité: croissances prévues

jusqu'en 2010 (1985 = 100)

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

transport de voyageurs (vkm)transport de marchandises (tkm)PIB

Changes in the modal share of land transport modes between 1970 and 1999.

01020304050607080

Route

Ra

il

Voie

s

Navig

able

s

Pip

elin

es

1970

1980

1990

1999

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THE EXPANSION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Prof. Marc MaresceauEuropean Institute,University of Ghent

I. INTRODUCTION

1. It is, no doubt, a challenge to incorporate in the programme of this congress such a complex topic as the expansion of the EU. EU enlargement is now on the top of the EU agenda and affects the functioning of the EU as a whole. No EU policies can be formulated any longer without taking into consideration the enlargement dimension.

2. One of the main diffi culties when addressing the expansion of the EU is the multidis-ciplinary nature of the topic. Indeed, political, geopolitical, economic, legal and also human factors need to be taken into consideration. All this does not facilitate the ana-lytical exercise which we have to do today.

3. In order to understand what is going on in the world of EU enlargement we should fi rst try to understand what has been achieved since Gorbachev appeared on the inter-national political scene in 1985. To a large extent it is under his policy that the process of political and economic transition has started all over Central and Eastern Europe. The year 1989 is often taken as a point of reference. In that year Poland and Hun-gary, for the fi rst time since the establishment of the East-West division in Europe after WWII, organised democratic elections and 1989 is also identifi ed with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Of course, in Brussels and in the European Community on a whole, there was a strong support for these changes. But at the same time they were also resented as something that came so quick and, moreover, the changes were so unexpectedly pro-found. The reaction of the EC was therefore cautious, maybe too cautious.

In the following parts of my exposé I will try to analyse what the EC and later EU response has been to all these developments in Central and Eastern Europe and, in particular, how the EU pre-accession and accession strategies have been defi ned and worked out. I will address some of the important issues of the current accession nego-tiations and will conclude my presentation with some observations on the political, or perhaps better, geopolitical implications of EU enlargement.

II. THE BACKGROUND

4. In 1990 the European Community (EC) proposed to the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe

(CEECs) the conclusion of Europe Agreements to accompany their political and economic transition.

One of the main diffi culties was that these Agreements -a special form of Association Agreements- were

seen by the CEECs as a pre-accession bilateral instrument while the EC, originally, saw them more as

an alternative to accession. The fi rst Europe Agreements were signed in 1991 with Hungary, Poland and

the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. Europe Agreements were further signed in 1993 with the Czech

Republic, Slovakia (replacing the Agreement with the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic), Romania

and Bulgaria, in 1995 with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and in 1996 with Slovenia. Thus, on the whole

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Europe Agreements with the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe have been signed.

Through this proliferation of Europe Agreements a comprehensive network of legal and political

relations with a great number of countries in Central and Eastern Europe has been established. But

on the other hand, a dividing line was also being drawn in Europe whereby the former USSR, except

the Baltic States, was not included in the EC Europe Agreements policy. With the countries of the

former USSR only “Partnership and Co-operation Agreements” have been signed. These agreements

are a much looser political, economic and legal framework than the Europe Agreements. This is a point

which we should not forget and I come back to it later in my presentation.

5. Besides organising political dialogue, Europe Agreements contain important provisions on the

establishment of a free trade area for industrial goods, while specifi c provisions deal with agriculture

and fi sheries. The CEECs constitute now 10% of the EC’s external trade and taken as a group and

are the EC’s second trading partners after the US. Notwithstanding the asymmetric structure of trade

liberalisation between the EC and the association countries, the EC’s trade surplus is growing and was

in 1998 around 33 billion Euro. It should be noted that in the fi eld of trade liberalisation the EC is

concluding with the candidate countries (e.g. Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia) “mutual recognition

agreements” in the form of protocols to the Europe Agreements. Of course, this is of considerable help

to eliminate the technical barriers to trade between the parties. As a result of these agreements the

listed industrial products are accepted on the respective markets of the parties without new conformity

assessment procedures.

Movement of persons, establishment, supply of services, payments, capital, competition and

approximation constitute specifi c chapters of the agreements. Economic, cultural and fi nancial

co-operations are also foreseen and common institutions are set up to ensure the proper implementation

of the agreements. Of course, it is impossible to analyse here in detail these various aspects, but it may

be useful to recall that todate Europe Agreements still constitute the main bilateral legal framework

between the EU and the candidate countries from Central and Eastern Europe. As a bilateral framework

they have not been replaced by a new type of agreement. Basically, the reason why an updated or

a “modernised” new agreement was never contemplated was that after the signature of the Europe

Agreements the associated countries had all applied for EU membership. In their opinion negotiating a

“new” agreement could only adversely have affected and maybe delayed the prospects of accession.

6. One of the striking features of the EU policy towards Central and Eastern Europe since the start

of the political and economic changes is its need for permanent adaptation. A prominent role in this

respect, interesting enough, is being played by the European Council. This is clearly demonstrated by

the political reorientation of the Europe Agreements decided at the Copenhagen European Council of

21-22 June 1993, where it was for the fi rst time accepted at the side of the EU that the associated

countries of Central and Eastern Europe could apply for membership. As a result of the Copenha-gen

Summit accession became a common objective. Still, member-ship was not something easily to be

obtained. In the Conclusions of the Presidency the political and economic conditions which had to

be satisfi ed by the applicant countries were enumerated in general terms, but without proposing a

timetable for acces-sion. A candidate country must have achieved “stability of institutions guaranteeing

democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities”. Moreover,

it must guarantee “the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope

with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union”. Membership assumes “the candidate’s

ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic

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and monetary union”. Last but not least, the Union also imposes a condition for further enlargement

eastwards on itself, namely its “capacity to absorb new members, while maintaining the momentum

of European integration”. This goes to the heart of the debate on “widening and/or deepening”, an

issue which had always been carefully avoided in previous enlargements. It is clear that the coming

enlargement cannot be dissociated from the institu-tional questions and the EU decision-making process

as a whole.

III. THE ACCESSION PROCESS IN MOTION

7. Between 1994-1996 all the ten associated states formally applied for EU membership, putting

into motion the very complex accession procedure of the Treaty on European Union. That implies a

Commission opinion on each application, the formal opening of negotiations and the determining of the

EU common positions on the various issues. Once these negotiations are successfully completed the

Commission will address its fi nal opinion in which it will state “that the provisions so agreed are fair

and proper”. The assent of the European Parliament will be required together with a Decision of the

Council. Important to note is the fact that the accession treaty, as such, is signed by the Member States

of the EU and the applicant country. This means that, at least from a legal point of view, one Member

State not satisfi ed with the terms of the accession negotiation, can block the envisaged enlargement.

Politically, of course, such a move so late in the accession procedure is diffi cult to imagine but recent

suggestion made here and there about the possibility of organising a referendum on enlargement in a

particular Member State clearly reminds us of the fact that the accession procedure is only complete

when all the Member States and candidate country(ies) have ratifi ed the accession treaty.

A. Agenda 2000, Commission Opinions and Luxembourg Conclusions

8. On 15 July 1997 the Commission published within the framework of Agenda 2000 two closely

interrelated documents: For a Stronger and Wider Union and The Challenge of Enlargement. Agenda

2000 represented a fi rst strategic approach by the European Commission on enlargement, including

among other things differentiation among candidates and a linkage between enlargement and the need

of institutional reform of the EU. On the same day the Commission also published its Opinions on

the applications for EU membership of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,

Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The result of these ten Opinions was that, according to the

Commission, accession negotiations could only be opened with fi ve applicant countries from Central

and Eastern Europe: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. Furthermore, such

negotiations could also be entered into with Cyprus. The reasons why a number of applicant countries of

the CEECs could not be included in the fi rst accession negotiations, according to the Commission, were

of a political and/or economic nature. Cyprus, for its part, had already received, in 1993, a favourable

opinion from the Commission on its application for membership and no new opinion needed therefore

to be given.

9. The basic Commission options expressed in its Opinions concerning the choice with whom from

the CEECs accession negotiations could be started were endorsed by the 1997 Luxembourg European

Council. But at the same time the European Council had not been totally insensitive to the storm of

criticism which had come on the one hand from those applicants from Central and Eastern Europe who

had been set aside and on the other from Turkey whose application for membership had already been

rejected by the European Commission in 1989. Therefore, the European Council — it must be said, in

an intelligent way — introduced the new concept of accession process next to that of accession

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negotiations and proposed that the accession process be launched with all the associated countries from

Central and Eastern Europe plus Cyprus. This more diplomatic approach of the European Council had

managed to take away some or most of the frustrations expressed by many of the non-selected CEECs

after the Commission’s Opinions of July 1997. However, one important black spot in the European

Council’s proposals could not be taken away: Turkey continued to be extremely dissatisfi ed with the

whole accession process and continued to feel discriminated against, misunderstood and left-out.

10. It was with the Brussels meeting on 30 March 1998 of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the

fi fteen EU Member States and the ten applicants from Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus that the

accession process was formally launched. For the CEECs an enhanced pre-accession strategy was set

up based on the one hand on a new model called Accession Partnerships setting out the main political,

legal, economic and fi nancial priorities and on the other the organisation of an ‘increased pre-accession

fi nancial assistance’ (now more than 3 billion Euro/year). These Partnerships provide, inter alia, for

a single framework covering the priorities in each applicant country on which the preparations for

accession had to concentrate.

B. The Accession Negotiations

11. On 31 March 1998 the opening session of the accession negotiations between EU and the selected

CEECs and Cyprus took place. Consequently, this last event put into motion the fi rst ‘real’ accession-

negotiations-train. In April 1998 the applicants’ analytical screening of the state of implementation of

the various facets of the acquis communautaire also took place with all the ten CEECs to determine each

country’s position in the Accession Partnership’s strategy. A similar exercise occurred regarding Cyprus.

In accordance with the Conclusions of the 1997 Luxembourg European Council, the Commission

presented its ‘Regular Reports’ for the fi rst time on 17 December 1998, reviewing the progress made by

each applicant country by country. They were based on an intensive screening of each applicant country

in the light of the famous Copenhagen criteria for accession and the conditions related to the integration

and application of the acquis communautaire. It was the fi rst time such a country report was also devoted

to Turkey’s progress towards accession. These reports were followed by updated versions in 1999 and

a new updating is expected in the next months. After the publication of the fi rst regular reports, the

impression had been growing that the distance between countries of the fi rst accession train and those of

the second was narrowing and that an upgrade of the status of applicant country from ‘category two’ to

‘category one’ might be possible. At the December 1999 Helsinki European Council this approach was

endorsed, which implies that accession negotiations in February 2000 were also opened with Bulgaria,

Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Malta. That means that today the EU is negotiating accession

with 12 candidate countries.

12. Between the beginning of the accession negotiations with Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic,

Estonia, Slovenia and Cyprus (the “Luxembourg group”) on 31 March 1999 and September 2000, 29 of

the 30 identifi ed chapters of the acquis communautaire have been opened for negotiation, the only one

logically left out being “Institutions” (and “Others”). On this issue, which may be one of most diffi cult

ones in the accession process, an Intergovernmental Conference is currently going on and at the Nice

European Council later this year the results of the Conference should be known. For the moment, it

is far from certain whether by December an agreement among the EU Member States can be reached.

Everybody knows, of course, that such an agreement is a conditio sine qua non for successful accession

negotiations.

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13. Negotiations with all the countries of the Luxembourg group on a number of domains are

“provisionally” completed. They cover education and training, science and research, statistics, industrial

policy, small and medium sized enterprises, consumer and health protection, telecommunications,

CFSP and EMU. Negotiations on the remaining and defi nitively more sensitive chapters have further

to be completed with one, several or all of these candidates. For example, negotiations on fi sheries

are completed with fi ve candidates but not with Poland. Social and employment policy as well as

audio-visual policy are only concluded with Cyprus while the issue free movement of goods and the

establishment of the customs union is only concluded with the Czech Republic. Other areas such

as company law and fi nancial control are completed with a few candidates. But some of the very

hard nuts to crack remain open with all the candidates. They include: free movement of persons, free

movement of services, competition policy, CAP, regional policy, taxation policy, energy (including

nuclear energy), budget and justice and home affairs, and last but not least environment and transport.

Obviously, the negotiation picture for the Helsinki group countries, that is to say Romania, Bulgaria,

Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta, is different from that of the Luxembourg group since negotiations

only started in February this year. For the six countries concerned negotiations have been completed

on small and medium-sized enterprises, science and research, education and training. They have been

opened with some countries on certain topics such as competition policy, culture and audio-visual

policy but negotiations on most of the diffi cult chapters still have to be opened.

14. It may be useful to say a few words about one or two outstanding sensitive issues of the negotiations.

I would fi rst like to focus briefl y on transport. Transport has only recently been opened for negotiation

with the Luxembourg group countries. No doubt it is a particularly complex negotiation issue but it has

a key function in an area which is one where free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is

to be achieved. The whole acquis communautaire directly and indirectly related to transport will have

to be applied by the candidate countries. This implies alignment to EU fi scal and social policies, to

the EU technical norms and standards and in particular to the EU’s security and environmental norms.

I cannot predict the future but my feeling is that because of the hypersensitivity of the subject, the

EU negotiation position here will be that no presents will be given and that access by the candidate

countries to the EU transport market will depend on the integral adoption of the acquis communautaire

in this fi eld. The European transport Commissioner has already expressed the view that a “gradual

market opening” would be much better for both sides than a kind of “big bang”. The only question,

of course, is then: how to achieve such a gradual process. There are not so many possibilities to do

this: one can delay the closing of the negotiations or introduce transitional periods. Be that as it may,

opening the EU transport market to the candidate countries and vice versa is not only a question of legal

approximation or harmonisation but it necessarily implies a great effort of modernisation of existing

infrastructure and the building of new infrastructure. Worthwhile mentioning in this context are the

EU pre-accession aid schemes for transport and environment, known under the acronym ISPA which

stands for “Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession”. Of course, the ISPA budget, which

is a bit more than 1 billion Euro/year for 7 years, is not suffi cient to cope with the enormous needs of the

candidate countries but as a concept and an instrument in the pre-accession phase ISPA defi nitely has

a role to play. For example, under this scheme the European Commission is co-fi nancing together with

the European Investment Bank or European Bank for Reconstruction and Development projects for

road rehabilitation and upgrading in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. Financing of similar projects will

be extended to other candidate countries. Moreover, there is a growing pressure from certain candidate

countries to be included in the Trans European Network. The Trans European Network, which fi nds its

legal basis in the Treaty on European Union, aims at establishing and developing such networks in

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the areas of transport, telecommunication and energy infrastructures and was originally conceived to

serve intra-EU purposes. But Agenda 2000 for the fi rst time suggested to link through this initiative also

candidate countries. This could help to strengthen the competitiveness of the disadvantaged regions and

to equip these countries with modern transport infrastructure.

15. One of the most sensitive chapters in the accession negotiations is free movement of persons, in

particular of workers. In May 2000 this chapter was opened for negotiation with the six candidates of

the Luxembourg group. The EU common position on this issue remains vague. While not yet raising in

so many words a request for transitional periods allowing restrictions on labour market access it is very

likely that this may during the negotiations become the EU position. Austria, for example, has already

made clear her specifi c position on the question of movement of workers, stressing inter alia, the fact

that she shares a common border with the CEECs of 1256 km, that there is already a high proportion of

CEECs’ workers (10%), that enormous wage differences with the CEECs exist (CEECs generally have

not more than 25% of Austrian wage level). Moreover, also Germany and maybe other Member States

may well ask for transitional periods. However, candidate countries are of the opinion that reciprocal

free movement of persons, including workers, should be established from the day of accession. They

do not understand why the general EU insistence on full application of the acquis communautaire in

general should not play regarding movement of persons.

A question linked with movement of persons is that of the application of the Schengen Agreement

and the EU visa rules. To-date the candidate countries have visa requirements which differ from those

applied by the EU Member States. The result of the EU requirement to have full alignment with the

EU list of third countries whose citizens need visa before entering EU territory is more easily said

than done. That means, for example, that Poland has to impose visa requirements for citizens of fi fteen

countries with which Poland today has no visa obligation (including direct neighbours such as Ukraine,

and other Eastern European countries). Also Hungary will have to review her agreements with her

neighbours, as least with those which will not be in the EU at the moment Hungary will join. For

the moment Hungary has signed such agreements with Romania, the Republic of Yugoslavia, Ukraine,

Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia. In most of these countries live Hungarian minorities which adds a

special dimension of sensitivity to the EU request of visa alignment.

Another aspect related to free movement of persons is of a different nature and touches also the chapter

of free movement of capital. It concerns the requests by some candidate countries such as Czech

Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia for transitional periods regarding the purchase by foreigners of

land and secondary residences. Poland is even asking for a transitional period of 18 years for the

acquisition of agricultural land by EU nationals and a 5 years transitional period for acquisition or

real estate. Negotiations on these requests may prove to be diffi cult since, in principle, the EU will be

extremely reluctant to allow transitional periods for derogations of the acquis communautaire related to

the Internal Market. This, of course, may by some or many considered to be a minor issue, and certainly

accession does not stand or fall with a solution or not for the requested derogation but it adds, as so

many other “little” things, extra colour to some specifi c chapters. This brings me to some more general

refl ections on the requests for transitional periods by the candidate countries. There is indeed a growing

list of such requests by virtually all the candidates, except Cyprus. They cover periods for derogations

running from a few years to 15 or more years. Without claiming to be exhaustive a few illustrations

can be given. In the transport sector, for example, transitional periods are requested for the cabotage

market, maximum weight for road vehicles, maximum dimension of road vehicles. As regards taxation

temporary derogations are requested from the EU rules on the application of annual taxes for vehicles

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over 12 tonnes, also transitional periods are requested for several standard VAT rates. Interesting

enough, for the application of the social acquis communautaire, in particular social protection, labour

law, equality of treatment men and women, employment, social dialogue, public health and health and

safety, there are only few demands for transitional periods. Nevertheless, the EU is somehow suspicious

that what exist on paper in most of the candidate countries needs to be further examined and has

therefore asked more details about the transposition and concrete implementation of the social acquis.

This brings me to a last negotiation chapter I want to mention in this respect, namely that of environment

protection. Here, the situation is particularly worrying and an enormous effort will have to be done to

achieve conformity between the candidate’s law and practice in the fi eld of environment with that of the

EU rules. The requests for transitional periods for the implementation of basic environment directives

such as on wastewater, surface water for drinking, waste and hazardous waste, packaging and packaging

waste and so on and so forth are impressive. But, paradoxically, most preoccupying may be the fact

that for other basic EC directives no transitional periods are requested while everybody knows that for

many of them several if not all Central and Eastern European candidates will in the coming years not be

in a position to apply these rules in practice. The “warnings” and “doubts” expressed by the European

Commission cover inter alia basic directives on air quality, water quality, industrial pollution control

and risk management, disposal of PCBs and PCTs, batteries and accumulators, machinery chemicals

and a whole lot of Community horizontal legislation, such as, for example, the Environment Impact

Assessment Directive. Of course, this situation raises a fundamental question on the future of EU

environment protection as a whole once accession has taken place. The danger exists that a massive

eastward enlargement could create new qualifi ed majorities reorienting EU standards towards lower

levels.

16. It is diffi cult to foresee how globally the negotiations will further evolve. A road map aiming at

defi ning the way and means for the completion of the negotiations may well be formally approved at

the 2000 Nice European Council. But there is little or no prospect of a fi rm EU commitment towards

a negotiation scenario with target dates being offered in the short term. This may be frustrating for the

front-runner candidate countries, in particular countries like Poland, Hungary or Czech Republic, but it

is a realistic attitude. The results of the Intergovernmental Conference on the institutions will provide

an indication on how an enlarged EU can continue to function “while maintaining the momentum of

European integration”. And even in the hypothesis of a clear EU vision in this respect some of the

substantive matters of the various sensitive negotiation chapters will need an inventive approach by the

EU as well as by the candidates. Such an approach may well imply a stronger emphasis on political

rather than technical considerations. However, this is not without risk: on certain concrete issues the

distance between the respective positions of the candidates and the EU could prove to be so considerable

and maybe insurmountable that the technique of transition periods is inadequate to bridge the gap.

C. Turkey: the unavoidable partner

17. I already mentioned the immense frustration and disappointment of Turkey after the publication

of Agenda 2000 and even more so after the 1997 Luxembourg Summit. There are reasons for this

frustration. Turkey is not only a country with whom the European Community already concluded

in 1964 an association agreement, but she is also one of the few countries in the world with whom

the EC has established a customs union. Moreover, the association agreement was clearly conceived

as something which would prepare Turkey to become once a member of the European Community.

Notwithstanding this, Turkey had been excluded from the accession process and it is only recently at

the Helsinki Summit that she was granted the status of “candidate country”.

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The wording of the Helsinki Conclusions is a masterpiece in diplomatic formulation. Turkey is qualifi ed

as ‘a candidate State destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria as applied to other

candidate States’. This means that Turkey will benefi t from the pre-accession strategy in the preparation

for accession and thus an Accession Partnership, as was done with the candidates from Central and

Eastern Europe, will be set up. Emphasis will be laid on progressing towards fulfi lling the political

criteria for accession. Special importance will be attached to the issue of human rights and the respect

of the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the UN Charter. Turkey — as any

other EU candidate — is urged to make every effort possible to resolve the outstanding border dispute(s)

and other related issues. If this proves to be impossible, she should bring the dispute(s) before the

International Court of Justice within a reasonable time. The European Council will make an evaluation

of the out-standing dispute(s) ‘in order to promote their settlement through the International Court of

Justice, at the latest by the end of 2004’. It should be noted that these political conditions to which

Turkey’s candidate status is directly being linked are presented as conditions applicable to all candidate

countries. Seen in this context Turkey is, at least formally, not discriminated vis-à-vis other candidate

countries. In fact, however, the ‘Helsinki conditions’ cannot be disconnected from the particularities of

Turkey’s candidate status. Yet receiving candidate status does not mean that accession negotiations will

start immediately. In the fi rst place, a prerequisite for the opening of accession negotiations remains

compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria. Turkey is still not yet close from this target but, as

already mentioned, this will not preclude Turkey from participating in the Community programmes,

agencies and in the accession process as other candidate countries. Finally, in the EU-Turkey relations,

the Cyprus issue is never far away of course. Here, the European Council notes that a political settlement

will facilitate the accession of Cyprus to the European Union but if no settlement has been reached once

the accession negotiations are completed, ‘the Council decision on accession will be made without the

above being a precondition’. However, at the same time it is added that ‘the Council will take account of

all relevant factors’. All the pertinent parts of the conclusions on or affecting Turkey have necessarily to

be read together and even then the diplomatic intervention of the US at the highest level was necessary

to convince Turkey to accept the EU offer. Indeed one can understand the initial Turkish hesitation:

while the EU went a long way to meeting Turkey’s demands, particularly in terms of being treated on

equal terms with other candidates, there is no commitment to actually opening accession negotiations

and accession itself today still appears something enigmatic.

D. Russia: the ignored factor

18. How important all the mentioned various aspects of the EU enlargement policy may be, one of the

most uncertain aspects of the whole EU enlargement strategy in my opinion remains the lack of a policy

towards the former USSR, in particular Russia. Of course, there are the Partnership and Co-operation

Agreements with these countries, but, as already mentioned before, besides their very nice title there

is little or no substance in these agreements. Certainly, for Russia and former USSR countries these

agreements cannot constitute a valid alternative to enlargement towards Central and Eastern Europe.

The whole problem here is one of geopolitics and, whether we like it or not, of geography. Next EU

enlargement, if it is to take place, brings the EU necessarily closer, and most likely even to the doorstep,

of Russia. One could have expected that the grave and unavoidable implications of enlargement (on

trade, movement of persons, position of Kaliningrad, large Russian minorities in the enlarged EU, etc.)

would have been properly treated by the EU and particularly in the abundant Commission’s refl ections

on enlargement. Unfortunately, this has not been the case so far.

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There are various reasons which may explain or even justify these lacunae. Russia herself has no policy

towards the EU, is weak and unstable in so many respects and was, certainly in the recent past, much

more concerned with NATO than EU enlargement. In Russia, the handling of the Kosovo War by the

West has not increased confi dence towards the West. But the question remains: is a large scale eastwards

EU enlargement without a well-substantiated parallel policy towards Russia feasible, workable and

acceptable? At the 1999 Cologne European Council a Common Strategy Paper on Russia was adopted.

Unfortunately, no matter how good the intentions of these ‘papers’ may be and have been, again

virtually no link was made between eastward enlargement and EU-Russia relations. In other words, the

EU is of the opinion that Russia did and should not have a kind of ‘droit de regard’ on enlargement.

Certainly, it is true that incorporating the Russia factor in any refl ection on eastward EU enlargement

complicates the whole picture tremendously. Acting as though Russia does not exist may be workable

and very attractive in a short time perspective. In any case Russia is weak now and cannot infl uence the

course of events, but is the EU policy towards Russia as it has been applied so far likely to contribute

in the long term to global security in Europe? The always repeated EU axioma that enlargement

necessarily and almost automatically brings “stability and prosperity for the entire European continent”

unfortunately has a weak basis if an EU vision is lacking towards those countries -and in the fi rst place

Russia-which are not included in the enlargement policy.

IV. CONCLUSION

19. It is not certain that at the time the EU made the political choice for enlargement all the consequences

of this choice have been properly considered. The diffi culty we experience today to adapt the EU in a

way that an institutional framework is created able to cope with an enlarged EU is an indication that

for the moment a solid political basis for enlargement is still lacking. Moreover, this seems to go a par

with a declining popular support in the Member States for the enlargement idea. The recently published

Eurobarometer public opinion shows that public support and enthusiasm for eastward EU enlargement

is limited. Commissioner Verheugen’s idea that Member States, in particular Germany, can organise

a referendum on enlargement is therefore not very reassuring. Nobody of us wants enlargement only

for the sake of enlargement. Enlargement must indeed consolidate and increase political stability and

security as well as economic development in Europe as a whole. But as shown in this exposé this is

a diffi cult and complicated exercise and there is still a long way to go before these objectives can be

obtained.

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THE EXPANSION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

I. BACKGROUND

1. EUROPE AGREEMENTS WITH 10 CEECs (1993-1996)• originally conceived as an alternative to accession

• important chapters on establishing free trade areas

Marc Maresceau

Professor - University of Ghent,Belgium

BACKGROUND (1/2)

• Europe Agreements with 10 CEECs(1993-1996)

– Originally conceived as an alternativeto accession

– Important chapters on establishingfree trade areas

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2. 1993 COPENHAGEN EUROPEAN COUNCIL• accession a mutual objective

• no accession dates

• political and economic conditions

• need for EU institutional adaptation

II. ACCESSION PROCESS

1. AGENDA 2000, COMMISSION OPINIONS, 1997 LUXEMBOURGEUROPEAN COUNCIL• differentiation of candidates

• accession partnerships

BACKGROUND (2/2)

• 1993 Copenhagen EuropeanCouncil

– Accession a mutual objective

– No accession dates

– Political & economic conditions

– Need for EU institutional adaptation

ACCESSION PROCESS (1/2)

• Agenda 2000, Commission Opinions,1997 Luxembourg European Council

– Differentiation of candidates

– Accession partnerships

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2. ACCESSION NEGOTIATION ISSUES: A SELECTION• transport

• movement of persons

• environment

III. TURKEY: A SPECIFIC POSITION• a candidate country

• political conditionality

ACCESSION PROCESS (2/2)

• Accession Negotiation Issues: Aselection

– Transport

– Movement of persons

– Environment

TURKEY:A SPECIFIC POSITION

• A candidate country

• Political conditionality

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IV. RUSSIA: THE IGNORED PARTNER• enlargement = European stability and peace?

• borders of an enlarged EU

V. CONCLUSIONS

RUSSIA:THE IGNORED PARTNER

• Enlargement = European stabilityand peace?

• Borders of an enlarged EU

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COMMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE TURKISH DELEGATION

The Turkish delegation participated in this Congress with a Delegation consisting of more than 50

participants including high-level authorities and asphalt contractors under the presidency of Director

General of the Turkish Highways Authority, Mr. Yigit.

This demonstrated very well the importance that Turkey attaches to road and asphalt construction during

her integration process to EU.

Mr. Yigit emphasises the fact that Turkey is in international collaboration regarding the innovations

and new technologies on road and asphalt construction and that this encourages technical negotiation

between the offi cials of EU and Turkish authorities with respect to technical issues.

Prof. Marc Maresceau, in his presentation titled “The expansion of the EU” touched upon some critical

points on Turkey’s accession to EU and policies, decisions and implemented procedures related to the

process.

We regret that such political issues are brought up in a congress which is supposed to focus mainly on

technical issues.

We welcome the close and sound interest of Turkey in the Congress. We have no doubt that this interest

shall continue in the same manner in the future as well.

EAPA & Eurobitume are two non-governmental organisations. NGO’s do not have any jurisdiction

as regards to reviewing and interpreting the diplomatic policies of any country. Those policies are

implemented only via diplomatic channels and within the framework of the relevant agreements.

Upon conveying the above mentioned clarifi cation and disappointment of the Turkish Delegation, I’d

like to highlight the following issue.

We would like to express the fact that our sole objective is to further develop the technical, economic

and fi nancial co-operation between the countries, to ensure that asphalt industry is further improved, and

this is done in such a way that it is totally beyond all the policies carried out via diplomatic channels.

We hope that this clarifi cation has been satisfactory enough for the Turkish Delegation.

Congress Organisers

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FUTURE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABILITY POLICIES ON THE ROAD INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

Tell Münzing

Slide 1

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am particularly pleased to speak here today because in our recent work on sustainability leadership in

the automotive industry we touch on the business of Eurasphalt and Eurobitume.

What I would like to achieve in my short presentation is to present you with some of the opportunities,

challenges and threats that the corporate world faces as they experience the sustainability revolution.

I use the metaphor of the gearbox and have shortened the title to “Time to shift gear”. I will ask you at the end in which gear you think you are!?

Slide 2

eecongres s 2000 2000

S U S T AINAB IL IT Y :

T ime to C hange G ear

1

2

3

4

5

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T e ll Münzing

E ngaging S takeholders E ngaging S takeholders P rogrammeP rogramme

ManagerManager

U K AC C A E nvironmental R eportingU K AC C A E nvironmental R eporting

Awards G R I S teering C ommitteeAwards G R I S teering C ommittee

L ife S ciences S ectorL ife S ciences S ector

Automotive S ectorAutomotive S ector

abcdefgh

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A brief introductory note about myself.

As Engaging Stakeholders Programme Manager at SustainAbility, I manage a joint program with UNEP

(United Nations Environment Program) with over 20 multinational companies that seek to deepen their

relationships with key stakeholders and improve their understanding of the sustainability challenges for

their businesses.

Apart from representing SustainAbility on a number of committees, I focus on the life sciences sector

and recently the automotive sector, as researcher and consultant.

Slide 3

Now just a few words on SustainAbility which you may not be familiar with.

Founded in 1987 by John Elkington, SustainAbility itself is a small independent ‘hybrid’ organisation.

We are a for-profi t consultancy, think tank and campaigning organisation for the promotion of sustainable

development in the corporate sector.

Our international core team in London consists of 16 staff. We have a council of external experts and

campaigners that supervise our strategic direction and serve as a sounding board for important decisions.

We created an external faculty of over 40 experts on sustainable development aspects as part of our

network.

Our clients are mainly multinational corporations where we believe we can achieve the biggest impact

for transformation towards a more sustainable corporate world with our small team. But, in the past, we

have also worked for NGOs such as Greenpeace and the public sector such as the European Union.

S us tainAbility Network

•• C ore T eam (16)C ore T eam (16)

•• Nationalities (9)Nationalities (9)

•• C ouncil (10)C ouncil (10)

•• F aculty (42)F aculty (42)

•• As s ociatesAs s ociates

•• C lientsC lients

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Sustainable development:Sustainable development:Sustainable development:Sustainable development:

“One of the slipperiest pieces of“One of the slipperiest pieces of“One of the slipperiest pieces of“One of the slipperiest pieces ofsoap you are ever likely to findsoap you are ever likely to findsoap you are ever likely to findsoap you are ever likely to find

in the shower.”in the shower.”in the shower.”in the shower.”P eter Woodward, facilitator, S he ll E xpro S D works hop, March 2000

abcdefgh

Slide 4

Many people understand different things when they talk about sustainable development or

sustainability.

At a recent workshop, it was described as ‘one of the slipperiest pieces of soap you are ever likely to

fi nd in the shower’.

Slide 5

SustainAbility explains sustainable development in terms of the triple bottom line. For a sustainable

future, society in general, and corporations specifi cally, have to seek economically viable, environmentally

sound and socially responsible solutions, procedures and products.

abcdefgh

T riple B ottom L ine

E conomically viableE conomically viable

E nvironmentallyE nvironmentally

s ounds ound

S ocially re s pons ibleS ocially re s pons ible

hhhh

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Slide 6

However, sustainable development goes beyond a simple concept of a triple vision.

Slide 7

This sustainability triangle seeks to describe the relationship of the three dimensions of the ‘triple

bottom line’ in more detail. It can be defi ned as an opportunity space.

The triangle was developed by Bill McDonough, an American Ecological Architect, and professor

Stuart Hart, the fi rst person to have had a sustainable development article in the Harvard Business

Review and a member of SustainAbility’s faculty.

A key thing to notice is that while eco-effi ciency is a critical element of environmental sustainability,

there is a more fundamental challenge emerging to the business community: ‘natural capitalism’, which

needs to account for and maintain 33 trillion dollars of eco-services.

On the social side, sustainable development goes beyond labour relations and community development.

abcdefgh

T riple V is ion?

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S us tainability T riangle

Economy

Environment Social

Profit

EqualityNature

Eco-Efficient

SociallyResponsible

StakeholderCapitalism

CommunityDevelopment

Raisethe Bottom

SustainableEnterprise

NaturalCapitalism

Adapted by Stuart Hart from: McDonough + Partners

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Slide 8

In this presentation we are going to shift through the fi ve gears.

The fi ve ‘Is’ are:

Impacts

Slide 9

Internalisation

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S us tainAbility G earbox: 1960-2010

1 3 5

2 4

1 Impacts

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1 3 5

2 4

1 Impacts2 Inte rnalis ation

The challenge is to ‘raise the bottom’. The living standards of 3 billion people in the survival economy

need to be brought up. That is a huge sustainable development challenge, but importantly also a market

opportunity.

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Slide 10

Interfaces

Slide 11

Integration

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1 3 5

2 4

1 Impacts2 Inte rnalis ation3 Inte rfaces

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1 3 5

2 4

1 Impacts2Inte rnalis ation3 Inte rfaces4 Integration

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Slide 12

And increasing returns

Slide 13

Impacts, the fi rst gear, came to people’s attention in the 60s.

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1 3 5

2 4

1 Impacts2 Inte rnalis ation3 Inte rfaces4 Integration5 Increas ing

re turns

1s t G ear: 1960 -

IMP AC T S :

“The world’s stuck in first gear, evenreverse. Everything’s polluted, up to- and including - the stratosphere.”

1

2

3

4

5

R

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Slide 14

Disasters were the main drivers of change. This, for example, is the 1986 Rhine disaster, caused by

Sandoz in Schweizerhalle. As in the case of Chernobyl, which affected several countries, the effects and

imagery of environmental disasters were hugely important.

Slide 15

Now the social dimension, such as human rights, is also becoming part of the business impact agenda.

For example, Shell’s human rights disaster in Nigeria.

The social and environmental dimensions are very often cross-connected.

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abcdefgh

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Slide 16

Seattle is a recent example for how the sustainability challenge is not only affecting companies but the

whole framework conditions of our current market system and its global institutions, such as the WTO.

Slide 17

The tools employed in the corporate world to address the challenge of impacts are very elementary. In

this gear, consultants would be brought in to prove that there was no problem.

abcdefgh

titleB us ines s C as e : IMP AC T S

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• ‘Not our fault’, ‘T his will cos t jobs ’

• D efens ive , ad hoc tactics

• P R , lobbying budgets

• T ools : pres s re leas es , early E IAs

• Accounting: cos ts , liabilitie s

1

2

3

4

5

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Slide 18

The whole impacts story was about externalities.

The second gear, Internalisation, is about how to bring it back into business, e.g. through Environmental

Management Systems and better products and clean technologies.

Slide 19

A key lesson from the impact gear was the endangering of reputation. For any business, it can be

described as the ...

2nd G ear: 1970 -

INT E R NAL IS AT IO N

‘Po: Drinking water intakes arelocated downstream of effluentoutfalls.’

1

2

3

4

5

abcdefgh

ReputationalReputationalReputationalReputational risk: risk: risk: risk:

“… the potential that negative“… the potential that negative“… the potential that negative“… the potential that negativepublicity regarding an institution’spublicity regarding an institution’spublicity regarding an institution’spublicity regarding an institution’spast or presentpast or presentpast or presentpast or present business practices, business practices, business practices, business practices,whether true or notwhether true or notwhether true or notwhether true or not, will cause a, will cause a, will cause a, will cause a

decline in the customer base, costlydecline in the customer base, costlydecline in the customer base, costlydecline in the customer base, costlylitigation or lost revenue.”litigation or lost revenue.”litigation or lost revenue.”litigation or lost revenue.”

C redit S uis s e , adapted from the US F ederal R es erve Bank, 2000

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Slide 20

In order to internalize the impacts, the necessary instruments and indicators were developed in the 80s

and implemented in the 90s. This is a graphic illustration from Thames Water’s environmental report -

its so-called ‘fl ight deck’.

Slide 21

The internalisation world is compliance and risk-driven. The focus is on ‘tangibles’. Concepts include

total quality environmental management and a focus on eco-effi ciency. Tools include environmental

management systems and fi rst global standards such as ISO 14001, but also auditing procedures and life

cycle assessments. The accounting profession starts to work with environmental and social accounting.

abcdefgh

T hames Water ‘flight deck’

titleB us ines s C as e :INT E R NAL IS AT IO N

abcdefgh

• C ompliance- and ris k-driven

• F ocus on ‘tangibles ’, e .g. projects ,proces s es , products

• T Q E M, eco-efficiency

• T ools : E MS , IS O 14001, auditing, L C A

• Accounting: C os t-cutting, earnings ,environmental & s ocial accounting 1

2

3

4

5

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Slide 22

The industry experience is that it has no option - environmental management systems and internalisation

are part of a new business reality.

Now the corporate sector is realizing new issues, especially on the social and economic side. For

corporate understanding of sustainable development challenges, stakeholder engagement and the

management of interfaces becomes most important. The example of Shell and lessons from Monsanto

are now informing and spreading best practice. There is also an element of peer pressure arising, e.g.

Nike and its engagement with the NGO world.

Slide 23

Working interfaces can only be established if corporate accountability and transparency is widened.

Examples in our architecture refl ect theses trends. This picture depicts the new dome on the German

Reichstag building, the seat of the German Bundestag. It sheds light on decision making.

3rd G ear: 1990 -

INT E R F AC E S

“The triple bottom line is all aboutsyncromesh. It’s a form ofEsperanto.”

1

2

3

4

5

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Slide 24

Part of UNEP’s and SustainAbility’s work with the corporate sector for improved interfaces is

the Engaging Stakeholders Programme. Here we focus on new forms of corporate accountability,

stakeholder engagement and reporting. This programme encompasses benchmark surveys of international

sustainability reporting practice, reporting guides to social and internet reporting and most recently

sector specifi c reports on the sustainable development challenges for the oil, life sciences and automotive

sector.

Slide 25

The Global Reporting Initiative provides the fi rst global guidelines on sustainability reporting, based on

input from stakeholders from around the world. The guidelines can be downloaded from the Internet.

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E ngaging S takeholde rs

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G R I G uide lines

www.globalreporting.org

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Slide 26

A growing number of companies are producing interesting CERs and sustainability reports. Here

are three of these: Baxter’s, on the left, has excellent fi nancial information related to the sustainable

development agenda, while Dow’s in the middle is one of the fi rst to address the question of how TBL

concerns are covered in strategy processes based on ‘balanced scorecards’. Shell is a good example of

how a company can use the internet for open stakeholder engagement.

Slide 27

The recognition of the importance of interfaces is based on the acknowledgement that we are living

in a CNN world where information is freely available and spread immediately. There is no place

to hide. Furthermore, the perceptions and emotions of stakeholders are now accepted and integrated

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E arly T B L reports

titleB us ines s C as e : INT E R F AC E S

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• ‘P erception is R eality’, ‘C NN World’

• ‘Intangibles ’, e .g. reputation,re lations hips

• T ools : dialogue , reporting, WWW

• Accounting: neutral to s lightly pos itive ;licens e to operate /innovate

1

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Slide 28

The past is characterized by the development of different management systems for the fi nancial,

environmental and social dimensions, and the establishment of fi rst interfaces.

The challenge now is to go beyond these ‘silos’. It is the need to refi gure the corporate management

system and internal communications. The external challenge also demands your integration with the

value chains you are part of.

Here I would like to draw on examples from the life sciences sector.

Slide 29

4th G ear: 2000 -

INT E G R AT IO N

‘We’re in the fast lane - but we’rewobbling like crazy. Anotherthought: are we heading in theright direction?’ 1

2

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abcdefgh

abcdefgh

C rashing the G ears

1

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as part of the business reality. Intangibles such as reputation and relationships are managed as key

elements for business success. Tools include dialogue, consultation processes, reporting and the www.

Accounting for the triple bottom line becomes fundamental to the maintenance of the license to operate

and increasingly the license to innovate.

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One example for a failure of integration is the US agriculture crop science company, Monsanto.

They claimed to have all the pieces for sustainable development in place. However, while promoting

environmental and economic benefi ts of genetically modifi ed crops, they failed to take account of the

societal dimension of decisions on innovation and did not realize that their customer is not the farmer

but up the value chain, the consumer. Once a highly priced stock, Monsanto was forced to merge with

Pharmacia Upjohn after resistance to GM crops grew in Europe and in other parts of the world.

Slide 30

Integration is made possible through interfaces and the consultation with stakeholders. The outcome

of such dialogue is crucial for strategy - but the dialogue is only credible if the outcome is informing

decision making.

Slide 31

On Monsanto:On Monsanto:On Monsanto:On Monsanto:

“The public wants to talk about social“The public wants to talk about social“The public wants to talk about social“The public wants to talk about socialvalues, not values, not values, not values, not soyabeansoyabeansoyabeansoyabean statistics. statistics. statistics. statistics.”

The Economist, Millennium S pecial E dition, 23 D ecember 1999

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Novo Nordis k

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Novo Nordis k

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T he R oad to T B L Accounting

Le

ve

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nd

ers

tan

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T imeSource: Novo Nordisk

EnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironment

T he topic isintegrated into allre levant managementdecis ionsAnnual publis hing of

targets and exte rnalve rification

Initiate activitie s s uch as reportingand s takeholde r dialogue

D efinition or (proactive ) s trategy

R eview by exte rnal cons ultants

S WO T analys is

R ecognition of the need for a s trategy change

Impuls e from company s takeholde rs

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T he R oad to T B L Accounting

Le

ve

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nd

ers

tan

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T imeSource: Novo Nordisk

EnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironment

T he topic isintegrated into allre levant managementdecis ionsAnnual publis hing of

targets and exte rnalve rification

Initiate activitie s s uch as reportingand s takeholde r dialogue

D efinition or (proactive ) s trategy

R eview by exte rnal cons ultants

S WO T analys is

R ecognition of the need for a s trategy change

Impuls e from company s takeholde rs

SocialSocialSocialSocial

FinanceFinanceFinanceFinance

One company that successfully undertook stakeholder dialogue over the last decade was the enzymes

and pharmaceuticals company, Novo Nordisk, which also relies on genetic modifi cation technologies.

In their most recent report, they provide an example of the integration of environment, social and

economic aspects of sustainable development. Importantly they give an open account of sustainability

challenges and stress the values and corporate governance which glue the different parts of the triple

bottom line together.

Slide 32

In their view, over time society has achieved a degree of understanding of environmental issues which

allows annual accounting and external verifi cation of environmental performance.

Slide 33

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However, we are just beginning to identify social issues and develop relevant indicators. Nevertheless,

this year Novo Nordisk provide a challenging independent external review of their social performance.

Slide 34

Overall, a growing number of companies are producing interesting corporate environmental and

sustainability reports.

To start with you often get CEOs smiling, just like in this example from Shell where the CEO presents

the ‘road map’ for Shell’s uptake and integration of the triple bottom line. The board level interest

stems from the increasing pressure from stakeholder groups, trade-off in strategic decision making and

reputation issues.

Slide 35

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S he ll Inte rnational’s ‘R oad Map’

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But how do you build this into business?

It is not only about effi ciency, but also corporate citizenship and business principles. And this

commitment must be visible at the top of the company, as in the recent case of Ford’s CEO Jacques

Nasser and the President Bill Ford.

Ford is embarking on this shift in strategy to a more sustainable company via increased transparency

with their fi rst GRI style sustainability report, engaging stakeholder processes, and a big announcement

on fl eet emissions. Most important, however, is the shift towards owning the ‘customer life cycle’ and a

close relationship of all stakeholders with the new ‘Ford.com’. Today even big companies have to have

the potential to mutate very fast. Thus, the integration has to happen on a number of fronts.

Slide 36

The sustainability revolution cannot be successful only at the company level - consequently we

increasingly see initiatives at the sectoral or corporate organisational level, such as the World Business

Council for Sustainable Development.

This is the UK SMMT strategy for the automotive sector which, unfortunately, does not address the

economic bottom line. Its relevance can be seen by the recent controversies following Ford’s decision

to pull out of Daggenham, and BMW’s decision to sell off Rover and the Longbridge plant.

abcdefgh

T owards s us tainability

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Slide 37

The great integration problem is combining shareholder value pressures with the pressures of the TBL.

This is where most of the boards now get switched on. Chief fi nancial offi cers and investor relations are

picking up on these issues, and the fi nancial plus TBL performance is also increasingly being assessed

externally, such as by the Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index.

The infi ltration of this thinking to the ‘clay layer’ of existing corporate culture and middle management

has been slow. However, often the young show enthusiasm and understanding.

Tools include the balanced scorecards and road maps showing strategic integration towards a sustainable

enterprise.

Slide 38

The fi fth gear is where we shift from decreasing to increasing returns.

It is gold digging - always trying to catch up with growing world population.

Increasing returns in a more sustainable world will be possible as we develop the governance processes,

technologies and indicators for sustainable development. Just like software was once diffi cult to produce

but now is duplicated and built on, so sustainability will get easier with its uptake by companies.

O verdrive : 21s t C entury

INC R E AS ING R E T U R NS

“How do we get SD to its ‘tippingpoint’ - beyond which it becomesinfectious, then ubiquitous?”

1

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titleB us ines s C as e :INT E G R AT IO N

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• S V A + T BL

• C orporate cultures (‘clay layer’)

• R e-engineering value chains(cons olidation), markets (e .g.greenhous e gas es )

• T ools : R oad maps , balanceds corecards , intranets , incentives

• Accounting: full cos t accounting1

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New Economy, New Rules:New Economy, New Rules:New Economy, New Rules:New Economy, New Rules:

“Change comes in varying“Change comes in varying“Change comes in varying“Change comes in varyingwavelengths. There arewavelengths. There arewavelengths. There arewavelengths. There are

changes in the game, changeschanges in the game, changeschanges in the game, changeschanges in the game, changesin the rules of the game, andin the rules of the game, andin the rules of the game, andin the rules of the game, andchanges in how the rules arechanges in how the rules arechanges in how the rules arechanges in how the rules are

changed.”changed.”changed.”changed.”K evin K e lly, New Rules for the New Economy

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Slide 39

We are entering a phase of fundamental changes. As Kevin Kelly, author of the Book, New Rules for

the New Economy, writes...

Slide 40

Many people understand the new economy as focusing on dot.coms.

However, there is a wealth of new technologies emerging for the increasing return world, such as

modern biotechnology.

In the case of DuPont, they are trying to develop their new business to have lower impacts while

generating higher returns on their capital.

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D uP ont’s portfolio matrix

D uP ont’s s hare of earnings from its bios ciences bus ines s es isprojected to grow from 20% to 35% over the next 4 years- G oal: grow bus ines s value and cut environmental footprint

high

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BioscienceBioscienceBioscienceBioscience:H igh inte llectual contentH igh s e rvice content

Nylon, polytheneNylon, polytheneNylon, polytheneNylon, polytheneO pportunities forimprovement

Oil and gas (Oil and gas (Oil and gas (Oil and gas (ConocoConocoConocoConoco):):):):D ives ted to provideinves tment to grow“diffe rentiated”bus ines s

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Slide 41

Openness to challenges long placed in the realm of the absurd is the new rule. Today even the Harvard

Business Review informs its executive readership about the essentials of global warming.

Slide 42

So the big shift from the fi rst gear to the fi fth gear of increasing returns is about market solutions and

new opportunities.

Big shifts are necessary to remove the $500 to $900 billion of eco-unfriendly subsidies, estimated by

Professor Norman Myers, member of our faculty, working for the UN and World Bank.

titleB us ines s C as e : Increas ingre turns

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• F rom decreas ing re turns (G ear 1) toincreas ing returns

• It’s not jus t about problems , it’s abouts olutions - and market opportunities

• Accounting & fis cal: R emove $500bn-$900bn of eco-unfriendly s ubs idies

• T ools : mind-s ets (Worlds 1, 2 and 3)

• 1,000,000-fold growth in IT by 20301

2

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G lobal Warming

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Increasing returns:Increasing returns:Increasing returns:Increasing returns:

“Europe’s roads in 202“Europe’s roads in 202“Europe’s roads in 202“Europe’s roads in 2027 are made7 are made7 are made7 are madewith low-grade with low-grade with low-grade with low-grade photovoltaicphotovoltaicphotovoltaicphotovoltaicmaterials. Road networks arematerials. Road networks arematerials. Road networks arematerials. Road networks areowned by the power industry.”owned by the power industry.”owned by the power industry.”owned by the power industry.”

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Most importantly, a shift in the mind-sets of people is taking place. Awareness is growing that the

interconnectedness of the developed world, emerging markets and the underdeveloped countries allows

for more sustainable solutions.

All this will be fundamentally supported by a one million-fold increase in IT, which will hugely affect

transparency and consequently accountability on a global scale.

Slide 43

The world of increasing returns is leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Things that looked ridiculous at the beginning 20th century, like the Wright brothers’ decision to move

from cycle manufacturing to planes, have become reality.

Similarly, we are now in a phase of big transformation.

Eurobitume and Eurasphalt members provide part of the infrastructure for a sustainable economy. A fi rst

step is the recycling of road surfaces, which are increasingly produced in an environmentally-friendly

way. It will be a ‘brave new world’ for you - and most likely different from what we imagine now.

Slide 44

QUIZ:QUIZ:QUIZ:QUIZ:

�What gear are you in?

�What gear s hould you be in?

�How do you change gear?

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So the quiz questions for you are:

What gear are you in?

What gear should you be in?

and how do you change gear?

Thank you very much for your attention.

Slide 45abcdefgh

www.sus tainability.co.uk

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THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE EU ON THE NEED FOR RESEARCH IN THE EU CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

G. Katalagarianakis

Research and Technological Development Programme on Competitive and Sustainable

Growth

Directorate General Research

European Commission

ABSTRACT

The construction industrial sector is of prime signifi cance in the economic activity of the European Union Industry. It is highly fragmented, labour intensive sector present-ing continuous opportunities for development and use of advanced technologies, mate-rials and processes. It is an overhead sector that affects both everyday quality of life and overall performance of industry, transport and services.Transport infrastructure in particular is a challenging domain of the sector on which technology developers and users are already spending considerable efforts. Future challenges for increased quality, sustainable construction practices and materials, and low life-cycle costs need to be addressed at European level.Research and networking with assistance from the European Union through its RTD programmes is a valuable means that can help resolve some of these challenges at European level. Support for all stakeholders can be obtained for their collaborative research efforts.

1. THE CONSTRUCTION SECTORTotal construction activity within the European Union is estimated at about 750 billion Euro (for 1996)

with about one third of it taking place in Germany and with the activity in the UK, FR, IT and ES

ranging from 9,1 to 12,4% of that amount. Total direct employment is estimated at 8.8 million persons,

about a quarter of which are self-employed. Adding about 0.8 million jobs in design and engineering

and 2.5 million in the construction products sectors, a total of 12.1 million jobs are directly related to

construction. Indirect employment is estimated at 14.3 million people giving a total of 26.4 million.

Construction activity is therefore responsible for about 10-12% of GNP or 25% of all manufacturing.

The sector is extremely fragmented. There are more than 2 million enterprises the vast majority (93%)

of which employ less than 10 persons (97% employ less than 20), though they count for 43,5% of total

employment and for 34,2% of total turnover. Big enterprises with more than 500 employees are about

700 (about 0,03%) counting for 10.4% of employment and 15.8% of turnover. The EU has about 45

large contractors with an annual turnover in excess of 1 billion EURO (1992 prices). The EU does not

have very large contractors. This situation accounts for some slower progress in regarding concepts,

processes and technologies. In particular, the increase, in the use of information technology, is less

spectacular than in the USA and Japan.

In addition, the relatively low building replacement rate (2%) and the long life of infrastructure, in

connection with a strong public requirement to preserve and maintain existing structures and reduce

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investment result in substantial maintenance and refurbishment activity which is highly labour intensive

involving traditional techniques. The sector is highly regulated to smooth out the diverging interests

of the owners, the designers, the contractors, and the users. Especially in the area of infrastructure the

owners are usually governmental agencies and this often results in detailed recipe specifi cations leaving

little room for innovation and introduction of new materials. However, technological progress is now felt

in the construction industry in several ways.

Construction in general remains a large consumer of materials that integrate considerable amount of

technological evolution. It uses machines and equipment that integrate latest advances in mechanical

engineering. Better knowledge of environmental aspects allows for improved control, use of new

materials for minimal environmental impact and correct practices in demolition and recycling

operations.

Road transport remains the most important means of transport in Europe. Traffi c is expected to increase

in the next decades so that the pressure for better quality roads will continue. Pavement loading has

reached a high level but further increase is predicted both for the number of heavy trucks and the

loading of the pavement due to higher axle loading, axle confi guration and tire pressure. In addition,

public requirements for safer roads put extra weight to the whole system for road construction and

management.

2. EUROPEAN RTD ACTIVITIES

2.1. European Union ResearchIt should be noted that RTD work in the European Union, in general, is taking place on several

levels. There is the clearly private research, which is done by the enterprises concerned, with their

own means or by subcontracting the research work. Work is also done on a national level by research

institutes, academia and industry supported by government in certain cases. As roads are under States’

responsibility there are National Road Research Laboratories in almost all EU countries.

It is recognised that single companies or individual Member States cannot resolve technological

problems alone because of the highly international and even global character of industry and trade. A

major objective of the Community research policy is therefore to achieve a leverage effect on selected

topics, even though the Community funding only represents 4% of total EU public research funding as

well as 4% of the European Union budget (about 3000 millions ECU per year).

Today all efforts have to be directed towards sustainable growth, necessary condition for preservation

and creation of employment. Development projects including research projects should be sustainable

in economic terms, should create added value for the environment and should be benefi cial for all

stakeholders. This sustainable growth has obviously to be supported by innovation and research efforts,

in particular keeping in mind the interests and the role of SMEs which represent more than 99% of the

European enterprises. The EU research policy is above all to stimulate integrated approaches with a high

European added value in fi elds where the single national efforts are not suffi cient.

The Fifth Framework Programme (1998-2002) is mainly organised around four Thematic Programmes

and three Horizontal Programmes (table 1).

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Table 1

Construction related technologies are addressed by several specifi c programmes like in “Environment”

for urban aspects, “Energy” for energy saving, “Information Society” for information technology

development. Construction as a sector and the technologies normally useful to it or having an output to

it are included in the same degree as for any other sector in Programme 3 “Growth” and its Key action

1 “Innovative Products, Processes and Organisation”. The problem solving approach characterising

this framework programme needs, however, in addition to a reduced number of research objectives to

maintain concentration on few relevant priorities.

Concentration of resources and efforts are achieved through calls for proposals targeted on Research

and Technological Development (RTD) priorities. Those priorities under Key Action 1 are referred to

as Targeted Research Actions (TRA). Under the call closed in March 2000, the TRA 1.9 addressed the

technologies for construction and infrastructure in general.

Participants to the calls might submit proposals for the development and deployment of critical

technologies (addressing all or part of the RTD objectives described above) as well as groups of projects

(clusters) or single large proposals, with the objective to integrate and validate such technologies around

strategic objectives. However proposers should ensure themselves that these objectives correspond to

the priorities defi ned for each call.

2.2. Activities currently in handRoad infrastructure in general has been attracting the attention of the industry and the research

institutes resulting in several projects running in this domain. These projects were selected as best

responding to the requirement for pre-competitive industrial research leading to high economic, social

and environmental benefi ts through innovation, technical excellence and solid strategic planning for

bringing the results into industrial practice. In the following some information is given on examples of

projects. Further information on these projects can be obtained at http://www.cordis.lu or at the given

project WebPages.

THE FIFTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME (1998-2002)

Funding(MEuro)

Thematic Programmes

Quality of life and management of living resources 2413

User-friendly information society 3600

Competitive and sustainable growth 2705

Energy, environment and sustainable development 2125

Horizontal Programmes

International role of Community research 475

Innovation & encouragement of SME participation 363

Human research potential /socio-economic knowledge base 1280

Joint research centre (non nuclear part) + Euratom 1999

Total 14960

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EUROSOILSTAB: Development of design and construction methods to stabilise soft organic soils for the construction of rail, road and other infrastructure

The industrial objective of the project, which is co-ordinated by CUR, The Netherlands, is to provide

the European construction industry with competitive construction techniques, backed by guidance

documents for their use, to stabilise soft organic soils. The new construction techniques would stabilise

the soil by mixing the soil with binders like cement, lime and/or other industrial secondary materials

(such as pulverised fuel ash) to create columns of stabilised soil or by mass mixing in situ. Similar

techniques are in use for non-organic soil. The results of the equipment development, the new mixtures

of binders, the fi eld and laboratory tests, the monitoring and automation systems will be combined to a

design guide. This design guide will form a pre-normative document for an European Standard for soil

stabilisation of (organic) clay and peat.

CIRC: Computer Integrated Road Construction

Under the leadership of Cap Gemini France the consortium develops precision systems for the real time

control of the position and the operational parameters of road construction equipment like compactors

and pavers. Latest GPS and LASER based equipment is used for positioning, while the system links to

CAD fi les for the road. It is expected that these solutions will provide a reliable system for integrating

computerised control into the road construction process, increasing quality and reducing costs. http://

www.itmi-aptor.capgemini.fr/circ

OPTEL: Slow setting cationic bituminous emulsion for construction and maintenance of roads

The purpose of this research program was to create methods for the development of slow-setting cationic

emulsions and their use in the manufacturing of an extended range of road paving materials. The

methods cover the full range of all the infl uencing parameters, from the physical and chemical properties

of binders to the characteristics of emulsions and their interaction with the physical and chemical

properties of mineral aggregates during the mixing, laying and compaction of paving mixtures. Savings

on energy is one of the major reasons for which cold paving techniques, which appeared later than

the hot techniques, began to grow signifi cantly in the fi fties, when the appearance of emulsifi ers made

it possible to produce cationic emulsions. In addition, cold technologies offer a valid alternative to

the ecological shortcomings of hot asphalt mixing plants. The strong participation of specialised road

building companies in the project under the lead of PROBISA, allows ascertaining that the benefi ts and

fi ndings of this research be converted into practical applications.

REC-POLYBIT: Fatigue and rheological behaviour of asphalt mixes with recycled polymer modifi ed bitumen

The objectives are to improve the quality of PE-modifi ed bitumen, to increase the asphalt pavement’s

service life, to replace the presently used high cost polymer additives with low cost recycled PE, and to

increase the application of recycled PE as bitumen. The project is co-ordinated by ARF Austria.

MASHROAD: Innovative use of municipal waste slags in road construction.

The objective of the project is to fi nd innovative techniques for re-using the municipal solid wastes slags

in road construction. Three main uses are analysed: - in sub-base courses for road by treatment with

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hydraulic binders, - in substitution of a part of natural aggregates in concrete, - to produce artifi cial

aggregates by special treatments. The partnership is composed of industrial companies from the sectors

of collecting and incineration of urban waste, slags treatment, production and sale of hydraulic binders,

road construction and concrete mixing. This CRAFT project is co-ordinated by YPREMA SA.

These are some examples of projects in this domain. Under the Construction Network, which follows, a

cluster has been shaped to establish exchange of information and co-operation in Road research.

TRA-EFCT: Targeted Research Action on “Environmentally Friendly Construction Technologies” (EFCT)

This Thematic Network, was established on the initiative of the European Commission (EC DG

RTD) under the Fourth Framework Programme and within the context of the Research and Technical

Development Programme on Industrial and Materials Technologies (BRITE/EURAM III).

The general idea behind the action is to secure added value to EC funded research projects by

helping participants in complementary projects, covering different technologies of the programme, to

co-ordinate their activities around a specifi c objective.

In particular this TRA aims to:

• Provide an European forum for the development, dissemination and exchange of

scientifi c and technological knowledge, and of ideas relating to all aspects of

construction

• Accelerate dissemination and exploitation of research results

• Improve the synergy and co-ordination of research being carried out in EC

programmes

• Inform RTD programme planners of the research needs and priorities of tomorrow.

The TRA Network brings together representatives from a large number of enterprises, institutions

and universities from all over Europe, linked together by the involvement in the construction industry

and their participation in ongoing research projects under the various EC RTD Programmes, such as

Brite/Euram, CRAFT, SMT (Standards, Measurement & Testing), Environment, TMR (Training and

Mobility of Researchers), ECSC Steel Research. http://www.tra-efct.com/

Networking is highly encouraged under the 5th FP. It is recognised that networking is a very effi cient

way of bringing together the actors involved in EU research and other relevant users or stakeholders,

optimising their efforts and helping achieving the necessary critical mass for signifi cant impact. In

the domain of construction a signifi cant number of networks is running and more are currently in

preparation.

2.3. The European Research Area and the 6th Framework ProgrammeThe Council of the European Union in its meeting of June 15th 2000, emphasised the “signifi cant role

played by research and development in generating economic growth, employment and social cohesion”.

This new policy aims at the creation of a frontier-free area for research where scientifi c resources are

used more to create jobs and increase Europe’s competitiveness. Special attention will be given to the

networking of centres of excellence, to the development of an European approach to large research

infrastructures as well as to the establishment of an open method for benchmarking of national research

policies. This will be combined with measures to promote spin-offs from research such as action on

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patents and easier access to risk capital. The problems of fragmentation and lack of collaboration

between public and industrial research in Europe are to be addressed through better co-ordination,

progressive opening of national research programmes and by encouraging the mobility of researchers.

Other targets, like the very high-speed transeuropean network and the international co-operation, are

complementing this policy. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/area.html

3. FUTURE CHALLENGES

Both the Road Authorities and industrial fi rms have strong needs of research for materials and processes

for new road construction and maintenance of existing ones, for road management, for improvement

of the existing infrastructure and for improvement of road safety, environmental sustainability and user

comfort. Various fi elds need to be addressed like the geotechnical works, the structures, the pavements,

the additional features and the environment. For each of these fi elds RTD work is being done and in the

cases of geotechnics and of structures networking effort is in hand.

For the specifi c domain of pavements it will be necessary to propose and undertake research work for

new materials both for new roads and rehabilitation of existing ones. Use of waste from construction

or other sectors has to be addressed carefully with due attention paid to life cycle performance.

Maintenance gets increasing importance with the ageing European infrastructure. Repair of both

structures and pavements require frequent road closure, so that more effi cient and economical methods

are needed. Our society’s requirements for safety are increasing and public outcry for the traffi c

accidents obliges for increasing improvement of design and construction quality. Progresses in other

sectors like the telematics, informatics, sensors, etc. can greatly assist for the overall targeted aim.

The core of this research effort remains within the responsibility of the Roads Authorities, the research

centres, and the industry. For technological progress at EU level proposals with innovative ideas are

welcome. It is expected that the next call to be published in December 2000 will include construction.

Any ideas can be discussed in the pre-proposal check that will open after the publication of the call.

For increasing the impact of the overall RTD work (European, national and private) an initiative is

needed by a centrally placed organisation to set-up a network. This is an open invitation in view of

preparing a network proposal for the next deadline of March 2001.

Evidently these objectives require active participation from other sectors like the transport means

manufacturers, the standardisation bodies, the drivers associations, public opinion drivers, environmental

pressure groups, training agencies, etc. Networking is the suitable platform for getting strong benefi ts

from this involvement.

4. CONCLUSION

Considerable progress has been made in past years to improve the productivity and quality of the

construction industry. However, the requirements for innovative construction processes and highly

performing materials are still increasing at high rates and this trend is bound to continue in coming

years.

Strong interdisciplinary research actions on technology, with high socio-economic value, involving

the major stakeholders (such as producers, suppliers, software and logistics companies, legislative

bodies, and others) will be essential to maintain competitiveness of the European enterprises. Signifi cant

technology advance is only really possible with co-operation and combination of efforts of all actors and

stakeholders.

With almost 15 000 million Euro for four years and its new targeted approach, the European Union’s

Fifth RTD Framework Programme is a powerful instrument helping to catalyse the necessary changes.

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Future research policy of the European Union will have voluntary co-ordination of research as one

of its prime objectives. For the construction industry this is expected to have signifi cant benefi ts

as most of the research work is done by academia, private interests, public or semi-public research

centres at national or local level. Big projects in infrastructure and housing usually become an incentive

for considerable progress in technology, transfer of technology from other sectors and integration

of knowledge into industrial practices. The target is to obtain maximum society benefi t at minimum

consumption of resources.

The construction sector can benefi t from these developments and it is advisable for all stakeholders to

be informed about developments and participate in the debate for the shaping and the fi ne-tuning of this

future policy’s actions and instruments.

Book3 03-05-2001, 12:08107

Slides’presentation

Construction Industry Enterprises

2 Million 33% Turnover

700 16% Turnover

45 50% Turnover

✳ 750 billion € Turnover

✳ 2 million Employees

Construction Related Research

4% of EuropeanPublic Funds

Subsidiarity

Local

National

European

International

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TRA-EFCTTRA-EFCTTRA-EFCTTRA-EFCTTRA-EFCTTRA-EFCTTRA-EFCTTRA-EFCT

TTargeted argeted RResearch esearch AAction - ction - EEnvironmentallynvironmentallyFFriendly riendly CConstruction onstruction TTechnologiesechnologies

� Thematic Network gathering ongoing EC-funded research projects related toconstruction

� Established in 1996 and active since 1997

◆

ECCREDI MEMBERSECCREDI MEMBERShttp://www.eccredi.org

◆ ACE CEMBUREAU

◆ EAPA ECCE

◆ ECBP ECCS

◆ EFCA FEHRL

◆ FIEC CEPMC

◆ EOTA ENBRI

◆ ENCORD CEBC

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The Fifth FrameworkThe Fifth FrameworkProgramme (1998-2002)Programme (1998-2002)

Creating aUser friendlyInformation

Society

3.6 BEURO

Creating aCreating a

User friendlyUser friendly

InformationInformation

SocietySociety

3.6 BEURO3.6 BEURO

Energy,environment& sustainabledevelopment

1.083 BEURO

Energy,Energy,

environmentenvironment

& sustainable& sustainable

developmentdevelopment

1.083 BEURO1.083 BEURO

Quality of lifeand livingresources

2.413 BEURO

Quality of lifeQuality of life

and livingand living

resourcesresources


Promotingcompetitivesustainable

growth

2.705 BEURO

PromotingPromoting

competitivecompetitive

sustainablesustainable

growthgrowth


Total: 14.96 BEUROTotal: 14.96 BEURO

“TP1”“TP1” “TP2”“TP2” “TP3”“TP3” “TP4”“TP4”

10 % for SME’s

International Cooperation 0.475 BEURO

Innovation and SMEs 0.363 BEURO

Human Potential 1.28 BEURO

Materials & theirprocessing

SteelMeasurements

& Testing

Innovative ProductsProcesses, Org

(IPPO)

Mobility &Intermodality

Land &Marine

Aeronautics

Access toInstallations

Virtual instituteMeasurement &Quality Infrastr.

ReferenceDatabases

GROWTH Programme StructureGROWTH Programme Structure

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◆ 2 million enterprises;99% of which are SMEs;

to adapt to new economy& sustainable development

◆ Objectives : modernisation of industry;substantially improve quality and reduceresource consumption for all sectors of industry,including related services

IPPO - KA1IPPO - KA1Rationale & ObjectivesRationale & Objectives

ProductsProducts

Value-addedproduct

services &miniaturized

systems

MachinesMachines

Newgeneration of

productionequipment

and systems

ExtendedExtended

EnterpriseEnterprise

networkedknowledge

basedmanufacture

enterprise

ModernModern

FactoryFactory

Customer-oriented, hi-tech, agile &

towards 0waste

InfrastructureInfrastructure

Safe & costeffective industr.

facilities,construction &civil infrastruct.

Five paths towardsFive paths towardscompetitive & sustainablecompetitive & sustainableindustries …. the TRAsindustries …. the TRAs

Research area 1.1 Efficient production, design & control

Research area 1.2 Intelligent Production

Research area 1.3 Eco-efficient processes and design

Research area 1.4 Organisation of production and work

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… strengthening Europe’s base in materials scienceand related technologies

MainlyMedium to Long term RTD

(multi-sectorialapplications)

✹ Advanced materials✹ Sustainable

production &transformation

✹ Efficient use andreuse

✹ Safety and reliability

Materials Research:Materials Research:Strategic Objectives & RTD ResponseStrategic Objectives & RTD Response

Steel

SustainableChemistry

FunctionalMaterials

Cross-cuttingTechnologies

Structural Materials

RESEARCHRESEARCH

ONON

MATERIALS MATERIALS

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Why an “EuropeanWhy an “Europeanresearch Area”?research Area”?

◆ Today: European research = 15 + 1 (15 MS +EU)

◆ EU enlargement prospects

Thus:

◆ Need to improve spending of scarce resources

◆ Need to organise research better

➨ Need to move to a real European research policy

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/area.html

European research areaEuropean research area

Examples of what might be done for RTD:

◆ Networks of excellence / Vision on an European scale

◆ Creation of “virtual” European institutes

◆ Co-ordination national / European programmes

◆ Protection of IPR / encouragement of start-ups

◆ Coherence of RTD activities with policy implementation

◆ Greater mobility of researchers

◆ Improving the attraction of Europe for researchers from

other parts of the world

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ComplementaryProjects

Networks & ConcertedActions

◆ Several Proposals

◆ Several Contracts

◆ Complementarity betweenprojects

◆ IPR access to be negotiatedbetween participants

◆ A single Network Contract

◆ Independent RTD projects

◆ Sharing of information amongstprojects and other Interestedparties

Coordination Activities atCoordination Activities atKA1 & MAT levelKA1 & MAT level

◆ inter-comparisons of results

◆ support studies, technology & policy evaluation

◆ co-ordination & integration of research results

◆ monitoring of socio-economic & ethical aspects

◆ stimulation of user groups; dissemination

◆ identification of new research areas

◆ common secretariat, synthesis work & reporting

◆ possible joint exploitation plans

Examples of Coordination ContentExamples of Coordination Content

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When writing a proposalWhen writing a proposal

always consider allalways consider all

selection criteriaselection criteria

◆ S&T Excellence

◆ Community Added Value

◆ Answering to societal needs

◆ Economic development and S&T Prospects

◆ Partnership and management of project

◆ Problem oriented and targeted tostrategic industrial objectives

◆ Concentration of efforts and research workof critical mass

◆ Integration of activities and disciplines :e.g. from hard to soft technologies,from basic research to more applied research

Please remember ...Please remember ...

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585 Proposals / success rate 28%162 Proposals recommended9 Partners per project average

Participation KA1 + MAT 2nd callParticipation KA1 + MAT 2nd call

About half fromindustry (50%

large, 50 %SMEs)

About half fromresearch

organisationsand universities

Financial SupportFinancial Support

Type of contract

RTD + CRAFT

Demonstration projects

Co-ordination action

Accompanying measure

Up to (X)% of costs

50 % total costs

35 % total costs

Variable %

100 % additional costs

Combined projects 35-50 % total costs

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Please use the optional pre-

proposal check service!

•A short abstract of the proposal

addressing all the important

aspects of the evaluation

•Also a good tool for

communication with partners

[email protected]

More informationMore information

“Work programme GROWTH”

http://www.cordis.lu/growth/src

Experts for proposal evaluation

http://candidature.cordis.lu/expert-evaluators

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HOW THE U.S. ASPHALT INDUSTRY IS AFFECTED BY HS&E REGULATIONS, AND HOW IT IS RESPONDING TO SHRP DEVELOPMENTS

Mike AcottPresident, National Asphalt Pavement Association

1. FUTURE TRENDSMy objective is to provide a U.S. perspective on health, environment, and product improvement

practices. I will explain several important developments that are occurring in our country, recognizing

they may or may not be appropriate in Europe.

The public does not want to see us, smell the product, or hear our operations. They want us to minimize

traffi c disruptions due to construction operations. Also, from a product quality perspective, the public

and highway agencies are demanding a continuous improvement in pavement performance. Whether

it’s health, safety, environment, or product quality, we as contractors have to be proactive rather than

reactive, and we have to partner and communicate with our customers, including various government

agencies, labor unions, and the general public. A critical component of this partnering effort is an

effective research, technology, and education program.

2. HS&E KEY STRATEGIES

Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) pressure points include:

• Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) plant location is becoming more challenging. This includes a “Not In My

Backyard” (NIMBY) attitude toward asphalt plants.

• The Internet is an effective communication tool.

• There is a powerful “grass roots,” anti-roads lobby.

• We are in a regulatory and litigious environment.

Some of the HS&E proactive strategies include:

• Recycling of Asphalt Pavements

• Asphalt Content by Ignition

• Engineering Controls for Paving Machines

• Emission Reductions

• Diamond Achievement Commendation for Hot Mix Plants

• Twenty-fi rst Century Binders

• Best Practices

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These are all aimed at “improvement” of the workplace or the environment and are described in the

paper. In many cases you have similar initiatives in Europe.

Recycling of Asphalt Pavements

We do a very poor job of communicating our successes to the public. They are accustomed to recycling

their newspapers and aluminium cans, but they have no idea that the most widely recycled product in the

U.S., in both percentage and tonnage, is asphalt pavement.

About 80% of all Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is recycled – equating to 73 million tons per

year. The asphalt industry is the industry leader. It’s a win-win situation for all involved because it’s

environmentally benefi cial, it makes economic sense, and it works. Essentially, it’s been a proactive

partnership between industry and its partners – and it didn’t take a federal edict or mandate. In my

opinion, the most signifi cant development that stimulated recycling was the development of the cold

milling machine. This equipment provides the supply of recyclable material and is an integral part of

the rehabilitation process.

This year the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) conducted a public relations campaign

using TV, radio, newspapers, and trade press. We surveyed the public, and as I said earlier, asphalt

pavement recycling was not on their radar screens. It is very important to get the message out.

Asphalt Content by Ignition

On health effects research, we have taken the general approach of trying to solve perceived problems.

That is removing, reducing solvents, reducing emissions, lowering temperatures, or removing odors.

We recognize the need for fundamental research, but our goal is to improve working conditions and

impact on the public now. An example is the development of the NCAT oven to determine asphalt

cement content by ignition. This research, sponsored by industry, has several major benefi ts. The major

positive factor is that the AC content can be determined without the use of solvents, eliminating a solvent

disposal problem. Also, the test is fast, inexpensive, and accurate.

In a short space of time, there is widespread use of this test equipment. We estimate 5,000 furnaces have

been sold, mostly in the U.S. It is now allowed by almost all the states. This initiative is the type of

project industry likes to sponsor because it had direct and immediate benefi ts.

Engineering Controls for Paving Machines

Many of you are familiar with the initiative to improve working conditions by equipping paving

machines with engineering controls that vent the fumes away from the worker. This initiative followed

extensive study and equipment developments. NAPA, the paving manufacturers, the unions, and

the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) committed to this technology. This partnership was

recognized for its proactive position by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH) – receiving its prestigious National Occupational Research Agenda Award. Industry changed

its practices before any regulation, not because of. It created a very positive environment with the

unions, industry, NIOSH, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and provided

a platform for joint co-operative research.

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Emission Reductions

Hot Mix Asphalt production in the U.S. has increased from about 150 million tons in 1960 to 300

million by 1970, and it reached over 500 million in 1999. As shown in Figure 1, using 1960 as the

base, production had increased by 100% in 1970 and 233% in 1999. Over this same period, cumulative

emissions have decreased by 97% due to equipment developments. The HMA industry today is

totally unlike the industry 30 to 40 years ago, thanks to innovation by the equipment manufacturers

and forward thinking contractors. Some of the signifi cant developments have included drum mixers,

counter fl ow mixers, and drums within a drum.

The U.S. Clean Air Act of 1990 was designed to reduce hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). The law

called for maximum achievable control technology standards for major sources. To qualify as a major

source, you would have to emit 10 tons of any single pollutant or 25 of all listed HAPs in one year.

We believe that due to continuous improvement in emissions, the HMA industry is not a major source

and that these thresholds are not exceeded by the HMA industry. We have partnered with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to get actual emission data from HMA facilities (see Figure 2).

The test results show that emissions are low and well controlled and that we are not a “major source”

of air emissions.

Notwithstanding these improvements, there are various groups involved in the zoning and permitting

of asphalt plants. Citizen group claims of large emissions at the truck load-out area required the EPA

to spend over $1 million in testing. NAPA worked in partnership with the U.S. EPA and stakeholders

throughout the four-year process. As shown in Figure 3, a citizen group claimed we could expect nearly

500 tons/year in emissions, whereas the truck load-out and silo emissions were 6 for a plant producing

about three quarters of a million tons per year.

Diamond Achievement Commendation for Hot Mix Plants

This program was established in 1999 to recognize excellence in plant and site operations. It’s

a rigorous procedure covering community relations, safety, appearance, operations, environmental

practices, permitting, and regulatory compliance. The process also includes a third party review by a

local public offi cial, neighbor, or community association offi cial.

Twenty-fi rst Century Binders

As contractors, we have spent millions of dollars on the back end of the process to control emissions.

This includes the installation of wet washers, baghouses, stacks, drum mixers, counter fl ow mixers, and

engineering controls on pavers. However, because emissions are already so low and well controlled,

very little attention has been given to the binder itself. What will 21st Century binders look like? We

pose the question, “What else can be done to further reduce fumes, odors, and emissions?”

Can we fi nd an additive that will eliminate odors, or can we provide tools to the contractor to establish

an effective working temperature for different asphalts? Odor is becoming a more important issue.

One of NAPA’s Hot Mix producer members started experimenting with different additives with great

success. For many contractors this has solved a problem. We have work going on in all these areas

at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT). They are looking at parameters such as fl ash

point, mass loss, and binder chemistry. One supplier, BP/Amoco, has announced they will start

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marketing asphalts that may result in additional emission reductions.

Best Practices

In view of the new, coarser mixes and the use of modifi ers and additives, mixing and compaction

temperatures may start increasing. This creates a potential for environmental problems.

Unfortunately, the equiviscous temperature approach for establishing mixing and compaction

temperatures is not working for modifi ed binders – it results in mixing and temperatures that are too

high. In some cases the suppliers were recommending temperatures that were too high, in others

contractors were raising temperatures thinking it would help compaction.

A partnership between the Asphalt Institute (AI) and NAPA produced a best management practices

document that gives guidance on temperatures based on supplier information, test strips, and

constructability. This has also helped convince many state DOT’s to reduce their required mixing and

compaction temperatures and improve working conditions.

3. PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT - KEY STRATEGIES

There are increased pressures by the public, legislatures, and public owners to enhance quality. We

have a strong emphasis on product improvement. The goals are high performing, long-lasting, durable,

and cost-effective pavements. Some of our key strategies are:

• To partner with FHWA, American Association of State Highway & Transportation Offi cials

(AASHTO), Transportation Research Board (TRB), State Departments of Transportation (DOT’s)

• To ensure the successful implementation of Superpave and Stone Matrix Asphalt Technologies

• Continued workforce development

• Continued NCAT focus and support

• Develop perpetual asphalt pavements technology

Superpave and Stone Matrix Asphalt

The Superpave design system plays a key role in product improvement. It was one of the major products

that emanated from the Strategic Highway Research Program. We see it as an opportunity to improve

the performance. The very rapid rate of implementation is very striking. This could only be achieved

through a partnership approach between government and industry.

As shown in Figure 4, by 2000, 46 of 50 states would have adopted the performance graded binder

specifi cation. This is not just driven by quality. The reality is that most oil companies supply on a

regional basis and few want to proliferate grades. This rapid rate of implementation has been helped

by regional user-producer groups. Also, recognize there are still major gaps in the Performance Graded

(PG) binder specifi cations. The modifi ed binder specifi cations are still under development.

As shown in Figure 5, the Superpave mix design system is being implemented at a slower rate than

the PG binder system. However, since mixes are not supplied on a broad regional basis–the rate of

implementation is also very impressive.

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Projections by the states for Superpave tonnage are shown in Figure 6. As indicated, about 80% of the

state tonnage will be designed by Superpave technology by 2001.

I don’t want to leave the impression that Superpave is complete. The Superpave design system still has

several major gaps and shortfalls:

- It will need continuous improvement

- It will need validation and calibration

- Concerns are being raised over the gyratory compaction levels

- The tests need precision and bias statements

We have great concerns that there is no mix strength test. This is a major problem. Several states have

moved off independently and are using rut testers. Research is being done – but even when we do have

a proposed test, it will need to be calibrated.

Work is now going on to incorporate Stone Matrix Asphalt into the Superpave system. We imported

this technology from Europe in ‘92. Several states have used it extensively with great success. In our

view, it is the premier mix, since it strikes the right balance between rut resistance and durability.

Workforce Development

I do want to mention the importance of attracting engineers and technologists to the asphalt industry.

Back in the mid 80’s, NAPA members created the National Center for Asphalt Technology based at

Auburn University. Signifi cant monies were contributed by the asphalt industry.

NCAT has a very strong Professor Training Program. So far 230 professors have been taught and given

the tools and lecture notes. It also stimulated many colleges to add courses in Hot Mix technology.

The Hot Mix industry has a major scholarship program, which is also supported and paid for by the

HMA contractors – this year about 100 students will get support. The only requirement is they must

have a course in HMA. This year we have added an internship program to give students an opportunity

to work in the industry during the summer months. Again, it is a proactive approach to reach out to the

universities and students.

NCAT Focus

A 1.7 mile test track incorporating 46 test sections has just been completed – offi cial opening and

dedication is scheduled for October 2000. A Hot Mix plant is also located on this 300-acre site.

Part of the program is to examine what tests can predict performance. Also looking at performance of

different mixes.

At the same time, a new state-of-the-art NCAT Research Center (40,000 sq. ft.) for teaching, training,

and research has just been completed. This is a world-class facility – representing industry’s

commitment to continuously improving its product in partnership with its customers.

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Perpetual Pavement

Finally, I wanted to cover what we now call “the perpetual pavement.” The basic concept is that you

design an asphalt pavement so that it has a permanent asphalt structure. You design it so that the stress

and strains in this permanent structure are so low that it has an indefi nite fatigue life, and the subgrade

is protected. You can achieve this by using high modulus base or use a rich lower layer. The perpetual

pavement is then surfaced with a renewable, recyclable, high-quality mix such as SMA or Superpave.

The permanent pavement concept builds on the work done in the United Kingdom at the Transportation

Research Laboratory that was sponsored by the Quarry Product Association.

We have plenty of examples of Full Depth/Deep Strength pavements that have never been reconstructed.

With periodic resurfacing, they are as good as new. The life cycle cost is very competitive.

4. CONCLUSIONS

So, whether it’s health and safety or product quality improvement, to secure our future we feel that the

asphalt industry must be at the forefront, and that we must be proactive. This means standing on “high

ground,” building perpetual pavements, and being socially responsible and visionary for our future.

-100%

0%

100%

200%

300%

PRODUCTION

EMISSIONS

Base

1960 1970 1999

Figure 1. Historical Trend of HMA Production Tonnages and Emissions

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Major Source

0

5

10

15

20

25

Ton

s P

er

Year

750,000 Tons of Production

Dryer

Load-out

Silo Filling

Asphalt Storage

Yard

Total

Figure 2. Emissions at Various Locations

750,000 Tons of Production

Em

issi

on

s (T

ons/

Yr.

)

6 4740

100

200

300

400

500

Truck Load-out &Silo Emissions

Citizen Groups'Estimate

Actual Data

Figure 3. Truck Load-out and Silo Emissions

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NationwideNationwide

By 2000

Undetermined

After 2000

Figure 4. Superpave Binder Implementation

NationwideNationwide

By 2000

Undetermined

After 2000

Figure 5. Superpave Mixture Implementation

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0

20

40

60

80

100

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Conventional

Superpave

Figure 6. Superpave Tonnage Projections for State Work

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THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SITUATION IN THE ASPHALT INDUSTRY IN EUROPE

Paolo Boffetta

Paolo Boffetta

IARC

Barcelona, September 2000

• Inconclusive data on carcinogenicity ofbitumen fumes in the absence of exposureto other carcinogens

• Feasibility study in 15 European countries:cohort study feasible in 7 countries

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• To assess whether exposure to bitumenfumes entails an increased risk of cancerin humans

• A-priori target organs: lung, stomach, skin,kidney

• Secondary aim: to study mortality fromother cancers and other causes of death

• Phase I - Cohort study• To identify a large population (cohort) of workers

exposed to bitumen fumes

• To characterize their exposures within the asphaltindustry at the level of job class

• To assess their mortality experience

• Phase II - Case-control study• To select cases of the disease(s) of interest and a

referent group (controls)

• To collect information at the individual level onexposures within the asphalt industry, on exposures inother industries and on non-occupational exposures

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• Workers employed for at least one year inroad paving companies from Denmark,Norway, Sweden*, Finland, Germany,France, Netherlands and Israel

• Personal identifiers and job historiescollected from company records

• Follow-up for mortality and cancerincidence

* Identification through nationwide construction workers’ health programme

• Bitumen worker

• road paver

• asphalt mixing plant worker

• roofer

• other, unspecified

• Building construction worker

• Ground construction worker

• [Other blue collar worker]

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• Individual (semi-quantitative) assessmentof exposure to:

• Bitumen fume

• Coal tar

• Organic vapour

• 4-6 ring PAHs

• Diesel engine exhaust

• Asbestos

• Crystalline silica

• based on combination of job histories andexposure estimates derived from companyquestionnaires

• Comparison with expected deaths fromnational mortality statistics

• Standardized mortality ratios (SMR)

• Comparison among subgroups of thecohort

• Poisson regression modeling, relative risk (RR)

• Referent category (unexposed)

• 95% confidence interval

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• Most results from Netherlands are missing

• Follow-up from Norway is incomplete

• All results are to be checked

• Analyses by latency and time windows aremissing

• Trends and heterogeneity have not beentested for

Workers in the cohort, by country (N=75,193)

Denmark

Norway

SwedenFinland

Netherlands

Germany

France

Israel

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Bitumen workers in the cohort (N=25,997)

Denmark

NorwaySweden

Finland

Netherlands

Germany

FranceIsrael

• Deficit in mortality (healthy worker effect)

• Some results suggest an increased lungcancer, with no clear relationship withexposure to either bitumen fume or otheragents

• No increased mortality from other cancers

• Problems in exposure assessment wouldmainly lead to null results

• Case-control study of lung cancerrecommended

ENGL

ISH

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• IARC (G. Ferro)

• Utrecht (H. Kromhout,D. Heederik, M.Hooiveld, I. Burstyn)

• Helsinki (T. Partanen,T. Kauppinen, P.Heikkila, A. Ojajarvi)

• Copenhagen (O.Svane, J.H. Olsen)

• Oslo (S. Langard, B.Randem, A. Andersen)

• Umea (B. Jarvholm, I.Bergdahl)

• Bremen (R. Frentzel-Beyme, W. Ahrens, H.Merzenich)

• Paris (I. Stucker)

• Raanana (J. Shaham)

… and many people from participating companies and industrial organizations

Book3 03-05-2001, 12:10135

Statement by the European asphalt and bitumen industry

International epidemiology study into cancer risk amongst asphalt workers

The asphalt and bitumen industries have made a major commitment to initiate and support an

international epidemiology study into the potential cancer risk to asphalt workers. This study is

supported by CONCAWE, EAPA and Eurobitume and is also funded by the European Commission and

many EU member states and research bodies.

Dr Boffetta said that the study is not complete and therefore the results should be regarded as

preliminary. A fi nal report is expected at the end of the year.

Industry has made the following observations:

The total population of asphalt workers carries no elevated mortality [which means that asphalt workers

are more healthy than the general population, a phenomenon not uncommon in industrial populations].

There is an unresolved concern which is now expressed in a slightly elevated mortality due to lung

cancer. At present this cannot be explained in terms of exposure to bitumen fumes or any other agent

e.g. diesel exhaust, coal tar.

An additional analysis, based on a direct comparison among workers in the asphalt industry, however,

did not confi rm a higher risk of lung cancer in the group of workers exposed to bitumen fumes. The

relative risk compared to the reference group of non-exposed building and construction workers was

1.01 with a 95% confi dence interval 0.84 to 1.24 [which means that the risk of lung cancer in the two

groups is similar].

To assess the impact of other factors, for example smoking habits, a case control study would be

required.

We look forward to the completion of this study at the end of the year following which industry will

consider carefully the fi nal conclusions and recommendations.

ENGL

ISH

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FREN

CH

FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Alain Dupont Intervention faite par Michel Chappat au Congrès Eurobitume / EurasphaltBarcelone – 20 septembre 2000

C’est au pied levé que je vais devoir vous présenter la contribution de M. Alain Dupont.

M. Alain Dupont a dû subir une légère intervention chirurgicale en urgence. Ce n’est pas très grave mais

la raison médicale a prévalu sur l’élan entrepreneurial.

Il vous prie de bien vouloir l’excuser.

Je vous prie, pour ce qui me concerne d’excuser cette situation. Je vais essayer d’utiliser les bons mots,

les bonnes nominations, mais l’exercice n’est pas facile.

Sur l’importance de la route, il n’y a pas lieu d’insister. Son rôle primordial dans l’économie des pays

et dans l’offre de transports est démontré tous les jours.

Cette place stratégique n’est plus contestée même si les gouvernements ont tendance à accorder

des subventions au rail et à favoriser le développement du rail ; voire à recommander de réduire la

circulation automobile. Si nous prenons le cas de la France, le chemin de fer ne peut faire face à la

demande. Il ne pourra pas rattraper son retard avant longtemps, voire jamais si on en croit certaines

études du Ministère des Transports, ni assurer une offre concurrente de transports de marchandises.

La route est donc bien un vecteur essentiel pour soutenir la croissance économique et le développement

de l’Europe.

Nous devons toutefois compter avec l’hostilité de certains mouvements politiques, en particulier

écologistes. Dans la situation de croissance de nos pays, il est de plus en plus diffi cile d’admettre ces

oppositions de principe contre la route, contre la voiture.

Un peu de réalisme amène d’ailleurs certains opposants des plus farouches à accepter la route et le rôle

qu’elle joue dans l’économie.

Nous pouvons aussi insister sur le fait que notre métier de constructeurs de routes s’enrichit tous

les jours d’un savoir-faire plus large. Ceci nous conduit à présenter des offres performantes pour les

transports en commun en site propre que ce soit pour les bus ou les tramways, pour les plates-formes

industrielles, les plates-formes multi-mondiales, en développement actuellement. Citons aussi le ballast

des chemins de fer que nous posons et pour lequel nous proposons des variantes en grave bitume.

Tous nos chantiers, tous nos travaux sont réalisés dans le respect de l’environnement et, disons le aussi,

nous savons réaliser de fort jolis aménagements intégrés aux sites. Nous le faisons de mieux en mieux.

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FREN

CHNos efforts continus et importants pour améliorer le rendement de nos outils de fabrication ou de mise en

œuvre et les performances de nos produits sont un élément d’appréciation supplémentaire des politiques

que nous suivons.

Elles vont dans le sens d’une réduction de l’effet de serre de manière continue.

Tous ces efforts de nos entreprises pour l’environnement méritent une meilleure reconnaissance de nos

clients qu’ils soient publics ou privés.

Mais il est tout certain que nous devons aussi intégrer avec réalisme dans nos réfl exions et nos méthodes

le souci du développement durable, l’analyse du cycle de vie. Nous avons dit avec réalisme. En

effet, il est nécessaire de travailler de manière très objective, complète sur la quantifi cation de ces

préoccupations. Ce n’est pas facile. L’approche doit être sereine et prudente parfois on pourra constater

que certaines idées reçues sont balayées par les faits et les études. Nous ne devons pas craindre ces

nouvelles approches ; Nous devons y travailler très sérieusement.

Nous y avons intérêt ne serait ce que pour maintenir un haut niveau de relation avec nos clients publics

qui, eux, doivent traiter le problème du fait des lois et des pressions du public, de l’opinion.

Ceci m’amène à dire un mot sur nos entreprises. Nous ne nous attarderons pas sur les mouvements de

concentrations actuels.

Nous nous trouvons de plus en plus d’une part, avec des très grands groupes et, d’autre part, avec des

entreprises locales de taille petite ou moyenne en perpétuelle régénérescence.

Du moins en apparence.

Y a-t-il de profondes différences entre ces deux catégories ? Certes oui sur le mode de management.

Mais notre métier, pour l’essentiel, est le même. C’est principalement un métier de proximité nécessitant

une présence forte sur le terrain. Les grands groupes sont en fait une fédération de petites ou moyennes

entreprises. Nous ne devons jamais l’oublier.

Cette situation est fondamentalement différente de celle d’autres secteurs comme la distribution,

l’industrie pétrolière, l’industrie lourde en général. Notre avenir à tous ne peut être assuré que par

nos performances économiques et techniques ; la qualité de nos produits et de nos prestations pour la

satisfaction des clients ; notre esprit de responsabilité.

Nous croyons nécessaire de poursuivre un effort de recherche déterminé, dans nos entreprises. C’est le

seul moyen d’assurer le progrès de nos produits et de nos organisations.

Nous ajouterons qu’il nous semble très souhaitable que nos clients, en particulier les pouvoirs publics

respectent et valorisent cet engagement et cet effort pour la recherche et le progrès. Par exemple par une

ouverture à l’innovation plus marquée dans les marchés publics.

Nous disons aussi que le renforcement en taille de nos grands groupes permet une expansion au plan

mondial. Notre présence renforcée dans de nouveaux pays en Europe et ailleurs est un facteur de

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FREN

CH

diffusion de nos techniques, de nos produits, de nos méthodes et procédés. Notre force technique

permet de les adapter aux besoins de chaque pays. C’est aussi cela la nouvelle infl uence de l’Europe.

Parlant de performance, nous ne pouvons taire notre préférence pour les performances bonds. Ils sont, à

notre sens, un facteur de progrès car ils obligent l’entreprise à plus de préparation des chantiers et à plus

de responsabilité. Leur essence même devrait rassurer le client puisqu’ils comprennent un engagement

de bonne fi n.

Adoptés par la Banque Mondiale, par la Banque Européenne de Développement, il conviendrait qu’ils

soient utilisés plus correctement.

Si nous faisons effort, si nous exigeons plus de nous-mêmes, nous devons exiger ou du moins nous

souhaitons pouvoir attendre plus de nos fournisseurs :

• de granulats, même si nos sociétés possèdent des carrières,

• de bitume, bien entendu.

Nous sommes en droit d’attendre plus de garantie de qualité, de régularité de qualité, de niveau de

qualité.

Peut-être ne devrons-nous plus nous contenter à l’avenir de normes fondées sur le comportement

physique du bitume…

Peut-être devrons-nous être aussi mieux informés sur son origine et sur le cycle de fabrication qu’il a

subi avant livraison…

La qualité de nos produits en dépend. Leurs performances aussi. Pour ce qui concerne le prix, nous

souhaitons qu’il permette à nos produits bitumineux de garder leur avance de compétitivité.

Nous devons mieux faire connaître nos efforts pour la sécurité dans nos organisations et les précautions

prises pour la santé de nos collaborateurs mais aussi pour celle des usagers et des riverains des routes

que nous construisons.

Je me permets de vous signaler au passage la décision que j’ai prise en 1991 de supprimer les goudrons

et assimilés chez COLAS. Cette décision a été complétée par l’exclusion des composés toxiques et

autant que faire se peut des composés trop dangereux.

C’est important que nos entreprises fassent corps dans ce sens. C’est un signe de progrès, c’est une

preuve de maturité.

Pour conclure, je voudrais remercier les organisateurs de m’avoir laissé cette tribune.

La technique est très présente dans nos métiers. Elle doit être innovante, plus performante et contribuer

plus effi cacement encore demain qu’hier à la compétitivité de nos entreprises.

Alain DUPONT

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FOR THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

Michel de Fabiani

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Total Fina Elf

Tex

Chevron

BP Amoco RD Shell

Exxon Mobil

5 10 15 20 25

Reserves (bn BOE)

Market Capitalisation ($bn)

ENI

Repsol/YPF

�

�

�

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� Under Kyoto Protocol, European Communitycommitted to reducing greenhouse gasesemissions by 8% during 2008-2012(Compared to 1990 levels)

� Energy and transport are the maincontributors to CO2 emissions.

� Revision of Transport Strategy expectedby end 2000

� Green Paper on Urban Transport toaddress growing concern about congestion

� EC successful on measures such asagreement with car manufacturers

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� Drivers want freedom of mobility

� Drivers also want to reduce pollution

� Enlargement bound to increase traffic

� EP calling for tougher standards to limittransport noise levels

Growth

Europe 1 - 2 %

US 3 - 4 %

Asia 4 - 5 %

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� Bitumen manufacturing is a special process� Planned up to 4 months ahead

� Ample supplies of bitumen crude

� Available as required if economics are right

� Refining solution to low sulfur gasoline andgasoil will differ� Impact on bitumen will be globally balanced

� Possible refinery closures may induce local

supply reshuffling and longer transport.

8101214161820222426283032343638

03-

Nov

22-

Dec

09-

Feb

30-

Mar

18-

May

06-

Jul

24-

Aug

12-

Oct

30-

Nov

18-

Jan

08-

Mar

26-

Apr

14-

Jun

02-

Aug

20-

Sep

08-

Nov

27-

Dec

14-

Feb

03-

Apr

22-

May

10-

Jul

28-

Aug

1997 $19.091998 $12.721999 $17.97

1Q00 $26.932Q00 $26.893Q00 to date $30.20

1997 $19.091998 $12.721999 $17.97

1Q00 $26.932Q00 $26.893Q00 to date $30.20

Jakarta OPEC

Meeting

Vienna

Riyadh Agreement

The Hague

Vienna

(Brent dated $/bbl)

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� Oil market and $ volatility will remain

� Protection mechanisms :

� Price indexation on rolling local price

� Oil companies can offer fixed price dealwith volume and timing constraints

CRUDE

REFINERY

15 DAYS

------------------

EXTRANET

MIXING PLANT1/2 DAY

3 - 4 MONTHS

1/2 DAY

VALUABLE PRODUCT + LONG MANUFACTURING CHAIN

+ SHORT LAYING PROCESS ==> PARTNERSHIP

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HOW TO MANAGE AND ORGANISE A ROAD NETWORK

Dr Robin DunlopChief Executive, Transit New Zealand

Basis of Road Management and Investment

For managing any road network you need the following components:

- Clear vision and direction

- An understanding of customer and stakeholder needs

- Translation of customer and stakeholder needs into organisational activities

- Prioritisation and optimisation tools/techniques

- Key performance indicators.

Vision and Direction

Any organisation responsible for a network of roads must have a vision for the future based on any

legislation, contract with the Government, and Ministerial requirement. It is desirable for road networks

to be managed at arms length from direct Ministerial direction. In New Zealand, the following structure

has been adopted.

The Minister of Transport, with the aid of the Minister of Finance, appoints boards for the safety

regulatory authority (Land Transport Safety Authority), a funding allocation body (Transfund New

Zealand), and a strategic road network manager (Transit New Zealand) (See Figure 1).

State Highway ManagementStructure

TRANSFUND

NEW ZEALAND

TRANSIT NEW

ZEALAND

Land Transport

Safety Authority

MINISTER OF

TRANSPORT

Responsible forroad funding

Responsible formanagement ofState Highways

Responsible forsafety of:

vehicles

drivers

infrastructurestandards

Figure 1

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The Minister of Transport in conjunction with the three organisations, known as Crown entities,

develops performance agreements for each entity. The performance agreement sets out the Minister’s

expectation and the performance measures which will be used to judge the effectiveness of the entity.

Transit New Zealand, the strategic (state) highway network operator, has developed the following

vision: A World Leader in Roading Solutions, and its mission statement is “To provide a safe and

effi cient state highway system which meets the needs of road users and the communities it serves”.

Transit has also developed a national state highway strategy, backed up by individual highway

strategies

Understanding Customer and Stakeholder Needs

Any road management structure should be designed to meet the key outputs that road users and

stakeholders consider essential, and at the same time gain the effi ciencies that can be inherent in private

sector provision. This is more likely to be achieved using public sector-owned entities, where the

main focus is on the achievement of fi ve key road user outputs, and not on retaining resources to

collect revenue or maintain and construct roads. In other words, I would suggest road owners need to

develop into smart providers and service organisations which maximise the utilisation of private sector

technology and innovation via competition and strategic partnerships.

This means that road owners must concentrate their efforts on determining road users’ willingness to pay

for services, rather than making these decisions in isolation of users. Clearly regulatory, statutory and

shareholder responsibilities also need to be met and factored into any pricing for levels of service.

How the publicly-owned smart provider organisations obtain the input from road users is open to

discussion and experimentation. One way is seek input from user groups like the automobile and

trucking associations.

Another alternative is to require road network owners to negotiate directly with road user groups. In

some cases, such as heavy vehicle users, these negotiations could be arranged reasonably easily, but

this will not be the case for many diverse owners of light vehicles. This issue will no doubt receive

considerable attention in the future.

A third alternative is the use of market research techniques such as customer satisfaction and willingness-

to-pay surveys.

Key Road User Outputs

There appear to be fi ve key outputs that road users focus on:

- Safety

- Road system reliability

- Comfort and low stress

- Effi ciency

- Price and levels of service

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Safety

There are a number of approaches to road safety. For instance, Sweden has adopted the ethical

approach, ie. Vision zero for accidents. The Netherlands have adopted an environmental approach

which separates different types of users in order to minimise accidents. On the other hand, New Zealand

has adopted the effi ciency approach, where any investment must achieve safety benefi ts greater than the

cost.

Regardless of the vision, the best way to ensure that a network of roads is managed in a safe manner is

to develop a safety system which enables all the activities to be co-ordinated. Transit New Zealand has

developed a safety management system over the last eight years, and has just completed the fi rst audit

on a trial application. It is now being implemented across the organisation.

The main components of Transit’s safety management system are:

(a) Management

(b) Identifying hazards

(c) Road, pavement and bridge design and maintenance

(d) Traffi c control devices

(e) The roadside

(f) Vulnerable road users

In particular, the main thrust of our state highway design and management is:

- fi tness for purpose

- no surprises to the driver

- balance between mobility and safety.

Safety will be a real winner if new technology is used in road use management. For instance, in-vehicle

guidance systems can detect whether a vehicle is straying from its vehicle lane and then correct its

movement by overriding the driver. Likewise, the problem of following too close can be eliminated if

vehicle drivers were to accept the use of technology to govern the safe space between two vehicles.

Visibility at night and around blind corners makes driving diffi cult, but with built-in passive infra-red

sensors, safe driving will be greatly improved. The Smart Cruise 21 Demo 2000 here in Japan paves the

way for this type of driver support.

In the future, we are likely to see some form of automated highway which should be safer and certainly

will allow a greater throughput of vehicles per hour, which will greatly increase the utilisation of the

existing road network.

Likewise, improved vehicle design has enabled many safety features to be incorporated which have

greatly improved the chances of surviving a crash.

Road System Reliability

Every year, road users are becoming more demanding in respect of delays and road closures.

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in the future will enable real time information on road works, accidents, closures from natural events,

and congestion to be relayed directly into the vehicle, or made available by a number of communication

media forums, including the Internet.

In particular, road information systems such as VICS in Japan enable subscribers to access information

on the shortest route to a destination, the approximate time it will take to complete the journey, and even

directions for the driver. This type of information exchange is not an option but essential, in order to

satisfy this required key output.

Delays in themselves are not totally unacceptable. However having little or no information on delay

times and alternative routes is unacceptable in the 21st century.

Comfort and Low Stress

Comfort results from a smooth road surface and no sudden curves, by routine measurement of road

roughness and then treating the worse lengths. Low stress comes from good traffi c fl ow, no hold ups

behind slower traffic, and wide lanes requiring less driver concentration and minimisation of confl icting

traffi c movements. Technology will assist by:

(a) Using details of accidents, congestion and other natural events, change traffi c messages either on the

road or in the vehicle to minimise travel time

(b) Using automated highways which will increase throughput of vehicles per hour lane, and hence

reduce the need to expand the road network capacity.

(c) Warning of obstructions, accidents or other road impediments.

Effi ciency

In effect, road users expect an effi cient road system which includes the management of traffi c,

maintenance of highway, innovative construction techniques, and the most effective utilisation of the

current road asset.

Technology will play a major role in improving the effi ciency of a road network by:

(a) Charging for actual road user rather than average pricing.

(b) Enabling road construction parameters such as compaction density to be monitored away from the

site.

(c) Being informed in a central offi ce location of damage to the road furniture, eg an embedded chip in

a road sign will advise the road manager the sign has been damaged.

(d) Better monitoring of the actual weight of vehicles using the road system.

(e) Using global positioning systems to control access by extra heavy vehicles to selected upgraded

super routes.

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(f) Increasing traffi c throughput by automating existing highway throughput, and reducing the need to

expand the road network capacity.

Also, vehicles are becoming more fuel effi cient eg. hyper vehicles, which reduces emission levels and

enables more travel for the dollar.

Price and Levels of Service

Currently, road agencies or politicians decide the levels of service normally based on standards or

funding availability. In the future, technology will enable lengths of road to be priced for different levels

of service, which would mean that road users can decide which options they want. However a certain

minimum level of safety would be required regardless of what road users want to pay. Perhaps the road

users should also have the opportunity to trade off safety with mobility.

Hand in hand with this ability to trade off different features, road users are likely to want to know what

levels of service actually mean on the road. For instance, in the case of a new road they are likely to

want to know the design speed value, how the road will fi t into the landscape, and what environmental

effects it would produce.

The use of visual graphics to present the built environment for the road will greatly assist road user

understanding of what they are purchasing.

Translating Customer and Stakeholder Needs into Organisational Activities

The following methodology for achieving both customer (road user and community) and stakeholders

(Transfund as funder, and the Minister) can best be described by the following diagram:

At the strategic level, the Board is responsible for the corporate plan, reporting to the Minister, new

policy approval, delegations and prioritisation and approval of signifi cant investments in the road

network.

Levels of Decision Supportinformation

Corporate

State Highway Network

Asset Management Operational

Tactical

Strategic

Key Performance

Indicators

Condition Monitoringand Achievement

Decision supportsystems

Management Level Generic Information Need

Figure 2

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The entity’s top management carries out the Board’s direction by ensuring the appropriate resources

and systems are in place to make sure the road network is managed in a professional, safe and effi cient

manner.

Prioritisation and Optimisation Tools and Techniques

Maintenance is determined annually using a rolling three year programme from the information

contained in a road asset management system. Levels of skid resistance, surface deformation, roughness,

deterioration modelling, and safety audits play a signifi cant role in determining the type and level of

each maintenance treatment.

In terms of both rehabilitation and new capital investment, New Zealand uses benefi t cost analysis. More

than 70% of the New Zealand state highway annual programme is subject to some form of benefi t cost

analysis.

Benefi ts comprise:

- vehicle operating cost savings

- travel time savings

- accident savings

- increased comfort

- reduced noise and less community impact.

Costs comprise:

- capital costs

- change in maintenance costs.

Key Performance Indicators

The following are the key performance indicators currently used by Transit New Zealand, but they are

improving and extending each year:

- On road maintenance cost / km

- Percentage completion of programme by cost

- Percentage completion of programme by output

- Return on lettable properties

- Roughness

- Rutting, fl ushing

- Appeals to Planning Tribunal

- Number of bridges with posted weight restriction.

For example, on road maintenance cost/lane km

Target: constant costs

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Network performance indicators used can be grouped into three parts: effi ciency, safety and asset.

The effi ciency indicators cover issues such as:

- cost of maintenance per km

- geometric effi ciency

- change in road roughness

- bridge weight restrictions

The safety indicators cover such issues as:

- number and cost of crashes

- compatibility of speed environment

- sealed carriage width

- bridge width defi ciencies

An example is Sealed Carriageway Width

Target: All state highways to meet target width

The asset indicators would normally include:

- road roughness

- rutting

- fl ushing

- skid resistance

- remaining seal life

- remaining pavement life

An example would be RuttingLess than 1% of network has potentially hazardous ruts (depression in a wheel path exceeding 30mm)

1997/1998 1998/1999 1999/2000

Actual Actual Target

US$3,068 US$2,964 US$3,016

Annual Average

Daily Traffic

Target Width % Deficient

>4000 10M 6.5

2000-4000 8.5M 21

<2000 7M 25

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Road user satisfaction levels also need to be measured to make sure that a road network manager is

interpreting the customer needs correctly, and that the procedures and systems are delivering.

Transit measures on a biennial basis the road user perception of the state highway network by asking

questions on the network condition and performance. This sort of external analysis can be very

demanding on a road network manager.

Management Structure to Deliver an Effi cient Road Network

Having established restraints to operating a highway infrastructure business, eg. Government legislation

and both user and stakeholder aspirations, it is essential to develop an organisational structure which will

deliver on these expectations, and take into account the management components discussed previously

in this paper.

In a review of Transit New Zealand carried out in 1999, with the help of an outside consultant, a number

of other road agencies and utility operators were examined (Reference1).

The generic structural options considered were as follows:

(a) Reporting lines based around regional operations

(b) Reporting lines based around functions, eg. customer services, project delivery

(c) Reporting lines based around markets , eg. urban roads, rural roads

(d) Reporting lines based around outputs, eg. maintenance, capital works.

The following is the fi ndings from this report on the above options (Reference1):

Summary of Transit Review

The four generic organisational structures each have relative advantages and disadvantages. While

some potentially promote a stronger focus on customers and effi ciency, none of them stands out as being

clearly preferable.

This fi nding is consistent with organisational design literature with observation of organisational design

in overseas road agencies.

The literature points to a number of key conclusions:

• There is no one ideal organisational structure. The design of organisational structure must be built

around an understanding and evaluation of markets, regulatory frameworks, strategies and competition.

• There has been a strong trend in getting away from “silos”. This has involved greater use of project

1997/1998 1998/1999

Actual Actual

0.05% 0.03%

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management and team-based approaches in preference to operating along strictly defi ned business

units.

• The shift in balance between divisions (“silos”) and teams/project management approaches refl ects

underlying tensions and trade-offs between:

- economies of scale

- the advantages of specialisation

- the scarcity of specialist resources, and overarching all of these

- the dynamics of customer requirements which rarely, if ever, fi t neatly into the responsibility of a single

operating division.

• Over the last decade, there has been a trend toward “delayering” of organisations with the implication

of reducing the number of management levels, increasing spans of control, and increasing levels of

responsibility down the organisation.

• The outcome of an organisation design review should not be seen as the creation of a static

organisation chart, but rather should recognise that organisational design is an ongoing process where the

senior management team is continually modifying the organisation, clarifying reporting relationships,

responsibilities and control systems.

Many of these points also arise in the context of other organisations, including several overseas roading

entities:

• There is no uniformity of organisation design among the overseas road agencies examined. Among

those reviewed, there are organisational designs based around regions (VicRoads, Australia), functions

(UK Highways Agency and Cofi route) and markets defi ned in terms of rural and urban roads (Western

Australia).

• Most of these agencies are reviewing their organisational structure including, in part, options to

separate funding and provider roles (something which has already been achieved in New Zealand with

the establishment of Transfund). In short, organisation structure among these agencies is in a state of

fl ux.

• Some organisations have established separate divisions to manage major projects; others combined

this responsibility within divisions with responsibility for other types of road project.

• Most entities have gone some way to promoting fl exible team-based and project management

approaches to particular issues. This was most pronounced in the case of the South African

Roading Authority, where traditional functional groupings had been broken down to create a series of

consultancy/project groups.

• Greater use of a project management approach to core functions was seen by most as a way of

addressing the “silo” problem.

In the light of organisational design theory, overseas practice and the analysis of the options above, a

key issue to consider is whether there is a case for moving away from an organisation which underlies

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Transit’s existing structure; that is, a structure which uses predominantly regionally-based reporting

lines.

The absence of a compelling case in this regard led the Review Team to focus on structural design

options which retain reporting lines based around regions (see Figure 3).

However a project based approach to major projects was adopted to develop skill levels and capture

expertise across the organisation rather than in any particular region.

Resources

The key to operating any organisation is to correctly determine the human skills needed and then either

buy them in or train them. A good human resource strategy which includes individual job requirements,

training, remuneration policy, and performance monitoring, is essential. Also, an organisation needs to

develop personal accountability, empowerment and opportunity to innovate, as well as a safe working

environment.

Physical resources such as offi ce furniture and other offi ce equipment are also essential.

Systems

System development in any road management organisation is imperative in order to deliver the desired

outcomes. Systems should be based on proven and currently operating systems where possible.

Whether you are purchasing an off the shelf system or developing one from scratch, it is imperative

that considerable effort goes into the front end analysis of the customer’s needs and scoping the size

of the project. Pilot testing is very advisable before rolling out any system. Development of system

components one at a time, but capable of integration and interoperability is, however, essential. Systems

that Transit have employed or developed from scratch are:

See attachment 1

Conclusion

In managing a road network there needs to be a clear vision established, followed by road user and

stakeholder expectations and translation of these desires into performance on the road. Internal systems

which set priorities, obtains funds, and delivers to set performance measures are essential. Actions need

to be based on continuous improvement with an antenna up for new opportunities and developments

which can make the system more effi cient or provide better services.

Intelligent network systems offer real opportunities to improve the effi ciency and safety of highway

networks. However, many institutional structures now in place for management of publicly owned

highway networks do not provide the right incentives to ensure that the full potential of intelligent

transport systems is exploited.

This technology development, combined with far more demanding road users, means it is essential

that network managers break away from conventional thinking and look at how all the components of

these highway networks will combine to produce the most cost effi cient and affordable infrastructure

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consistent with customer needs and willingness to pay. Those of us who do not pick up this challenge

and move with the opportunities being opened up will not survive the next decade in the highway

management fi eld.

Many writers conclude that the present transportation system is not sustainable due to the fi nite

availability of fossil fuels, the environmental damage caused by emissions, the consumption of land for

roads, the effects or costs of crashes on communities, and the cost of congestion.

What they fail to do is project their thinking into the future where technology developments are likely

to radically change these current conditions.

Hyper or hydrogen vehicles could greatly reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and the effect of

emissions on the atmosphere, and also reduce the noise level and contaminates running off the pavement.

Safety will dramatically improve with the introduction of technology which will hold a vehicle in its

lane on the road at an appropriate distance behind a vehicle in front.

Better road management, and possibly automated highways, will greatly improve traffi c throughput, and

hence the reduced need for more traffi c lanes.

As proper road pricing is introduced, transport decisions will start being made, based on actual costs.

Passenger transport will then be more viable, and congestion will reduce. Also, proper pricing will

raise the funds to carry out essential capacity improvements. It is anticipated that the most diffi cult

environmental effects of roads to overcome will be the severance of communities. This is where land

use planning allows for such corridors, and they are planned into developments. Also, other forms of

transport such as walking and cycling need to be catered for in any road network.

In the meantime, demonstrated accountability for excellent road management as outlined in this paper

will assist in providing a safe and effi ciently run road network.

Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect the

views of either Transit New Zealand or the Government of New Zealand

Reference1 Review of Organisational Structure – Stage I. Discussion Report September 1999, Transit New

Zealand

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Attachment 1

Information Technology Systems

Information system development in any road management organisation is imperative in order to deliver

the desired outcomes and to harness new opportunities. Systems should be based on proven and

currently operating systems where possible. Whether you are purchasing an off the shelf system or

developing one from scratch, it is imperative that considerable effort goes into the front end analysis of

the objectives, the users’ needs and scoping the size of the project. Pilot testing is very advisable before

rolling out any system. Development of system components one at a time, but capable of integration and

interoperability is, however, essential. It is therefore important to have an overall Information Systems

Strategic Plan to provide a vision for the delivery of systems. The plan should weigh up the importance

of meeting immediate business requirements and the strategic move towards the vision, which will itself

be reviewed. Systems that Transit have employed or developed from scratch are:

Systems DescriptionNational Optimisation ofMaintenance of Assetsby Decade (NOMAD)

A ten year forward planning software tool formaintenance planning and achievement monitoring.It assimilates data from all data sources identified toprovide inputs into the ten year programmedetermination.

PROMAN PROMAN is a national project financial managementsystem. It allows the financial status of individualprojects be accessed immediately and facilitate there-direction of surplus funding throughout the nationalnetwork. Network Management Consultants accessPROMAN and input their work directly via the Internetand the remote access architecture in Transit.

Property Acquisitions &Disposal System (PADS)

Property Consultants access PADS and input theirproperty management work directly via the Internetand the remote access architecture in Transit.

Transit OverweightPermit System (TOPS)

A system to process Overweight Vehicle Permits.For each bridge, the (VAI) and (VGI) values thattrigger specific conditions of travel for a small set oftest trucks, will be calculated and stored in an SQLdatabase.

Any truck that requires checking is modelled as one

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of the test trucks. The truck’s Vehicle Axle Index(VAI) and Vehicle Gross Index (VGI) are calculatedand these values compared to the VAI and VGItrigger values for each bridge. The correct conditionof travel for each bridge is then output.

Traffic Monitoring System(TMS)

Traffic data from traffic monitoring devices andtelemetry sites is loaded by the Consultants throughthe Internet. The data are processed and reports areproduced for the regional offices and consultants asreferences and resources for managing the network.

Palladium To provide Transit staff with online access to keymanuals, Authority Submissions and key documents;and to provide document owners an effective meansto update and version control their documents.

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PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS – THE CONTRACTORS VIEWPOINT

Euan McEwan, Executive Director, Carillion PLC

INTRODUCTION

Thank you . Good afternoon everyone.

My task today is to give you a Contractor’s view of Public Private Partnerships – the Private Finance

Initiative or PFI as it was called. I have divided my presentation into two sections:

• Firstly, I will describe the broad generic messages that we at Carillion have found to be fundamental

to all PFI projects, and

• Secondly, I will talk in some detail about how Carillion approaches PFI which is, in fact, a

concessionaire’s viewpoint, and an example of how PFI can change the contractor’s role.

CARILLION

But before I begin, let me say a few words about Carillion, one of the largest construction to services

companies in the UK with a turnover of £1.8 billion in 1999, operating in all principal sectors of the

construction industry, with the exception of private house building.

As well as being known for our traditional building and civil engineering skills, we are increasingly

focusing on growth in services, facilities management and infrastructure management, many of which

play an important part in supporting our leading position in the PFI market in the UK. A market that

continues to expand with the private sector now showing serious interest in addition to an increasing

number of government departments.

That’s enough about Carillion, let me now give you a little background to PFI in the UK.

PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE

As most of you will know, as the UK entered the 1990s the pressures on public fi nances and the

unlikelihood that the Government could satisfy all the demands for public expenditure that were being

made, without raising taxes to an unacceptable level, meant that an alternative had to be found.

As a result, the Private Finance Initiative was launched in 1992 by Norman Lamont, the then Chancellor

of the Exchequer, with the twin objectives of:

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- increasing the quality and quantity of the Nation’s capital stock through partnership between the public

and private sectors, and

- easing the pressures on the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement

Although initially slow to take off, the Initiative is now well established to the extent that something

over £19bn pounds worth of projects, with operating revenues of some £100bn over the next 25 years,

have been committed. Peak annual expenditure is currently forecast to be around £3bn in 2007-08; just

over 2% of the Government’s annually managed expenditure. And there is much more to come if the

British Government’s plans to sign contracts for a further £20bn over the next three years are delivered.

However, the Private Finance Initiative is not just about stimulating different fl ows of funds or producing

a new building, rather it is concerned with promoting effi ciency, improving the services that are supplied

and obtaining better value-for-money for the tax-payer. It is, therefore, at the heart of the theme of this

Conference [Performance and Competitiveness].

It demands a new approach to the procurement of services by the public sector from private sector

suppliers.

Let me expand on this point as I talk about the generic messages.

GENERIC MESSAGES

• The fi rst is that the client must have a clear idea of what he or she is purchasing. That is, an output

specifi cation which defi nes the service to be provided without any undue focus on any asset which may

also have to be built. It is also vital that the client has the legal authority to enter into the sort of long-

term arrangements that PFI projects require.

• next, the payment mechanism for the service must be clear and established.

• thirdly, experienced resources - fi nancial and human - must be available.

• then, the allocation of risk between all parties must be equitable.

• fi fthly, and this is a very important point, as a result of improved operating effi ciencies and the

effectiveness of the procurement process, improved economics do deliver better value for money.

• and fi nally, there is the need to focus on whole life costs and the challenge of providing innovative

solutions to minimize them.

Let’s look at these points in more detail.

Firstly, there is a fundamental need in PFI for an output specifi cation that demands that the purchaser

is absolutely clear about what he or she wants to purchase.

PFI focuses the public sector’s mind on the output specifi cation, the operations, the supply of a service

rather than, as in the past, on the provision of a capital asset itself. In fact ownership of an asset is now

much less of an issue. The key factor is that PFI demands that the public sector becomes a purchaser of

services, as opposed to a provider.

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A comprehensive and accurate output specifi cation is, therefore, an essential part of the procurement

process, which underpins the entire contract, and it is important that the core requirements - the outputs -

are stated as clearly and accurately as possible. A clear specifi cation also give tenderers the opportunity

to offer innovative and different solutions - solutions which may provide better value-for-money, but

which must encompass the absolute essentials.

Let me give you two examples from Carillion’s PFI prison at Fazakerley in Liverpool.

The output specifi cation, in simple terms, stated that: we had to comply with the rules of the Courts

(who send people to prison); we had to house the number and category of prisoners that would be in

residence; and those prisoners had to be kept in good health, fed and, not allowed to escape; a not

unreasonable condition! The solution as to how this specifi cation was to be achieved, and how the price,

cost and quality parameters were to be balanced, was left to us, which resulted in at least two important

innovations.

Firstly, Group 4, our partners, instituted computerized identity and access systems, which control and

restrict prisoners’ movements around the prison. These controls are producing signifi cant operational

savings on manpower and associated costs compared with normal Prison Service methods.

The second innovation related to the construction process, and the requirement that the prison had to be

open on time, which led to a decision to manufacture pre-cast prison cells in a factory environment to

ensure high and constant quality with no weather delays.

Having clarifi ed the output specifi cation, another key feature is to establish how payment is going to

be made for the service that is provided and how penalties and bonuses will be applied - that is, the

payment mechanism.

Payment is usually made for the provision of a service. For the use of a road, for example, a direct

toll could be paid by the user, as is common in many parts of continental Europe or, until that

diffi cult political issue is tackled by the UK’s politicians, a shadow toll can be paid, which is based

on the number and type of vehicles using the road, with adjustments made for lane closure and safety

performance, or perhaps, payment could be made only when all lanes are open. Whatever the payment

mechanism, it will be based on the provision of a service and not the stage payment process for a capital

asset that has been used for years.

The third point, which leads on from the fi rst two is the need to have experienced management resources available in both the pubic and private sectors to deliver the required services.

Both the client and the consortium bidding for a project must have a dedicated and experienced team

which has strong leadership and the authority to negotiate all aspects of a project. For the private

sector supplier your team might contain people with fi nancial, civil engineering, building and project

management skills, as well as an operator for their input, and at least one banker to ensure that what is

proposed is bankable.

The message is the same for the public sector client, although the experience and skills of the team

members will, of course, be different. However, it is important to ensure that there are suffi cient staff

with the necessary commercial expertise to do a deal, although they may be inhibited in their ability to

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negotiate PFI contracts expeditiously for fear of an audit of the deal they have struck, in our case the

Public Accounts Committee, at a later date.

My fourth message is to get the allocation of risk right as early as possible, because re-negotiation is

very ineffi cient. There are at least eight risks that have to be addressed.

- demand risk

- availability risk

- pricing risk

- completion risk

- residual value risk

- operating cost risk

- design risk, and

- intra consortium risk

The initial response on early PFI projects was for the public sector client to attempt to allocate all

the risks to the private sector without any thought of the fi nancial implications. For example, we

were initially asked to take-on the volume risk in prisons and hospitals without being able to infl uence

the courts or the medical services to ensure that our prison or hospital remained full! There is now,

however, a better understanding across the public sector that value-for-money should be best achieved

by allocating risk to the party best able to manage it. So if the risk can be designed-out, managed-out,

insured-out or priced-out, it is possible that the private sector could accept it, - if not, the risk must rest

with the public sector Client. Easier said than done, however.

My penultimate point is the fact that real value-for-money, which is driven by the speed of construction

and operational savings, can be achieved.

In PFI projects, the interest charge on the build-cost is moved from the purchaser onto the builder

making time for construction critical. As a result, the focus is on completing projects much more

quickly than is the norm and incorporating innovative cost reducing operational improvements, which

when added together, produce savings in excess of the additional costs generated by the private sector

having to pay for higher rates of interest than the Government. Recent reports from the UK National

Audit Offi ce have demonstrated that savings of 10% - 15% are being achieved in the prison and roads

sectors.

My fi nal message, and this is the crux of PFI, is the importance of focusing on whole-life-costs by which

I mean the systematic consideration of all relevant costs and revenues associated with the acquisition

and ownership of an asset.

In recent years as more contractors have begun to act as owners of assets, particularly through the arrival

of PFI, and owners themselves have become more sophisticated and demanding, whole-life costs have

begun to receive more attention. It is really about how assets should best be specifi ed, designed, procured

and maintained during their life cycle.

As a result, the focus of PFI is very much on fi nding effi ciencies, through the integration of responsibility

for design, building and operating. “Buildability” and “Operability” come into focus from the very

beginning of the design process and specialist suppliers must be involved from the early stages.

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Too often the construction, maintenance and operating costs of an asset are seen as fi xed overheads

rather than variables which contribute to the bottom line. Construction work often has hidden costs in

the form of loss of availability, productivity or profi tability during maintenance work. For example,

the disruption caused by the repair of major structures such as bridges or roads means that higher

initial costs may be justifi ed to avoid the costs of congestion and the diversion of traffi c from major

motorways etc. However, construction work can also provide benefi ts, such as the creation of better

working conditions, which may improve staff productivity. Either way, whole life costing can be used

to assess these hidden costs and benefi ts and encourages ‘a right fi rst time’ approach.

CARILLION’S APPROACH

Those are my key generic factors, let me now move on to talk about Carillion’s approach to privately

fi nanced projects and services.

We took the bold step in 1994 of committing to PFI by setting up a specialist Private Finance

Department at Group level with the objectives of:

• winning profi table business for Carillion’s core businesses through the bidding and winning of PFI

concessions

• improving the quality of Carillion’s earnings through the creation of investments in PFI concession

owning companies which will provide attractive and reliable returns over the concession lives, and

• managing a portfolio of investments in PFI concession owning companies so as to optimize the

economic return from the investments

Six years later Carillion is probably the UK leader in PFI with 14 closed concessions and 1 project at the

preferred bidder stage. Of the 14 closed concessions, six are in operation and eight under construction.

In total, these contacts involve construction, maintenance and FM contracts worth around US $2.4bn,

and importantly, we have also invested $53m of equity in concession companies that will generate over

$1.5bn of turnover for Carillion over the life of the concession contracts. As a result, we are able to

identify three future profi t streams – from construction, from operations and from our investments.

The success of PFI is therefore vital to the future of Carillion, so let’s look at what it has meant for our

operations by considering the means for success:

- the role of a Special Purpose Company

- project selection

- building a consortium

- bidding to win, and

- managing the concession.

For each PFI project a Special Purpose Company is created by Carillion and its partners which enters

into a contract to design, build, fi nance and operate a facility (eg a hospital) for an agreed number of

years (25-30 years). The SPC raises fi nance to pay for the provision of the facility and then the client

(eg an NHS Trust) pays the SPC for the availability of that facility and the services they provide (eg

catering, laundry, maintenance etc).

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The SPC’s purpose therefore is to win a concession to provide a service that the client wants and then

to deliver that service at a profi t. But that is not quite as straightforward as it may seem. An SPC will

usually have to manage: a host of advisors, an equity investment, a design and construction contract and

an operating contract as well as a demanding client. And, as one company cannot normally provide all

that is required, and generally wouldn’t want to because of the risks involved, partners need to be found

and relationships developed.

But before you can decide on your partners, a target project has to be selected. At Carillion, a series of

factors will be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to pursue a project.

Firstly, how much equity will be injected into the project and what return will be achieved?

Next, does the project utilise various businesses within the group, and if so, what kind of profi t will it

bring?

Thirdly, we consider what tender costs will be at risk. What is the time-frame for the bid process, how

much will need to be invested and is the project of a suffi cient size to recover the bid costs if we reach

fi nancial close? What will the strength of the competition be?

Then there is resources. Do the necessary skills to win the project exist in the bidding consortium?

Can our skills be used to innovate and gain competitive advantage? Will the project utilise skills and

experience gained on other projects, or is it likely to be repeatable?

And fi nally, risk. What will the consortium be expected to take on from the Public Sector?

Having decided that we wish to pursue a particular project, the next task is to build the consortium.

Here the key issues are as follows:

the politics and culture of our partners must be compatible with our own;

next, there must be the right support within our partners which must be clearly visible;

thirdly, all the areas of risk that I have previously mentioned must be identifi ed and thrashed out;

next, the right number of partners needs to be established depending upon a project demands;

and fi nally, our advisors must be of the very best quality with a track record in PFI.

What this means is that different markets require different partners. At Carillion, we are currently

targeting fi ve sectors with different partners in each sector.

Having selected our project and chosen our partners, our next objective is to try and win the bidding process. To do this, we make sure that we understand the project drivers and create the most effective

solution. We decide whether we are going to provide a compliant and/or variant bids. We must also

ensure that our offer covers all the issues and, from our experience of the last six years we know we

must be prepared to work very hard to hold the team together through what can be very long, tiring and

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frustrating negotiations.

Hopefully, after putting a signifi cant amount of fi nance at risk, (it can cost anything between £1m and

5m to bid for a PFI project) our consortium will win a concession contract. At which point another set

of demands and pressures arise associated with managing the concession.

Many concessions run for 25 or 30 years so my comments earlier about understanding the politics and

culture of our partners is vital. The concession also needs to be actively managed by the SPC; fl exibility

must be incorporated into the management structure and upsides in the operational activities must be

continuously pursued. It is simply not good enough to sit back and let the concession run itself.

And fi nally, what are the rewards?

Well, the client gets certainty of service quality for a known cost.

Whereas the contractor has the opportunity to infl uence the design and construction process and to

innovate, whilst also benefi ting from a long term perspective, more reliable cash fl ows, and better profi ts

in return for the higher risks taken. And there is also the opportunity to pass on the benefi ts of improved

construction processes to the more traditional areas of a contractor’s operations.

CONCLUSION

And so to conclude, I hope I have given you some points to consider when you get involved with

privately fi nanced projects, either as a service purchaser or specialist supplier.

It really is absolutely vital, whether you are a contractor or a specialist, that you are clear about the risks

involved, clear about what you can contribute, and clear about the investment that is needed.

Whereas if you are a service purchaser, I am sure that PFI can provide a value for money solution.

PFI and PPPs have encouraged change in the UK construction industry with positive results now coming

through. With PFI the preferred procurement route for capital projects and the Government committed

to extending the role of PFI and PPP into new sectors, the future for all those involved, provided that the

factors I have described are properly assessed and managed, is very exciting.

Thank you

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AN

HOW TO DEVELOP AMBITION AND MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES

Prof. von Cube & Kollegen GmbHBioLogik der Führung und Fortbildung

Lust an Leistung

Viele Wirtschaftsunternehmen sind gerade durch die Globalisierung einem stärker werdenden

Wettbewerbsdruck ausgesetzt. Daher sind sich die meisten Führungsverantwortlichen darüber im klaren,

daß die Gesamtfi tness ihrer Unternehmen gesteigert werden muß. Hier ist natürlich zuallererst die

Leistungsfähigkeit und Anstrengungsbereitschaft jedes einzelnen Mitarbeiters angesprochen.

Doch auf einen zentralen Zusammenhang ist besonderes Augenmerk zu legen: Arbeit darf nicht zur

Maloche werden, denn Anstrengung ohne Lust führt zu ähnlichen Erscheinungen wie Verwöhnung:

zu Krankheiten, Gewalt und Drogenkonsum. Die Lösung heißt weder Lust ohne Anstrengung, noch

Anstrengung ohne Lust; die richtige Lösung lautet: Lust in der Anstrengung selbst, Lust an Leistung.

Daß dies möglich ist, zeigen zahlreiche Beispiele. Bergsteiger, Ärzte, Manager, Künstler, Handwerker

u. a. erleben häufi g Lust an Leistung.

Erkenntnisse der Verhaltensbiologie

Das stammesgeschichtliche Erbe des Menschen besteht nicht nur aus seiner Anatomie und seinem

Wahrnehmungsapparat, es umfaßt auch bestimmte Verhaltensprogramme. Zu diesen Dispositionen

gehören Triebe, wie der Nahrungstrieb, Sexualtrieb, Neugiertrieb. Der Mensch hat im Verlauf der

Evolution noch eine chakteristische Eigenschaft dazubekommen: sein Großhirn. Mit diesem kann er

seine triebhaften Verhaltenstendenzen refl ektieren und bis zu einem gewissen Grad steuern. Er kann,

auch wenn er Hunger hat, die Gabel einmal weglegen, er kann aber auch, wenn er keinen Hunger hat,

des Genusses wegen noch weiter essen.

Ein zweites Ergebnis der Verhaltensforschung ist das Gesetz der doppelten Quantifi zierung. Betrachten

wir dieses zunächst bei Tieren: Eine Triebhandlung, z. B. Fressen oder sexuelles Verhalten, wird aus

zwei Quellen gespeist: den äußeren Reizen, z. B. Nahrungsreize oder sexuelle Reize, und der inneren

Triebstärke. Zentral ist die Erkenntnis, daß das Tier eben nicht nur auf äußere Reize reagiert, sondern

auch sich spontan aufl adende Triebpotentiale und damit unterschiedliche Handlungsbereitschaften

besitzt. Dabei gibt es nicht nur mehr oder weniger hohe Reize sondern auch mehr oder weniger hohe

Triebstärken. Das Gesetz der doppelten Quantifi zierung besagt nun, daß eine Triebhandlung dann

erfolgt, wenn die Triebstärke hoch ist - dann genügt auch ein niedriger Reiz - oder wenn der Reiz hoch

ist - dann genügt auch eine niedrige Triebstärke. Wenn wir sehr hungrig sind, sind wir an einem Stück

trockenen Brotes sehr froh, wenn wir aber gut gegessen haben und - der Lust wegen - noch weiter

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GERM

ANessen wollen, brauchen wir etwas besonders Leckeres. Und dies gilt nicht nur für den Nahrungstrieb.

Selbstverständlich erfolgt eine Triebhandlung auch dann, wenn beide Quantitäten hoch sind: Reizstärke

und Triebstärke.

Das Gesetz der doppelten Quantifi zierung gilt als stammesgeschichtliches Programm auch für den

Menschen: Auch seine Triebhandlungen sind umso intensiver, je höher der Reiz ist oder je höher

die Triebstärke. Durch seine Refl exionsfähigkeit kann er sich jedoch selbst steuern: Er kann sich

beherrschen, er kann sich aber auch durch immer raffi niertere Reize einen Lustgewinn verschaffen.

Das dritte Ergebnis der Verhaltensforschung betrifft das “Appetenzverhalten”: Sind die auslösenden

Reize nicht präsent, sucht sie das Tier aktiv auf. Es sucht nach Nahrung, und zwar umso intensiver, je

größer der Hunger ist; es sucht nach dem Sexualpartner, wenn die Triebstärke den auslösenden Reiz

erforderlich macht. Entscheidend ist, daß das Appetenzverhalten mit Anstrengung verbunden ist. Das

Suchen nach Nahrung, das Erjagen der Beute erfordert den Einsatz der ganzen Energie. Auch das Leben

des Urmenschen war hart und anstrengend. Schätzungen zufolge mußte er etwa 20-30 km täglich laufen,

um seine Nahrung zu beschaffen. Auf dieses Laufpotential sind wir durch unsere Stammesgeschichte

programmiert!

Das vierte Ergebnis der Verhaltensforschung besteht in der Erkenntnis, daß auch Aggression ein Trieb

ist mit allen charakteristischen Eigenschaften: Spontaneität, auslösende Reize, Appetenzverhalten,

Triebhandlung mit Lustempfi ndung. Betrachten wir zunächst Revierverhalten, Rivalenkämpfe und

Rangordnungskämpfe!

Das Revierverhalten zahlreicher Fische, Vögel und Säugetiere ist weithin bekannt. Diese Tiere brauchen

ein Revier, das ihnen genügend Nahrung einbringt. Dringt ein anderes Tier derselben Art ein, so geht es

um nichts weniger als die Existenz. Der Revierinhaber muß sein Revier verteidigen, ein Jungtier muß

sich ein Revier erobern.

Ist es so unstatthaft, eine Revieraggression auch beim Menschen festzustellen? Auf wen ist denn ein

Zahnarzt, der bislang als einziger in einem kleineren Ort praktiziert, aggressiv - auf den Fahrradhändler,

der sich im Ort niederläßt oder auf den Kollegen, der eine Praxis eröffnet? Doch kehren wir zurück zu

den Tieren!

Beim Rivalenkampf geht es um die Fortpfl anzung. Viele Tiere - meist sind es die männlichen - müssen

den Rivalen besiegen, bevor sie zur Begattung kommen. Oft sind sie, wie etwa die Hirsche, mit

besonderen Waffen ausgerüstet. Dennoch nehmen die Kämpfe in der Regel keinen tödlichen Ausgang.

Sie werden viel mehr ritualisiert ausgefochten; der Unterlegene muß sich lediglich unterwerfen oder den

Platz räumen. Entscheidend ist, daß derjenige im Vorteil ist, der über die größere Aggressionsbereitschaft

verfügt.

Schließlich sind die Rangordnungskämpfe zu nennen. Auch diese haben eine überlebenswichtige

Funktion: Durch Rangordnungskämpfe gelangen die kräftigsten oder auch klügsten Tiere in

Führungspositionen, was der gesamten Gruppe zugute kommt. Diese Erscheinung ist auch bei uns

Menschen weithin bekannt: Wer spräche nicht von der Hackordnung im Büro oder im Betrieb, wer

wüßte nicht, was ein “Platzhirsch” ist oder ein “Oberwolf”?

Damit erweist sich Aggression als Trieb: Auslösende Reize sind die Rivalen, sie machen das Revier

streitig, den Sexualpartner, die Rangstellung. Die Triebhandlung ist der Kampf, die Endhandlung der

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Sieg, er wird mit Lust erlebt. Man denke etwa an den Triumph des Torschützen oder an den Sieger im

Wahlkampf.

Verwöhnung und ihre Folgen

Unter den modernen Lebensbedingungen der technischen Entlastung und des materiellen Wohlstands

braucht der Mensch nicht mehr auf anstrengende und gefährliche Nahrungssuche zu gehen; er braucht

nicht mehr um den Sexualpartner zu kämpfen, er braucht, um seine Neugier zu befriedigen, die Welt

nicht mehr unter Anstrengung und Gefahr zu erforschen; er genießt das Abenteuer im Lehnstuhl. Der

Mensch kann seine Triebe rasch und leicht befriedigen, er kann Lust ohne Anstrengung haben, er kann

sich, mit einem Wort, verwöhnen. Verwöhnung als rasche und leichte Triebbefriedigung führt aber zu

schwerwiegenden Konsequenzen: zu Unmäßigkeit, Krankheiten, Gewalt.

Da die Reize sich bekanntlich abschleifen, steigen - bei niedriger Triebstärke - die Ansprüche immer

mehr. Der Verwöhnte will immer raffi niertere Delikatessen, immer schnellere Autos, immer weitere

Reisen, immer mehr Luxus, immer höhere Reize. Nehmen wir einmal das Fernsehen! Der Zuschauer

genießt Lust ohne jede Aktivität; das Appetenzverhalten - Laufl eistung, Kampf mit der Beute oder den

Rivalen, Erkundungs- und Werbeverhalten - reduziert sich auf den Knopfdruck.

Verwöhnung kann auch zu schweren Krankheiten führen: Bewegungsmangel führt zu Herz- und

Kreislauferkrankungen, Magen- und Darmkrankheiten; mangelndes Kauen führt zu schlechten Zähnen,

Stoffwechselkrankheiten usw. Auch die zunehmende Sucht in unserer Wohlstandsgesellschaft ist auf

Verwöhnung zurückzuführen, sie reicht von der Fernsehsucht bis zu Alkoholismus- und Drogensucht.

Verwöhnung führt auch zu Gewalt - sei es durch nicht eingesetzte Werkzeuginstinkte, sei es durch

Vorteilnahme ohne Leistung. Der Anstieg von Gewalt, insbesondere bei Jugendlichen, ist großenteils

eine Folge von Verwöhnung und Unterforderung, nicht von Streß oder Überforderung. Man muß

endlich begreifen, daß die evolutionär gewordene Antriebsdynamik eingesetzt werden muß - vernünftig

und human.

Anstrengung mit Lust

Zunächst stellen wir fest, daß es durchaus möglich ist, Anstrengung mit Lust zu erleben. Betrachten

wir einmal den Bergsteiger! Er empfi ndet das Klettern selbst schon als lustvoll, nicht erst das Erreichen

des Gipfels. “Eines der schönsten Erlebnisse beim Klettern”, zitiert Csikszentmihalyi (1987) einen

Bergsteiger, “besteht darin, die Möglichkeit jeder einzelnen Position herauszufi nden. Jede weist

unendlich viele Gleichgewichtsvariationen auf, und aus diesen nun die beste herauszutüfteln, sowohl in

bezug auf die jetzige wie auf die nächste Position, das ist wirklich toll!”

Ähnlich äußerten sich andere von Csikszentmihalyi befragte Bergsteiger - und nicht nur diese.

Auch Chirurgen, Schachspieler, Rocktänzer, Baskettballspieler, Künstler erleben ihre anstrengenden

Tätigkeiten mit intensiver Lust. Csikszentmihalyi bezeichnet diesen “besonderen dynamischen

Zustand”, dieses “holistische Gefühl bei völligem Aufgehen in einer Tätigkeit”, insbesondere in einer

anstrengenden Tätigkeit, als “Flow”.

Csikszentmihalyi beschreibt das Flow-Erlebnis sehr ausführlich, aber er kann keine Erklärung dafür

geben. Dies gelingt mit Hilfe der Verhaltensbiologie. Es klingt zunächst paradox, aber bei näherer

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ANBetrachtung wird es ganz klar: Der Mensch sucht das Risiko auf, um Sicherheit zu gewinnen! Worin liegt

denn der Sinn des Erkundens neuer Länder? Er liegt im Kennenlernen dieser Länder, im Bekanntmachen

des Unbekannten, im Gewinn an Sicherheit! Auch wenn wir einen neuen Menschen kennenlernen,

vergrößern wir unsere Sicherheit: Der Unbekannte wird zum Bekannten, zum Berechenbaren, zum

Vertrauten. Warum will man ein Problem lösen? Man löst es, damit es kein Problem mehr ist. Man

macht aus dem Unbekannten etwas Bekanntes, aus dem Neuen etwas Vertrautes, aus der Unsicherheit

Sicherheit.

Das Neue ist also nur der Reiz der Neugier - der Sinn der Neugier ist Sicherheit. Dabei ist es nicht nur

sinnvoll, das Neue zu erforschen, das in unserer Lebenswelt auftaucht. Noch wirkungsvoller ist es, das

Neue aktiv aufzusuchen, die Grenzen des Reviers zu überschreiten, neue Länder zu erforschen, neue

Probleme zu suchen. Gewiß - das Neue, das Unbekannte ist mit Risiko behaftet, mit Unsicherheit. Aber

der Einsatz lohnt sich: Je größer die erforschte Umgebung ist, je mehr Probleme gelöst sind, je mehr

Wissen man hat, je mehr Neues zu Bekanntem geworden ist, desto größer ist die erreichte Sicherheit.

Wir können unsere Aufmerksamkeit wiederum auf Neues richten.

Wir stellen somit fest: Neugier ist ein Trieb! Der auslösende Reiz ist das Neue, das Unbekannte,

Unsichere. Ist der Reiz nicht vorhanden, suchen wir ihn auf. Wir sind “neugierig” auf das Neue,

wir strengen uns an, Neues zu fi nden. Haben wir es gefunden, machen wir es uns bekannt, es wird

unserem Sicherheitssystem einverleibt, wir verwandeln Unsicherheit in Sicherheit! Der Neugiertrieb

ist in Wirklichkeit ein Sicherheitstrieb; das Flow-Erlebnis ist die Lust des Sicherheitstriebes. Flow

erlebt man, wenn es gelingt, Unsicherheit in Sicherheit zu verwandeln; gelingt dies nicht, bleibt also

Unsicherheit auf einem lasten, so erlebt man keinen Flow sondern Angst. Angst ist die nicht abbaubare

Unsicherheit. Deswegen haben wir Angst vor Ereignissen, auf die wir keinen Einfl uß haben: Angst

vor Krankheiten, vor Katastrophen, vor dem Tod. Flow ist die abbaubare Unsicherheit, der Gewinn an

Sicherheit; dies ist ein “tolles” Gefühl.

Eine weitere starke Trieblust erleben wir, wie gesagt, durch Aggression. Zwar hat der Mensch auch

in diesem Bereich viele Methoden erfunden, die Lust des Sieges ohne Anstrengung zu erreichen:

Geld, Macht, Besitz, Imponiermittel jeder Art, doch auch hier gilt, daß die höchste Lust, die soziale

Anerkennung, nur durch Anstrengung zu erreichen ist: durch Leistung. Nur Leistung führt zum höheren

Rang, zur Befriedigung des Aggressionstriebes in einer Gemeinschaft.

Das Prinzip, daß hohe Lust nur durch hohe Anstrengung zu erreichen ist, gilt auch für die Bindung.

Echte und tiefe Bindungen - Freundschaft, Liebe, Sympathie - bestehen nur dann auf Dauer, wenn man

sich um den anderen bemüht, wenn man nicht nur nimmt, sondern auch gibt, wenn man Anstrengung

nicht scheut.

Mitarbeiterführung: Lust durch Leistung

Die strikte Trennung von Arbeit als Anstrengung und Freizeit als Lust ist ein großer Fehler, ja, ein

Verstoß gegen die Gesetze der Evolution: Arbeit ohne Flow, ohne Anerkennung, ohne Bindung wird zur

Maloche, zur Schinderei, zur Routine. Lust in der Freizeit bleibt oft unbefriedigend und schal. Diese

Trennung ist unnatürlich. Das biologische Gleichgewicht heißt “natürlich”: Lust an Leistung. Daraus

ergeben sich folgende Gesetze der Mitarbeiterführung:

Als erstes ist die Arbeitswelt so zu gestalten, daß der Mitarbeiter permanent “Flow” erlebt. Das bedeutet,

daß er auf der Basis von Sicherheit und Kompetenz immer weiter “ausgreifen” können muß. Er muß

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neue Aufgaben zu lösen bekommen - seien es andersartige oder schwierigere - oder er muß Gelegenheit

erhalten, wie etwa der Forscher, selbst neue Probleme zu fi nden und in Angriff zu nehmen. Er braucht

Freiräume für Eigenverantwortung und Kreativität. Vor kurzem erzählte mir ein Unternehmer, daß er

über mehrere Wochen hinweg keine Zeit hatte, seiner Sekretärin Briefe zu diktieren. Er konnte nur

einige wenige Stichworte angeben und mußte ihr die weitere Arbeit überantworten. Als er dann wieder

mehr Zeit zur Verfügung hatte, wollte er seiner Sekretärin die Briefe wieder diktieren. Diese aber wollte

nun ihrerseits bei den Stichworten bleiben und die Briefe selbständig schreiben.

Das zweite Naturgesetz der Führung besteht in der Organisation von Anerkennung. Hier gibt es zahlreiche

Möglichkeiten, wie Positionsstruktur, Belohnungssysteme, persönliches Lob. Positionsstrukturen fi nden

sich in allen menschlichen Sozietäten. Die Anerkennung für Leistung besteht in ansteigender Macht

oder Bezahlung, in der Ausstattung mit Entscheidungsbefugnissen, mit Kommunikationsmitteln,

Dienstleistungspersonal, Berechti-gungen u.a.

Selbstverständlich muß die Positionsstruktur durchlässig sein. Eine starre Rangordnung verhindert

Leistung und damit Anerkennung. Ebenso verhindert aber auch die sozialistische Ideologie der

Gleichheit, also die Aufhebung der Rangordnungsstruktur, die Triebbefriedigung durch Leistung; sie

erweist sich als frustrierend, als zerstörerisch und inhuman.

Für besondere Leistungen erwartet der Mitarbeiter zurecht auch besondere Belohnung. Beispiele sind

etwa Prämien für Verbesserungsvorschläge oder Auszeichnungen für ehrenamtliche Tätigkeiten. Auch

das persönliche Lob ist wichtig. Oft genug sind Mitarbeiter enttäuscht, wenn sie sich anstrengen und

kein “gutes Wort” zu hören bekommen.

Das dritte Naturgesetz der Führung besteht in der Herstellung von Bindung. Zu deren Organisation

ist das gemeinsame Handeln in kleineren Gruppen erforderlich. Gemeinsames Handeln verstärkt

Bindung, Bindung verbessert gemeinsames Handeln. Außerdem entschärft Bindung die innersozietäre

Aggression. Wie groß soll eine Gruppe sein? Lorenz spricht im Zusammenhang mit der Urhorde von

der “Elfmannsozietät”. Man denkt an die kleinste militärische Einheit, an Regierungsmitglieder, an

den Fußball, den “Elferrat” oder den Stammtisch. In jedem Falle scheinen mir größere Sozietäten, wie

Unternehmungen, Parteien, Verbände gut beraten, wenn sie sich in etwa nach dem Urhordenprinzip

organisieren.

Der Mensch ist bekanntlich in der Lage, sich über persönliche Bindungen hinaus an größere Sozietäten

zu binden, an große Unternehmungen, Parteien, Nationen. Wie kommen solche Bindungen zustande

und wie lassen sie sich organisieren? Die Verhaltensbiologie zeigt: man identifi ziert sich immer mit

dem Erfolgreichen, mit dem Ranghöheren, dem Sieger. Nur so kann man ja die eigene Anerkennung

steigern. Das Mitsiegen gehört zwar zur aggressiven Triebbefriedigung, gerade dadurch vermittelt es

aber Lust und bewirkt Bindung. Führung muß also dafür sorgen, daß die Sozietät “herausragt”, sei es

durch Größe, Bedeutung, Qualität, Erfolg.

Das vierte Naturgesetz der Führung lautet: Gemeinsames Handeln organisieren. Sozietär lebende Tiere

haben keine Zugehörigkeitsprobleme. Sie sehen, riechen oder hören, wer dazugehört und wer nicht.

Der Mensch ist nicht festgelegt, er muß erst in eine Sozietät integriert werden. Hierfür muß er sich mit

den Zielen der Sozietät identifi zieren, mit anderen kommunizieren und gemeinsam handeln können.

Er muß aber auch die sozietären Tugenden erfüllen: Gerechtigkeit, Zuverlässigkeit, Wahrhaftigkeit.

Gerechtigkeit im Sinne einer leistungsbezogenen Lust-Unlust-Ökonomie gilt selbstverständlich auch

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ANfür Führungskräfte. Sie machen einen Kardinalfehler, wenn sie nur unangenehme Arbeit “nach unten”

delegieren. Eine solche Lustabschöpfung führt zur inneren Emigration oder zur Flucht in die Freizeit.

Auch Zuverlässigkeit ist eine überlebensnotwendige Tugend. Löwen beispielsweise organisieren, wenn

sie auf Gazellenjagd gehen, eine regelrechte Treibjagd: Eine Löwin jagt die Gazelle, die sie aber

allein nicht einholen könnte. Daher stehen zwei weitere Löwinnen bereit, die Gazelle im richtigen

Augenblick zu überfallen und zu reißen. Zuverlässigkeit ist also nicht eine vom Menschen erfundene

Tugend, sondern eine zur “Gesamtfi tneß” gehörende Verhaltensweise schlechthin. Dasselbe gilt für

Wahrhaftigkeit.

Jetzt sind alle Bedingungen erfüllt: Die Mitarbeiter sind motiviert, die Sozietät ist handlungsfähig,

die Gesamtfi tneß gewährleistet. Jetzt muß auch gehandelt werden. Führen heißt nicht nur verwalten,

Führen heißt Ziele setzen, Chancen wahrnehmen, Wagnisse eingehen, etwas unternehmen. Freilich: mit

Sozietäten kann man auch Verbrechen begehen.

Die fünfte Führungsaufgabe heißt daher: Verantwortlich Handeln. Nicht umsonst spricht man zunehmend

von Führungskultur und Führungsethik. Hier geht es von der sozialen Verantwortung gegenüber den

Mitarbeitern über die Vermeidung von Schädigungen der Umwelt bis zum globalen Umgang mit anderen

Menschen und Sozietäten. Gewiß: Verantwortliches Handeln übersteigt die Naturgesetze, Verantwortung

ist typisch für den refl ektierenden Menschen.

Lorenz hat die evolutionäre Situation des Menschen treffend charakterisiert: “Die Selektion hat den

Menschen unter die Arme gefaßt und ihn auf die Füße gestellt und dann die Hände von ihm weggezogen.

Und jetzt: Stehe oder falle - wie es Dir gelingt!” Der Mensch fällt aber nur dann nicht, wenn er die

Gesetze der Natur, insbesondere auch seiner eigenen Natur, besser studiert.

LiteraturCsikszentmihalyi, M.: Das Flow-Erlebnis, Stuttgart 1987

v. Cube, F.: Lust an Leistung, München 1998

Dehner, K.: Lust an Moral. Die natürliche Sehnsucht nach Werten, Darmstadt 1998

Lorenz, K.: Das sogenannte Böse, München 1974

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REPORT PREPARED BY ROUTE ACTUALITÉ

Forward-Looking scenarios for the Future of the Asphalt Industries

The second Eurasphalt/Eurobitume congress was held at the Conference Centre in Barcelona from 20 to 22 September, 2000. Four years after the Strasbourg event which, for the fi rst time, brought together the two associations within the same congress, EAPA ( European Asphalt Pavement Association) and Eurobitume (European Bitumen Association) have again joined forces to set up a show which, with around 1,000 participants, was just as successful as the fi rst one. Heads of highway contracting fi rms and petroleum groups, road directorate offi cials, along with researchers and technicians from laboratories and universities were able to review the latest developments in the bitumen and asphalt mix industries around a central theme: “Performance and Competitiveness.”

The fi rst day looked into the future of Europe’s bitumen and asphalt industries through key subjects such

as opportunities created by the enlargement of the European Community, future opportunities for the

highway construction industry, the impact of health, safety and environmental criteria on the highway

industry, research and development in Europe and the fi nancing of research in the United States; also

considered were the strategies to be employed to develop the performance and competitiveness of

bituminous mixes in the 21st century, within a professional environment undergoing constant changes.

We are proposing here the report of the fi rst part of the opening session.

Opening session: Tempered optimism

Among the speakers during the opening session were Antoni Subira I Claus, Minister of Industry,

Commerce and Tourism of Catalonia; José Cuervo Argudin, Mayor of Barcelona; Martin Carlson,

President of Eurobitume; Peter Rothwell, President of EAPA; and Luis Javier Navarro Vigil, President

of the Spanish Association of Petroleum Product Operators. It was Mr Vigil who opened the session.

Spanish optimismAfter having thanked the personalities present, Vigil pointed out that this congress was above all a

technical meeting allowing the presentation of the most advanced trends and their applications, but also

the economic aspects and research involved. He also noted that environmental questions, always a

primary factor in the investment of the petroleum product industry, would not be neglected. He

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emphasised that it was important, and the different sessions proposed in this congress will develop

this viewpoint, to meet demand and to provide improved quality under the conditions corresponding to

contract requirements. He then observed that there was optimism within the industry in Spain where the

sector relative to road infrastructures and maintenance still requires signifi cant investments according to

a recent study. He revealed that the funds devoted to highway infrastructures and maintenance in the

budget of the Spanish Public Works Ministry represented 4 billion pesetas annually: “A large part of this

budget thus corresponds to our activities, adding to our optimism for the future.”

The European asphalt industry can be proud …P. Rothwell (Tarmac) then took the fl oor and presented the programme of the congress. He then

mentioned the EAPA workshop held in Berlin in 1998, and another in Luxembourg in 1999, and

reviewed the association’s past. He underscored in particular the changes occurring since the Strasbourg

congress in 1996 and listed the objectives showing how the members of the association strive to satisfy

their clients and their main requirements.

The EAPA was founded in 1973 and established its fi rst permanent offi ce in the Netherlands in 1990.

Its members come from associations and companies of 24 European countries. Five new members

(Belgium, Romania, Russia, Slovenia and Switzerland) have joined the association since 1996 and a

certain number of associate members in 1996 became full-fl edged members in 2000 (Estonia, Italy,

Portugal and the Czech Republic). Some 300 million tons of asphalt are applied in Europe each year,

70% of which are produced by EAPA members. “Most roads are asphalt paved,” observed Rothwell,

“so that millions of Europeans benefi t from our work.”

But what is the status of asphalt in 2000? He recalls the presentation by the previous president, who

began his address in Strasbourg by saying that asphalt pavements have not changed in the past decades,

that it was still manufactured with bitumen and aggregates as in 1930. The earlier president however

then spoke of research and development, of improvements in terms of health and safety, and the new

organisational challenges arising from European standards and specifi cations.

The new president notes that we have entered a new era in which the environment is a prevailing

consideration, and in which safety and health occupy the greatest part of the attention of highway

professionals and also affect their clients.

Dwelling on the environment, he stated that the political agenda of the European Union and the

development of European transport corridors occupy a primary place along with the classifi cation of

roads and the development of intermodal transport. However, he fi nds it very diffi cult to draw the

attention of politicians to the highway infrastructure and transport. This is in great contrast with the

United States where proposals for the development of transport in general have truly promoted growth

in highway transport in particular.

Most European countries think that the development of the highway infrastructure will experience

constraints because the number of vehicles on the road is growing, road congestion is reaching new

heights and the public transport system is unable to provide what is needed. The public moreover

remains reluctant with regard to the use of such transport as long as it is not improved. Also, motorists

are very resentful of taxes levied on them. Rothwell reports that, since the 1960s, taxes on fuels

increased exponentially and can reach up to 80% of the retail cost in certain European countries. At the

same time, the development of the highway infrastructure has been relatively slow, whereas the great

volume of traffi c entering the countries of Western Europe creates an enormous need for new roads.

Another constraint noted by Rothwell is the confl ict between this needed development and the opposition

of the “Greens.” On the other hand, he feels that this situation also constitutes an opportunity for the

highway industry. In the past 30 years, traffi c, and commercial vehicle traffi c in particular, has increased

very signifi cantly. And the industry has been able to develop compacting techniques, new equipment,

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and new products with new requirements in terms of stability: “It was realised that the deformation

resistance of asphalts had to be increased.” Thus, since 1990, new additives and new binders have been

developed. Modern, asphalt-paved roads last longer.

With noise becoming a major problem, certain countries have paved their roads with asphaltic concrete

to reduce noise levels. The highway industry began manufacturing more silent materials, porous

asphalt, among others. However, the EAPA president notes that clients are now far less concerned by

technical problems than by cost reduction.

The bitumen industry witnessed a change in its role, he said. Producers and contractors must assume

increasing responsibility. EAPA members report that they must deliver top technology products and

defi ne performance standards for asphalt which must also meet the requirements of the European

directive for construction products: “We have progressed from a material designed to prevent dust and

to allow traffi c to develop freely in full safety to new roads which do not deform, which produce less

splashing and which last longer.” He considers that the industry has responded technically to most of

the demands in a satisfactory manner for the client but also for the user: “The European asphalt industry

can be proud of the engineering developments of the 1990s.”

He however notes the growing importance of the user’s role, becoming a major factor. Despite the

very good technological approach of the bitumen industry in meeting current needs, a confl ict remains

between the highway industry and the “Greens” especially as concerns CO2 emissions. However,

this also concerns automobile manufacturers. He points out that in the coming 5 to 20 years, the use

of new fuels and new products will allow a reduction in CO2 emissions. In 2015, lighter materials,

hybrid engines, and the development of fuel cells can be expected to reduce by 50% the CO2 emissions

of vehicles. In the longer term, the impact of CO2 will be entirely negligible. Ford, Chrysler and

Mercedes already have vehicles running on fuel cells. He thinks these measures will allow the setup

of realistic transport programmes and the development of infrastructures in the congested areas of

Europe. In its transport plan, the British government has decided to maintain existing infrastructures

with modern standards. In the coming decade, silent surfacing materials will be applied on 60% of the

strategic network and in particular over concrete pavements.

Before concluding, he made reference to proactive developments during the past four years: awareness

that the working environment has become increasingly important from the safety and health standpoints.

In certain zones, bitumen was classifi ed among dangerous materials. Sweden, Norway, Finland,

Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and France joined forces in conducting epidemiological research

on a large scale, covering 56,000 bitumen workers. This study is a joint undertaking by EAPA,

Eurobitume, the International Research Agency and the IARC (French organisation falling under the

WHO). The purpose of this study is to observe the scientifi c relationship existing between cancer

death among asphalt workers and among other workers. He said that this study, conducted in France,

is very important and took the opportunity to thank the members of the group who kindly provided

information.

Another initiative is a critical energy consumption study on bituminous pavements. The aim is to

determine the impact on the environment of the production of asphalt in terms of energy production

and in terms of emission. A better understanding of these factors can offer the opportunity to reduce

energy consumption in all manufacturing processes by reducing CO2 emissions: asphalt manufacturing

temperature could be lowered, so that less smoke is generated.

The results of this research were analysed in November 1999 and the draft reports were used by certain

speakers during the congress.

He concluded that, after a century of growth in volume and a decade undergoing fundamental changes

(pressure from environmentalists, development of super-lorries, government action on public transport

fi nancing), the bitumen industry had to change radically: “We are more open to outside infl uences,” he

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acknowledges, continuing: “It is not a simple coincidence that major technical developments in bitumen

technology occurred during the last decade. For the future, I think that technical advances will continue

and will make it possible to respond to environmental lobbies. This, combined with technical progress

in the internal combustion engine, will permit the accelerated growth of our industry.”

National problems are now world problemsThe president of Eurobitume took the fl oor after his EAPA colleague. M. Carlson announced that 955

people from 44 countries attended this congress. He said that this diversifi ed origin of the participants

(Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas) refl ects the globalisation of the sector. This congress

constitutes an ideal framework for sharing and learning. He remarks that the joint efforts of the two

associations in the setup of this second congress and other joint projects have led to a very benefi cial

partnership between the two organisations, continuously strengthened in recent years. He then also

notes the major changes occurring since 1996, and the restructuring operations by petroleum companies

and by contractors. Emphasising the different relations maintained between contractors and authorities,

he notes a tendency towards new fi nancing methods and towards a privatisation of research.

Furthermore, many problems which just a few years ago were national in scope are now global and this,

he feels, has an infl uence on the role of the association: “We must refl ect on the strategic future of our

sector. In order for our industry to be competitive and to play its role in maintaining and developing

transport infrastructures, we need the participation of all players in order to think about the long-term

future of the public sector and the private sector.”

He described what Eurobitume – with its fi ve national associations and 17 companies producing 90% of

all the bitumen sold in Europe – had accomplished since 1996.

A fi rst initiative was the setting up by the association of a team of specialists in health and safety because

the industry must comply with numerous national and European regulations in this area. A proper

understanding of the principles involved and the impact that this legislation can have on the activities of

the different players of our industry can infl uence decisions: “This constitutes an essential part of our

modern activities.” These specialists have helped to respond to basic questions relating for example to

the storage, production and handling of bitumen.

The second initiative was the proactive provision of the groundwork necessary for evaluating the impact

of bitumen applications on the environment. The public and authorities, increasingly preoccupied by

environmental matters, are demanding information in this regard.

Carlson notes that bitumen is durable because it is 100% recyclable.

Eurobitume produced an ecoprofi le for the production of bitumen and, in the joint project with the

EAPA, is developing a tool for evaluating the impact of an asphalt road on the environment.

He stressed that his association has worked towards a better understanding of the performance of

bituminous binders because road builders and suppliers of materials must meet a certain number of

challenges. The empirical tests, representing the fi rst generation of European standards, do not provide

suffi cient means for a rapid evaluation of the performance of new products: “We must have tests related

to performance in order to ensure proper use of bitumens, to facilitate research and to encourage

the development of new products.” He mentioned the Eurobitume workshop on performance-related

properties which took place in Luxembourg with the backing of the EAPA and which represents a

major stride in the development of these performance standards in Europe. He feels that the fi nal

process in which the new standards are developed is just as important as the partnership between

suppliers, contractors and other players. Eurobitume decided to take part in this process and its members

have invested in a 2-year project headed by André Stawiarski. This project should help to develop

performance standards for bituminous binders. He wanted all the people involved to express their

viewpoints openly because this great diversity will be the force of Europe and will allow the extension

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of European performance standards on the road network: “We ask you to always bear in mind that, in

most cases, existing solutions and empirical specifi cations may be suffi cient, but to meet the increasing

demand we must know the performance expected from our products; we have to implement innovations

in a short period of time.”

Concluding, he stated his wish to give an international dimension to the planning of scenarios.

Eurobitume would like to see the inclusion of local and regional environmental problems being faced

by the bitumen and asphalt industry in Europe at the present time.

Transparency applauded …J. Cuervo A., chairman-adviser of the maintenance committee for urban services within the township

of Barcelona, “a Mediterranean city subjected to heavy rains in autumn,” points out that he is used

to explaining to his fellow-citizens why the city is hit by so much fl ooding. Jesting, he explains that

he blames it partially on the asphalt covering the city’s streets and surroundings, making the ground

impermeable and increasing the risk of fl ooding. “Indirectly, we are blaming you for our problem.” He

however immediately tempered his words by noting that he now appreciates the drainage systems and

the improved permeability of the pavements: “You are no longer just the problem, you are also those

who provide solutions!”

A town is fi ghting for its quality of life and this calls for noise reduction, while traffi c is constantly

increasing. The pavement asphalt must consequently compensate for this new acoustic aggression. He

is pleased to see that the industry is constantly working on new products which make the economic

development of a town compatible with the maintenance of its quality of life in terms of noise abatement

as well as drainage: “You share the problems of politicians and I appreciate your wish for transparency

through the epidemiological study you are conducting.” For him, there is no opposition between urban

development and environmental awareness. He is convinced that, along with green ecology, there is a

grey ecology, an urban ecology whose response is not utopian but concrete for the urban environment.

He thus applauds the industry for the scientifi c rigour with which it approaches present problems.

A lasting industryAfter having listened to the different presentations, Subira, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism

of Catalonia, opened the congress. He formulated a parallel between vehicles and the road. While

builders are making efforts to design increasingly silent, safe and less polluting vehicles, it must be

remembered that there is another world, that of the road, in which the players are also actively seeking

solutions for the improvement of the transport process whether for goods or persons because “the

scene of the pavement is where the life of our citizens takes place.” He feels that the bitumen and

asphalt industry is complicated and that the economic aspects should not be neglected during this

congress: “Your product is mature, you have no big margins compared with those of new technologies

…” Smiling, he adds: “Even though those who have extraordinary margins generally enjoy little profi t

because they waste their money.” Speaking more seriously, he noted that ours is a sector squeezed

between a diffi cult client (public agencies) preoccupied with electoral cycles, and a supplier (petroleum

industry) which is very cyclic and complicated, capable of destabilising the most alert politicians. He

is aware that this sector is constantly working to improve the quality and performance of its products.

Congratulating the entire industry for its optimism and its goals, he declares: “Your industry can still

live for decades because it can conduct business in the service of society.”

A human pyramid erected before the participants, on the stage of the Congress Centre, closed the

opening session. Consisting of amateurs from all sectors of activity, it shows what a close-knit team can

undertake and achieve successfully.

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Future scenarios

Max Von Devivere and David Lyall, respectively secretary of the EAPA and of Eurobitume and

co-ordinators of the congress, presented the speakers and outlined their presentations.

Von Devivere stated that while the industry very often depended on political decisions, it was

nevertheless important to know how the decisions are made because national decisions are often made

on the basis of European Commission decisions. He points out that the fi rst speaker, Alain Baron, who

has occupied many functions within the European Commission, would be presenting the new “White

Book” initiated by the Commission and presently being drafted.

The new White Book of the European CommissionBaron’s presentation deals with the proposal of the Commission regarding the development of a

common transport policy in Europe for the 2000-2010 period. He points out that the White Book will

not be published before the end of 2000.

There is no doubt that the success of this policy represents one of the keys to the improved productivity

of the European industry and the reduction of unemployment, but it involves a certain number of

challenges to be met in the coming ten years. Among them he mentions the changes for the Community,

indicating especially that little is still known about the implications of transport policy on the economy.

The second challenge has to do with the inclusion of Eastern Europe which represents a very good

opportunity for the construction industry, which will have to develop its activities in countries requiring

new highway and railway facilities. Baron however points out that it will also be necessary to manage

increasing traffi c levels. He mentions the Mediterranean dimension which must not be forgotten

because it represents a very good growth potential in the future.

Finally, the other big challenge has to do with increasing oil prices. High prices must be taken into

account in transport policy planning.

These major challenges affect all activities and preoccupy the bitumen and asphalt industry in which

crude oil is a very important raw material. He suggests the possibility of participating in research

programmes on the development of new types of asphalt which would guarantee safer driving conditions

and would reduce noise for local residents.

The present goal of the common transport policy was set for the fi rst time in 1992. The main message of

this new White Book is based on the opening of the transport market within the framework of sustainable

mobility. Transport must meet the challenge of internal market growth and that of the abolition of

borders within the Community.

He thinks that, 8 years after the publication of this document, the time has come to evaluate the results

and to proceed, wherever necessary, with political adjustments.

Many achievements are to be noted between 1992 and 2000, and in particular the liberalisation process

which generated an increase in the supply of services, in particular within the surface transit area,

notably with a signifi cant reduction in prices; for road transport, the liberalisation of coastal navigation

(cabotage) was confi rmed in 1998.

But, what has been done to make highway transport more compatible with the set objectives? A. Baron

notes that he will mention only the actions in which improvements have been made: transport resources,

interconnection of networks and the interoperability of the railway sector with the development of high

speed in 1996. In this context, a certain number of recommendations will be made in particular to

eliminate the bottlenecks surrounding large cities.

Also, in addition to the Trans-European Transport Network, a programme has been set up to improve

connections between countries of the Community as well as between those countries and other countries.

Spain was one of the main benefi ciaries of the 1994-1999 period.

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An intelligent transport system, in particular with navigation aids, and piggyback rail-road systems tend

to support community programmes to allow safer and more effective transport.

He stated that these are the positive aspects of the implementation of this policy. However, the

evaluation of results has revealed a certain number of gaps, in particular with regard to how the growth

is managed.

Congestion and bottlenecks, in particular in urban areas, have increased considerably during the past

decade. Highway accidents are unacceptable, with their 42,000 fatalities each year in the Community.

He moreover notes that the fi nancial cost of unsafe European roads amounts to about 42 billion Euros,

taking into account only the deaths. As regards the human cost, it is of course very high.

Another problem identifi ed has to do with the environment. He noted that 90% of the greenhouse effect

for which transport in general is responsible is due to highway transport: “In 1997, an attempt was made

to stabilise these gas emissions through an ambitious programme, and there are no further attempts to

initiate another one.”

Another problem is the adequate implementation of social and safety laws in Europe, resulting in a

distortion of competition. Moreover, he points out that the objective of the White Book was to reduce

the imbalance between transport modes; but all transport modes are far from being used: “For the

2000-2010 period, we want to propose new measures to strengthen the effi ciency of transport systems

as a whole.”

The White Book of 1992 represented the fi rst step in the identifi cation of imbalances in transport

systems; the Commission now wants to propose appropriate solutions to meet the mobility challenges

of the 21st century.

Based on these challenges, he explains that a certain number of actions have been identifi ed:

controlling the increase in traffi c during the next decade to ensure sustainable mobility and guarantee

competitiveness throughout the Community; reduce unsafe conditions and the negative impact of

transport on the environment in terms of noise and atmospheric pollution which affect a large part of

Europe’s population.

According to a recent survey, atmospheric pollution is responsible for an increased number of deaths in

Europe: “This could be remedied by more effi cient use of energy in transport.” The growth in transport

demand has been underestimated, and this explains the traffi c jams in urban areas and in border zones

around the Alps or the Pyrenees. The estimates of the Commission reveal 50% growth in the highway

transport of goods between 1998 and 2010, and 20% for passenger transport. Will the presently existing

infrastructures be able to keep pace with these increases? If we want to ensure that the economy

does not suffer and that the quality of life of citizens is preserved, infrastructures would have to be

modifi ed. However, the Commission does not believe that this is the only solution, and the diffi culty

of fi nding funds, environmental problems and restricted space call for refl ection on planning in this

area. Incentives must be found in urban zones, adopting a more global approach so that growth

may be adapted to sustainability targets. Among the actions to be undertaken, Baron mentions an

improvement in the network in order to benefi t from existing capabilities, the promotion of highway

transport alternatives for passengers and goods, and the application of the “polluter-pays” principle.

He considers the road sector in Europe to be a dominant but very fragile sector. Its effectiveness and

its fi nancial reliability need to be improved. This is a real problem which will be dealt with in the new

White Book.

The Commission will continue to develop credible alternatives to highway transport. The liberalisation

of goods transport must continue and harmonisation measures are still required in order to get rid of

obstacles to the development of inland waterways or other modes. A greater market share for these

other transport modes, in particular over long distances, could be obtained. Greater fl exibility in “door-

to-door” service through the development of intermodality could also be sought, in particular for rail.

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Along with these actions, the Commission can promote the development of trans-urban transport.

During the 2000-2006 period, it intends to concentrate on the remaining projects and on the elimination

of bottlenecks for both road and rail. For the 1993-1995 period, 600 million Euros have been devoted

to the development of the Trans-European network for all the projects. Between 1996 and 1999, the

budget increased to 1.6 billion Euros. For 2000-2006, provision has been made for 1.1 billion Euros.

This funding goes to design studies, which may be fi nanced up to 50% of their total amount, and works

up to 10%.

Additional aid may be granted to the sector working, for example, on the intelligent transport system

which constitutes one of the keys to the successful improvement of network performance. Safety,

environment and energy effi ciency also call for additional efforts. Very special efforts are needed in

particular in the road safety area for education and training purposes.

As regards energy effi ciency, Baron states his personal opinion: “We should seize the opportunity of the

world’s oil crisis to resume research programmes and reduce our dependency by improving the energy

aspects of all transport modes: reduced consumption, cleaner energy or renewable energy, etc. However,

we must go even further and fi nd alternatives to petroleum which are technically and economically

viable.”

He concluded by stressing that sustainable mobility is not only a transport problem; very close

co-operation is required with industry, local, regional or national planning authorities and the

Commission. Urban developers are not to be excluded from these consultations.

European enlargement is indeed complexD. Lyall appreciates the fact that since the Strasbourg congress, the Commission has advanced and

recognised that the sector was very important: “Especially as in the past,” he acknowledges, “we felt that

we were an undesired member in the European Union’s transport community.”

He introduced Marc Maresceau, professor at the University of Ghent and holder of many university

chairs throughout the world. He was to deal with the future enlargement of the European Community,

a subject in which he is a specialist.

A very complex subject, he warns, but of primary importance because no policy can presently be

formulated without taking into account the scope of the European Community’s enlargement.

Account must be taken of geopolitical, economic, legal and psychological factors.

In 1990, the EC (European Community) submitted to the Central and Eastern European countries

(CEECs) the conclusions on the agreements for Europe to accompany their economic transition. This

resulted in a misunderstanding because these agreements were considered by these countries to be a pre-

membership instrument whereas the EC considered them to be an alternative to membership.

The fi rst agreements were signed in 1991 with Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,

Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia. The most important aspect of these agreements is

the establishment of the free sale of industrial products with specifi c clauses regarding agriculture and

fi shing. And these countries, representing Europe’s second partner after the United States, account for

10% of the Community’s foreign trade.

Professor Maresceau points out that, since the trade liberalisation structure is not symmetrical between

the EC and associated countries, the trade surplus increases and, by the end of 1998, amounted to 33

billion Euros.

One of the surprising features of the EU’s policy is the fact that it requires permanent adaptation. A

very important function is played by the Council of Europe, an institution composed of the heads of

state meeting twice annually and determining the policies to be followed by the EU. The Council of

Europe which was held in Copenhagen in 1993 demonstrated its importance as concerns relations with

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the CEECs. During this summit, it was decided that membership became a common goal but without

a calendar, that economic and political conditions had to be met by the candidate countries which

moreover had to prove their political stability and comply with the principle of human rights and the

protection of minorities. In addition, when they achieve membership, the new member must merge with

the Union.

As of 1994 and 1995, associate members of the CEECs requested their integration as members of the

EU. On 15 July 1997, the Commission published the Agenda 2000 which constituted the fi rst strategic

approach to EU enlargement, marking a distinction between candidates and the need to reform the EU

institutionally. Five countries had the right to initiate negotiations (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,

Poland and Slovenia) to which was added Cyprus. However, the Luxembourg Council has not been

unreceptive to the demands of other candidates which it had advised to undertake pre-membership

negotiations. One country, Turkey, felt frustrated when its membership application was rejected in

1989. The professor said he would have more to say about this later on.

The negotiations for the real membership of the fi ve countries in question, and of Cyprus, began in

1998. At the Helsinki summit in December 1999, it was decided that the other Central and Eastern

European countries who had requested could be included in the negotiations of February 2000. In all,

12 countries thus entered the negotiation process.

Professor Maresceau mentions in passing the transport area, which was part of the negotiations. He

had the impression that no favours would be made to candidate countries and that they had to follow

whatever was imposed on the Community countries with regard to transport if they wished to join

the EU. This implies conformity in the fi scal and social areas, and from the viewpoint of technical

standards as well as environmental and safety standards. New infrastructures had to be set up and

the transitory period of 5 years is not suffi cient to meet all the requirements of candidate countries.

The pre-membership phase is important. The European Commission presently co-fi nances projects for

the rehabilitation of roads in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. There is great pressure from candidate

countries for integration within the Trans-European network.

The most complex negotiations have to do with the free movement of persons, and of workers in

particular. The position of 15 is still quite vague, but Austria, which has a common border of more

than 1,200 km with certain candidate countries, has a far clearer position. Germany will likely follow

it on this point and perhaps other countries who could ask for transitory periods, already rejected by the

candidate countries who do not understand why this new clause arises all of a sudden in the Community

structure. Visas raise just as complex another problem owing to the ties that candidate countries may

have with their neighbours.

Candidate countries, for their part, are calling for transitory periods in other areas, in particular as

concerns the acquisition of land in their country by EC members. These periods may range from a

few years to 15 or even more. In the transport area, they are also demanding temporary waivers on the

cabotage market, axle loads, tyre sizes, taxes on vehicles, etc.

Many other problems have arisen with regard to water, industrial pollution, dumps. Enormous efforts

must be made by these countries in order to comply. Professor Maresceau feels that, ultimately, there

is a risk of seeing the EU lower the European standards.

Before a Turkish community strongly represented in the last congress behind its road director, Professor

Maresceau wanted to explain the reason for the Community’s rejection of Turkey’s EU membership

at the 1997 Luxembourg summit, at a time when that country was enjoying privileged commercial

relations with Europe. “It is not discrimination. However, like all the candidate countries, Turkey must

settle its internal problems and comply with the principles of human rights.” Politically, Turkey does

not meet the set criteria. However, at the Helsinki summit, it obtained the status of candidate country

provided that it began to comply with the basic criteria valid for all candidates. Membership

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negotiations have not begun. The professor thinks that it will doubtless be necessary for the USA to

intervene in order to convince it to accept the European conditions.

As concerns Russia, it was not long ago that it was more interested in NATO than in the EU! However,

it should be included in the plans for European enlargement even if, for the moment, it does not meet

the political criteria because of its long-term ties with European security. Maresceau concludes that it

is not certain, when the EU decided on enlargement, it was aware of all the consequences involved. A

solid common political base is obviously lacking. In addition, the populations of the member countries

appear to be less and less interested in the EU. In fact, enlargement must consolidate political stability

and security as much as economic development: “It is a diffi cult and complicated exercise and there is

still a long way to go before these objectives are achieved.”

Health, safety, environment: impacts on the roadMax Von Devivere, before presenting the next speaker, Tell Münzing, said that he was pleased that many

Central and Eastern European countries were represented at this congress and confi rmed that Europe

needs stability.

The consultant Tell Münzing manages, for his company SustainAbility, a programme with the UNEP

(United Nations Environment Program) jointly with 20 multinational companies seeking to improve in

their area their knowledge on what is called sustainable development. He explains that SustainAbility,

a “small hybrid organisation”, was created in 1987. It employs 40 experts working on all aspects of

sustainable development. Sustainable development often has a different meaning for different people.

It was recently described in a book as a bar of soap that you try to get a hold of in the shower, testifying

to just how elusive it is. For Münzing, it must achieve three objectives: use economically viable

solutions complying with the acoustic and social environment of the individual. However, sustainable

development is not summed up simply in this triple vision. He feels that there is a basic challenge to

be met in the face of what he called “natural capitalism.” The business world must watch out for this

lurking natural capitalism which he evaluates at 33 trillion dollars of eco-services!

From the social standpoint, sustainable development calls for the improvement of the standard of living

of the planet’s inhabitants. This is an enormous challenge, but also the opportunity for a new market,

feels Münzing, who predicts a development in fi ve steps: impacts, internalisation, interfaces, integration

and, fi nally, improved benefi ts.

He feels that the environmental and social impacts are very often linked, in ecological disasters for

example, and that the tools and resources used by contractors in trying to cope are very insuffi cient. As

regards the internalisation of these impacts, it will make it possible in return to provide the company

with the resources for designing clean technologies and better products. ISO 14001 certifi cation, but

also audit procedures and life cycle estimates, are the proof of the social and environmental awareness

that is beginning. The examples of each help the process to move forward, but this calls for perfect

transparency and good information. Reports that have been established on examples of sustainable

development throughout the world have been grouped in a guide which may be consulted on the

Internet. Münzing indicates that the importance of the interfaces is now recognised, based on the

knowledge offered by the development of information almost in real time.

He feels that the past was characterised by the development of different management techniques in

the fi nancial, environmental and social areas, and by the setup of the fi rst interfaces. The challenge

goes further now. What is involved now is the redefi nition of the management system of the company

itself and internal communications. For him, integration is possible thanks to the interfaces but also to

the outside consultants, who must be informed of ongoing internal decisions. External verifi cation of

environmental performance is desirable.

From the social standpoint, he notes that we are still in the beginning and that indicators must be

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developed.

Then, giving examples of companies which have become involved in this sustainable development, he

notes that most major corporations have a great potential for fast changes.

Moving to his fi fth step, he wonders how the profi ts of a company can be improved on this basis.

“This will be possible if we develop processes, technologies and indicators with a view to sustainable

development.” Referring to the author Kevin Kelly, he observes that we are entering a phase of

fundamental changes, mentions in passing the new technologies such as biotechnology capable of

generating new profi ts.

He concludes that certain decisions may appear ridiculous, as did those of the early 20th century

before they became reality. Eurobitume and Eurasphalt are making their contribution to sustainable

development with the fi rst step which constitutes the recycling of pavements. He predicts a new world

for them, an enterprising world but one quite different from what they can imagine!

The fi fth framework programmeGeorge Katalagarianakis, director of research at the European Commission, presented the growth of

sustainable development in the construction industry.

The EU subsidises some studies in application of the principle of subsidiarity. This involves

collaborative work between sectors that have the same culture. An organisation was put in place to

co-ordinate all this research. A network was created in which a road research department has been set

up.

The fi fth framework programme (1998-2002) is organised around four teams working on the quality of

life and living resources, the creation of an information society for users, the promotion of competitive

sustainable growth and energy and the environment from the viewpoint of sustainable development.

Katalagarianakis points out that what is needed is a better environment, better working conditions,

better visibility for all the participants of a project and better safety provided by the public service.

This programme is organised around key actions that he focuses on the organisation of innovative

processes and materials. These actions cover mobility and the intermodality of transport without

forgetting inland waterway and air transport.

As concerns industry, the objectives are modernisation, improved competitiveness and durability,

quality and reduced consumption of resources. He mentions the 2 million companies, some of which

belong to the transformation industry. Modernisation, quality and robotisation must be achieved by

construction, with control over intelligent production, the eco-effi ciency and design process and the

organisation of production and labour.

As concerns machines, modern companies are seeking zero waste and a transport infrastructure.

With regard to materials, the work undertaken consists of medium- and long-term research for

multisectorial applications. The research areas are based on materials, effi ciency and safety, advanced

materials, durability, production and conversion.

All the works that the industries and universities have chosen to carry out on the European level have

been subsidised by the EU. But, why European research? “The European Commissioner thought that

we could not continue to have 15 different research policies …” It consequently set up a common

European policy globalising all the research efforts undertaken on the European level;

The EU earmarks for this purpose 4% of the budget devoted to research.

This European research policy implies the setup of networks with a combination of national programmes

and the European programme, the creation of institutes, the mobility of researchers, and so on. Its fi nal

purpose is the organisation of research on the world level.

The work achieved in research and innovation comprises several interesting points which should be

considered and which should not be undertaken on the national level. New methods may be used for

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verifi cations in order to maximise the impact of the research undertaken.

Three criteria to be followed: sustainability, working conditions and the environment, economic

development. The project must improve the existing situation, solve problems and offer value added

without neglecting industrial objectives. It must also teach engineers and technicians to work closely

together.

Scientifi c and technical excellence is required because the EU cannot subsidise all the projects.

Each project groups on average nine partners from industry, the research community and small and

medium companies.

Katalagarianakis points out that this type of RTD (Research and Technological Development) action is

essential for small and medium companies which, very often, do not have the facilities required to work

on their own. The EU subsidises 50% of this research. The combined projects, which may run over

three to fi ve years, are fi nanced between 30% and 50% depending on the objectives.

As concerns information, ongoing projects are on the Internet.

He concluded by pointing out that this fi fth programme offers good opportunities to support European

research. In the road pavement area, he feels that it would be necessary to submit a proposal for new

materials, new roads and the rehabilitation of existing roads. The latter point appears to him very

important because European roads have a certain age: “And, often offi cials prefer to close roads rather

than rehabilitate them.” It will also be necessary to carry out an accidentology study: some accidents

may call into question the design and construction of roads. The road industry must take all this into

account. All innovative ideas will be welcomed by the EU. He observes that the network, which

presently includes 120 projects, needs to be transformed. Much work has already been accomplished

(tunnel, foundations, vibration, earthquake engineering, etc.) but much still remains to be done and “the

Road” must help the four networks in place.

Mike Acott: American outlookEven though the American outlook is not applicable to Europe and may lead to controversy, it is

nevertheless interesting to consider.

“Our citizens do not want to see, hear or smell us,” says NAPA (National Asphalt Pavement Association,

USA) President Mike Acott. This observation raises some fundamental problems in the very approach

of the industry because, at the same time, highway players are confronted with expectations with regard

to the improvement of the pavement. This calls for a very pragmatic strategic approach in dealing with

the problems of environmental quality and technical performance of pavements. The key word for Mr

Acott: be proactive. Highway contractors must in fact adapt to new regulations, in particular from the

environmental viewpoint, but must also follow legislative developments in the labour area. “In terms of

safety and hygiene, there is great pressure in the United States as well as in Europe,” says Acott.

Another problem facing highway contractors in terms of operations is the installation of mixing plants,

originally located in rural areas and subsequently, owing to increasing urbanisation, located within the

residential fabric. In this regard, in the United States and in Europe, the population does not tolerate

this type of disturbance. As concerns hygiene, safety, health and the environment, Acott mentions the

points that mobilise American highway contractors, main among which is recycling. “In this area, it

must be acknowledged that we have not been very effective in communicating our achievements,” says

Acott, adding: “The general public is especially sensitive to this aspect because the recycling of paper,

glass or beverage containers has become part of our culture.” This lack of communication is especially

penalising because there are very active pressure groups opposed to the road and communication tools,

such as the Internet, which are of course powerful but which relay incomplete and even totally false

information, take part in the misinformation of the public. However, America’s performance is obvious:

almost 80% of all asphalt pavements are recycled, representing approximately 73 million tons annually.

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These materials are used mainly in pavement layers or roadbeds. Besides the environmental aspects,

economic logic exists. In addition, this approach is perfectly in keeping with the orientations set by

the American highway administration which is increasingly urging the recycling of materials. “Slurry

surfacing systems, used increasingly in our rehabilitation processes, lead us increasingly along these

lines,” said Acott. Aware of the importance of getting messages through, Acott mentions the 5 million

contacts (telephone calls) established following the advertising campaign initiated by the NAPA. The

main lesson of this action is the fact that the public is unaware of the reality of the highway industry’s

activities. As concerns developments in testing, the NAPA has adopted a somewhat unusual position for

the scientifi c community: what is presently being done to improve the environment, reduce emissions,

eliminate odours and get rid of solvents is refl ected in ongoing projects. This falls within the framework

of a special procedure which is widely publicised.

“This is typically what may be called proactive research,” says Acott, mentioning a research laboratory

in the United Kingdom ready to fi nance projects of this type. The design of manufacturing and

application equipment, and of pavers in particular, also constitutes a priority research area aimed at

improving working conditions. Working jointly with builders, the NAPA has undertaken fume emission

measurements. Benefi ting from very good economic conditions, the American highway industry is

enjoying signifi cant growth with a high production level. More than 500 million tons of asphalt was

produced in 1999, perfectly refl ecting the scope of the American market. As a comparison, American

production exceeded 300 million tons in 1970, as against 150 million tons of asphalt produced in 1960.

This “explosion” in production is accompanied by a signifi cant reduction in mixing plant emissions.

This achievement is to be credited to new mixing plants employing the most advanced technologies,

such as counterfl ow drum mixing. The “Clean Air Act of 1990,” similar to the French Air Law, calls for

the reduction in atmospheric pollution by the control of emissions at the source. “The control agencies

are very effective, and it is thus possible to classify emission sources and demonstrate that the highway

industry is far from being one of the main sources of atmospheric pollution,” affi rms Acott. In spite

of this, the NAPA President reports that mixing plant operators are victims of an active coalition on

the American territory, and maintain constant supervision of installations. According to Acott, these

activists are especially dangerous because they disseminate false information.

“Nevertheless, we have met the challenge facing us and have been able to demonstrate that our industry

is a safe one,” says Acott proudly. This success is attributable to a great extent to the effectiveness of the

“diamond effect”, an award received by contractors contributing the most in favor of hygiene, safety and

the environment. In this connection, the approach used by Amoco is exemplary, the company having

recently announced its determination to market an additive allowing the reduction of fume emissions in

mixing plants, but also mass losses. Similarly, the introduction of food additives makes it possible to

modify the odour of asphalts, with a real success. The use of these additives has some effect on mixing

and compacting temperature.

Developments in products and processes cannot be mentioned without speaking of the Superpave

programme, yielding more cost-effective and durable pavements. This programme of “superior

pavement performance” was accelerated by the implementation of new technologies in an area, the

highway industry, not used to such changes. By the end of 2000, 46 states out of 50 had adopted these

specifi cations. For Acott, who emphasises the value of having a harmonised methodology between the

states, this was achievable thanks to partnering between industry and the federal administration.

Concluding, Mr Acott points out the work force mobilised, as of the 1980s, to move forward in hot-

mix asphalt techniques. Some 350 technicians and engineers have been trained, and a scholarship

programme, together with alternate training in companies and career incentives upon graduation from

universities, have been put in place.

As concerns product improvement, Acott stresses the idea of partnering underlying the process. “Our

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strategy is concentrated on bituminous products and on quality,” he said. In addition, the NAPA is

working on the perpetual pavement concept, in connection with which two test sections 2 miles long

have been set up. The approach is based on pavement structural design with a specifi c central structure

intended to remain in place forever because of limited repetition of stresses and good fatigue behaviour.

This structure is designed to last between 15 and 20 years without works, the wearing course being

renewed after that time.

In closing, Acott stated: “Whether for new products, hygiene or safety problems, or even questions of

the environment, we intend to be proactive and socially responsible.”

The sanitary situation of the European asphalt industryFor many years, the industries of the road have been engaged in a study to evaluate work-related risks.

Dr Paolo Boffetta of the International Cancer Research Agency had the task of presenting the

epidemiological survey which associated, besides industrial manufacturers, several European research

organisations and administrations. The decisive issue in connection with this survey is the ability to

determine data on the fumes to which workers of the bituminous mix industry are exposed. Accordingly,

the fi rst phase of the work consisted in evaluating the risks run and in making the survey viable. Seven

countries were thus chosen to serve as the framework for the survey, which looked into different organs:

lungs, stomach, skin and kidneys. This study was scheduled in two phases:

• the fi rst, called Phase A, consisted in identifying a population, characterising exposure to fumes and

investigating death rates;

• the second, called Phase B, consisted in investigating each death in detail to evaluate the impact of

exposure to fumes.

The great mobility of workers in this industry constitutes an obvious diffi culty with this type of survey.

From a detailed questionnaire submitted to the companies it was possible, thanks to different pertinent

parameters, to estimate their exposure. The statistical analysis studies the death statistics through

the study of causes. The aim is to identify the cause of the deaths compared with the spectra of

the population as a whole. A comparison of what is observed with what is expected is called the

standardised death ratio. Before detailing the results, Boffetta points out that they must be re-placed

within a preliminary phase: in fact, the indications were focussed on the most interesting group and

cover 75 employees having worked for at least a full year. In addition, researchers sought to study

two groups of people, the fi rst composed of those working on the application of materials, and the

second working in the mixing plants. These two groups represent a third of the overall population

studied. Among the most signifi cant results, Boffetta mentions the most striking pathology: lung cancer.

It is found that the death rate (14%) is higher than that of the population in general but close to that

recorded in the construction industry exposed to bitumen fumes.. The distribution by country shows

certain disparities.

As concerns estimated exposure, evaluated by a semi-quantitative approach, the death rate turns out to

be higher for construction workers exposed to bitumen fumes. There is no indication on the risk run

in relation to the exposure time. For this criterion, four categories are defi ned. Quite logically, limited

exposure results in limited risk and vice versa. This observation was verifi ed for bituminous mixes as

well as for slurry seals.

According to initial fi ndings, the employee population of the road industry does not exhibit a death rate

higher than that of employees in other industries. “Some results suggest an increase in lung cancer due

to intense exposure,” said Boffetta, pointing out that others do not indicate any increase in risk.

The relationship between fumes and other pathologies is not considered to be highly relevant.

Similarly, preliminary data do not refl ect any increase in death rates related to other forms of cancer.

Finally, lung cancer case studies are recommended. Note that these research investigations actively

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mobilise highway construction companies, which also provide fi nancing. The work completed shows,

even if only initial fi ndings are involved, that the death rate is not higher among road workers and that

exposure to bitumen fumes does not result explicitly in an aggravated pathology in terms of cancer.

Final results should confi rm this observation, enabling the industry to determine the situation. Before

concluding, Boffetta points out the need to distinguish between bitumens “which endanger neither man

nor his environment,” and their fumes.

European industrieThese observations on the international epidemiological survey devoted to the study of cancer risks

among workers of the bitumen and asphalt industries are relative to preliminary fi ndings, the fi nal report

being expected by the end of the year. It is however important to note that:

• Road industry workers do not exhibit death rates higher than those of the rest of the population, which

means that they are in good health. This is a major fi nding, to the extent that it is so unexpected in the

industrial sector;

• A problem remains to be solved, namely the one expressed by the death rate due to lung cancer,

substantially higher in this population. In the present state of our knowledge, it is impossible to attribute

this phenomenon to bitumen fume exposure or to other factors such as exhaust gases or coal tar;

• An additional analysis based on a comparison between bitumen industry workers does not confi rm a

higher risk of lung cancer among workers exposed to bitumen fumes. The relative risk ratio compared

with that of the reference group (construction industry workers not exposed) was calculated at 1.01

within a 95% confi dence interval between 0.84 and 1.24. In fact, lung cancer risks are similar for both

groups;

• The evaluation of the impact of other factors, such as habituation to fumes, requires a case study. In

any case, the EAPA is formally committed to pursuing this epidemiological study in order to carefully

examine the fi nal conclusions and the recommendations to be made.

Strategy for performance and competitiveness

To illustrate the aspects of this basic question, the subject was organised in several sections, each

shedding a particular light on the subject depending on whether one is considering a highway

administration agency, a contractor, a petroleum company or a university member interested in employee

motivation.

Managing a road networkTo illustrate these problems, the example of what is done on the opposite side of the globe is of interest,

since it is so different from what is observed in Europe and even in the United States. In New Zealand,

road management is organised around fi ve requirements. The fi rst, cited by Robin Dunlop, Director of

Transit New Zealand, is the strategic vision essential for any action. Likewise, a good perception of the

needs of the client, but also of the different players around the road, must be refl ected in organisation

activities. This presupposes that these needs have been previously identifi ed and hierarchised. The

performance of the tools and techniques used must also be measured. “We appreciate being able to

determine our network management without any direct intervention of the ministry,” explains Dunlop.

To guarantee the effectiveness of the action undertaken, an agreement is entered into with the Transport

Ministry, which specifi es the requirements to be met. Similarly, performance measurements are put

in place. “Transit New Zealand seeks to be a world leader in the provision of road solutions, offering

effectiveness and safety to public networks and hence able to meet the requirements of users,” explains

Dunlop, noting that the agency also intervenes as a road network operator. In fact, operators manage

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the New Zealand road network under the responsibility of Transit New Zealand. To better understand

the needs of users, surveys and studies are periodically carried out, some on very specifi c subjects. The

results are translated into actions to be undertaken. Users are associated to the extent possible in the

studies on an individual basis as well as within the framework of associations. Satisfaction surveys are

frequent, as are surveys indicating changes in public behaviour and expectations. “Much still remains to

be done before considering any privatisation,” points out Dunlop, noting that public ownership remains

the rule. The diffi culty lies in making drastic changes to functions: these public agencies must become

service providers and must set up the corresponding organisation. “Public administrations must be

open to discussion and favorable to innovation,” pleads Dunlop. In New Zealand, as in other countries,

what users want most is safety. Other clearly expressed requirements are the reliability and viability

of the road system, driving comfort, environmental protection, landscape insertion and effectiveness of

the infrastructure in relation to the cost of service. Transit New Zealand has thus introduced a safety

management system which identifi es hazards each year. Traffi c surveys are conducted and “blackspots”

are eliminated. The philosophy underlying this policy consists in providing a highway environment

with no hidden surprises, i.e. a road which is always as distinguishable as possible. This management

principle logically complies with a balance between safety and mobility requirements. It should be

pointed out that the same preoccupation with safety applies to night driving, with appropriate, enhanced

signing. As concerns road system reliability, New Zealand motorists are no different from other road

users: they require increasing amounts of information, in real time whenever possible, do not support

the presence of works, and decry congestion. “In any case, the lack of information does not sit well with

them,” stresses Dunlop. Comfort requirements call for quality road surfacings, well designed traffi c

lanes and harmonious routes. Considering the matter of effectiveness, Dunlop notes that there have

been improvements in road management, innovative construction and optimised use of infrastructures.

All of this raises a crucial problem, namely the question of fi nancing. According to Dunlop, taxes on

fuel will become diffi cult to bear, raising the inevitable problem of tolls. Users must consequently be

offered the best ratio between tolls and service, while limiting disturbance. In this regard, there are such

technologies as “shadow” tolls, avoiding heavy infrastructures (toll plazas) and also used for different

traffi c control functions. “Through access control technologies, it is possible to manage traffi c fl ows,”

notes Dunlop. As concerns road pricing, it should be suited to the funding allocated to roads. In

this area as well, compromise is the rule: a level of service “negotiated with users” must be offered

at the best cost, indicating clearly that a high level of service comes at a price. With respect to the

environment and the insertion of the road in the landscape, New Zealand experience is interesting

because of the country’s sensitivity to these criteria. Privatisation and optimisation of tools and

techniques, maintenance determined by a highway asset management system, safety audits, modelling

of degradations, are but some of the aspects determining directly the type and level of maintenance

required, and the maintenance applied to a given infrastructure. If, up to the present time, there

have been no new developments in the area of measurements, the New Zealand road community is

undertaking such action. “Cost analysis techniques are widely used,” says Dunlop, mentioning the rate

of 70% for expenditures earmarked for national roads. Risk management is a basic component of local

policy. What is involved is a real alchemy, supposed to make contradictory requirements compatible

by identifying the risks involved, and calling for the development of a risk management plan. For

performance indicators, Dunlop points out that, in connection with any highway system, it is necessary

to determine the cost of maintenance per kilometre, the completion percentage of the programme by

cost and by result, measure the properties given to the pavement (to determine the return on investment)

focussing in particular on the measurement of evenness and rutting, but also skid resistance. Structural

design must meet the needs, while taking into account particular management requirements. As

noted by Dunlop, it is good to have an overall view of this aspect and to remain enthusiastic in

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approach. Here also, New Zealand has shown its originality, having undertaken since 1998 the drafting

of a set of specifi cations incorporating a long-term strategy. Thus, human resource management

is a key component completely integrated in the strategy and incorporating employee training and

promotion. Specifi c software allows advanced scheduling of corresponding projects on the national

level. Concluding, Dunlop reiterates what he noted regarding the importance of being familiar with

user expectations, as well as those of other road players, all of which must be converted into

performance. Considering that improvements must be made continuously, systems able to contribute to

an “intelligent” highway network are privileged. “It is also necessary to have highway administrations

knowing how to use perspective so that their action falls within appropriate time frames,” said Dunlop,

warning that “those who do not meet this challenge will encounter great diffi culties.” In fact, this

unavoidable change involves new technologies whose impact is just beginning to appear. For him,

better road management and a new generation of highway infrastructures will signifi cantly improve

traffi c conditions and allow a reduction in new road construction requirements.

Public/private partnership, the United Kingdom model The viewpoint of the construction fi rm regarding public/private partnering is presented by Euan

McEwan, General Manager of Carillion plc, who pointed out the basic generic terms in any public/

private fi nancing project. For information, note that Carillion plc is one of the United Kingdom’s

largest construction fi rms, active in every area of construction except for individual homes. On the other

hand, the group is very active in the civil engineering area, the services and infrastructure management.

In the United Kingdom, as in other countries, recourse to public/private partnering is justifi ed by the

state’s inability to meet demand. Where new taxes were not possible, new alternatives had to be found.

Initiatives with a view to private fi nancing were begun as of 1992, tending on the one hand to increase

the quality and quantity of available capital by creating a partnership between the public and private

sectors and, on the other, facilitating the setup of this original structure. Though their beginnings

were timid, these initiatives gradually became accepted and were formalised at an ambitious level,

representing almost 2% of the British budget. Apart from the amount, the government expresses its

determination to optimise its budgetary commitments. “The fi nancial performance sought allows a

response to the demand for public service which private suppliers will be called upon to provide,”

thinks McEwan: “Clients must have a very clear idea of the service proposed to them.” The payment

mechanism must be strictly prepared, and the fi nancial resources must also be clearly specifi ed.

Profi tability is an essential condition of the process. It determines the attractiveness of any project and

must be evaluated in terms of the infrastructure’s life cycle. “It is in this area that innovative alternatives

must be found,” stresses McEwan. In fact, user requirements are precisely set forth. A corresponding

product must consequently be found, with which the contractor must comply. If in the past, greater

regard was given to the contribution of capital, today priority is given to the quality of the mission

to be fulfi lled. The contractor is increasingly a service provider who agrees to deliver a given level

of service. “Precise specifi cations are essential in processes of this type,” says McEwan, pointing

out the importance of the wording of the contract, in which the formalities must be laid down as

clearly as possible. To illustrate this decisive point, McEwan cites a specifi c funding example in which

Carillion plc was associated. What was involved was the design and construction of the Liverpool

prison according to the standards of the English penitentiary administration. “Based on safety, comfort,

hygiene and operating requirements, we had to adapt to the fi nancial constraints while ensuring the

viability of the project,” said McEwan, adding that only innovative options guarantee project feasibility.

Among these innovations, McEwan cites a prisoner access control system allowing the monitoring of

movements within the facility. Thanks to this system, the very design of the structure was modifi ed and

substantial economies realised. An additional advantage is that the contractor is required to comply

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with deadlines, with penalties being applied for late completion, and a bonus for completion ahead of

schedule.

Applied to the road construction area, what we have is the user/payer concept in which the motorist

pays a toll to use a facility with a guaranteed level of service and quality. To meet these two criteria,

the operator must have suffi cient fi nancial resources and must have demonstrated its ability to control

all project aspects. The ability to negotiate is also of vital importance when preparing contracts. Each

risk must be accurately evaluated and there must be a corresponding compensation. The danger lies in

the transfer of all risks to the private sector level.

Through public/private partnering initiatives, it was found that the gains varied between 10 and 15% of

the total budget depending on the nature of the project. “Financial considerations must be taken into

account throughout the life of the project,” says McEwan, stressing the importance of associating the

private sector as of the outset of the project. This precaution makes it possible to optimise development

by tending towards designs, construction and operation best suited to the requirements of the different

parties. It especially allows the actual cost to be approached as closely as possible in each phase, thus

ensuring project profi tability. McEwan regrets that too often the construction cost is increased to limit

the consequences of inaccurately estimated maintenance cost.

Carillion’s approach in the fi nancing of services was put in place in 1994. Six years later, it made

the company the leading player in the area of United Kingdom concessions with 14 projects, six of

which are already operational. All these contracts include the construction, maintenance and operation

of the facility. McEwan argues that Carillion’s success is explained in particular by the selection

of projects and the setup of a dedicated structure, associating the partners of the company in each

project. “This company, competent in dealing with the different technical, legal and fi nancial aspects

of contract negotiation and project completion, manages the entire undertaking,” points out McEwan,

emphasizing the “indispensable” involvement of the partners as concerns the fi nancial stakes. Here too,

concerted action between the different players shows its full importance, the aim being to discuss the

fi nal commitment of each party, the terms governing this partnership and the management conditions.

Return on investment is examined with great care, as are the potential resources. Risk evaluation also

constitutes one of the most sensitive phases of the procedure. Once the project has been selected and

the partners determined, the tendered services must still be awarded the contract. “This means that the

project must be perfectly understood and a pertinent solution offered,” explains McEwan. In any case

the process is very long, some programmes requiring up to 5 years of preparation. Once the contract

has been awarded, the long-term involvement of the different partners is formalised, the duration of the

concessions varying in most cases between 25 and 30 years. This requires a good understanding of the

“culture” of the partner so as to ensure a durable relationship.

The formed company must “live” throughout the concession, building up in power as the project

unfurls. This scheme offers an obvious advantage for all: the client benefi ts from a given service at

a cost determined according to a specifi ed level of quality, while the contractor has an opportunity to

innovate and to generate regular cash-fl ow.

“It is of vital importance to determine precisely the risks involved, the respective contributions of each

and the investments needed in order to complete the project,” repeats McEwan. He stated in concluding:

“Private fi nancing through these partnerships between contractors and the public administration is a

forward-looking solution.” In fact, this approach is being used increasingly in different sectors. It is a

concept that should be applicable to other European countries as well as the United Kingdom.

The viewpoint of highway contractorsReplacing Colas CEO Alain Dupont, Michel Chappat, scientifi c and development manager, had the

delicate task of speaking on behalf of the chief executive. “Medical considerations prevailed over

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entrepreneurial zeal,” said Chappat in excusing Alain Dupont. It is hardly necessary to emphasise

the importance of the road. Its primary role in a country’s economy and in the transport area is

demonstrated every day. This strategic position is moreover no longer disputed, even if governments

have a tendency to grant subsidies to the railway and to favour the development of railway transport,

even recommending the reduction of automobile traffi c in certain cases. If we take the example of

France, it is clear that the railway can no longer meet demand. “It will be long, if ever, before it makes

up its lag,” argues Chappat, referring to the studies and projections of the French Transport Ministry.

The rail will thus no longer be able to offer competitive goods transport. The road is consequently an

essential factor for sustained economic growth and development in Europe. “It is however important to

reckon with the hostility of certain political movements and of ecologists in particular,” notes Chappat.

According to him, based on the growth of European countries, it is increasingly diffi cult to allow such

fundamental oppositions as “against the road, or against the car.” A little realism moreover leads certain

fi erce opponents to accept the road and its role. “We can also stress the fact that our business as road

builders is enriched every day with broader know-how enabling us to offer increasingly cost-effective

solutions in several areas,” said Chappat with pride, mentioning such accomplishments as right-of-way

public transport, whether in the form of corridors for buses in town or the movement of tramways in

bigger cities, industrial platforms, multimodal platforms under constant development, or railway track

beds built by highway contractors and representing alternatives proposed on their initiative. “All our

projects and works are carried out in strict compliance with the environment. We know how to build

quite attractive, integrated facilities and we are getting better and better,” he stated. Contractors are

making unrelenting and great efforts to improve the effi ciency of production and application tools, and

the performance of their products are so many elements for evaluating the conducted policies: they are

in keeping with the constant reduction in the greenhouse effect. “All these efforts by our contractors

towards sustainable development and environmental compliance merit recognition and we would be

tempted to say that even greater recognition should come from our clients and in particular from public

authorities,” feels Chappat. Likewise, it is just as certain that contractors must integrate the concepts

of sustainable development and the analysis of product life cycle realistically in their studies and

methods. Contractors have stated with realism: we must work very objectively and thoroughly on the

quantifi cation of these preoccupations and this is not easy. “The approach must be calm and cautious;

it will sometimes be found that certain preconceived notions are dispelled by these studies and even by

the effects,” recommends Chappat, for whom the detractors must then reconsider their position.

In any case, these new approaches should not be feared, and must be worked towards very seriously.

The advantages are obvious, if only for maintaining a high level of relationships with public clients

who must deal with the problem because of the laws, but also because of public opinion pressure.

Agreeing totally with the words of Alain Dupont, which he is transmitting, Chappat is led to speak

of present concentration movements involving highway construction fi rms. “We are in a situation in

which there would be major groups on the one hand, and small/medium local businesses under constant

regeneration, on the other,” observes Chappat. Beyond this sort of real or apparent sharing, the question

is whether there are actually profound differences between these categories of enterprises. Chappat

replies: “Yes, of course, as concerns the management methods, but our business is essentially the

same. It is mainly a proximity business requiring a strong presence in the fi eld.” Major groups in

their present form are in fact a federation of small/medium businesses. “We must never forget this,”

he says emphatically. It is true that this situation is basically different from that which appears when

one speaks of the grouping and concentration that characterises other sectors of activity such as retail

distribution, the petroleum industry and, more generally, heavy industry. The concentration observed

results in profound changes in the fi eld.

“In the areas we are familiar with, we respect the enterprises in the fi eld, we respect the tradenames,

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all the tradenames with their own culture,” says Chappat. In the road industry, the future of road

construction fi rms can be secured only by economic and technical performance, by the quality of the

products and services offered to the satisfaction of clients and by the spirit of responsibility. “We

consider it necessary to continue a determined research effort in our companies, as this represents the

only means of ensuring the improvement of our products and our organisations. We will add here

again that it appears to us highly desirable that our clients, and public authorities in particular, should

comply with and add to this commitment to research and progress,” continues Chappat who, by way of

example, calls for greater action in favour of innovation in public contracts. The growing size of large

highway construction groups allows expansion on the world level. In addition, a strong presence in

many countries, in Europe and other continents, is a dissemination factor for techniques, products and

methods. “Our technical force enables them to be adapted to the needs of the clients of each country.

This is also part of new infl uence of Europe.” Performance bonds are unquestionably preferred by

contractors because they constitute a factor of progress requiring the contractor to ensure better project

preparation, with greater responsibility. Their very essence should reassure the client because they offer

a completion commitment. Adopted by the World Bank and by the European Development Bank, they

should be used slightly more often by all public or private decision makers. “If we, road builders, make

some efforts, require more from ourselves and our teams, we should require more, or at least we would

like to require more from our aggregate suppliers – even if our companies have their own quarries –

and bitumen suppliers,” thinks Chappat. In terms of expectations, contractors say they are entitled to

greater quality guarantees in terms of regularity of quality and level of quality. “Perhaps we should

no longer be content in the future with standards based on the physical performance of bitumen?

Perhaps we should also be better informed as to its origin and the manufacturing cycle it has undergone

before delivery?” asks Chappat. In any case, the quality of the products of highway construction

companies depends on this, and so does their performance. Given the present petroleum situation,

contractors would like bituminous products to maintain their competitive lead in terms of prices. “We

have complete trust in the wisdom of petroleum companies,” said Chappat.

Considering safety problems and repeating the words of Alain Dupont, Chappat feels that it is necessary

to better understand the efforts made in connection with this preoccupation in highway construction

companies and the precautions taken for the health of employees, but also for that of users and local

residents. “Faced with assaults from certain critics, we must react even more in terms of communication

and make it known that we are building beautiful sites,” says Chappat, pointing out that, in 1991, Alain

Dupont decided to eliminate tar and similar products at Colas. This decision was completed by the

exclusion of toxic compounds, and to the extent possible of compounds considered to be too dangerous.

As pointed out by Mr Chappat, it is important for all contractors to work together in this direction

because it is a sign of progress and a proof of maturity. He concluded: “It must be realised that technical

aspects are still present to a great extent in our industry, but they must remain innovative, more cost-

effective and must contribute more effectively tomorrow than yesterday to the competitiveness of our

companies.”

The viewpoint of petroleum companiesThe petroleum industry has also been undergoing profound changes with obvious consequences in the

bitumen sector. In this context of repeated mergers and acquisitions, the objectives are to acquire a

world dimension and to gain synergies. This industry is characterised by the high level of capital

required for petroleum and gas exploration and production. “It is true that our business volumes are

high, but we also invest large sums,” says Michel de Fabiani, BP’s president for Europe, associate

president of BP France and vice-president of the European Petroleum Industry Association. The unit of

measurement is of the order of a billion dollars.

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On the European level, the Tokyo protocol, specifi c to the European Union, seeks to reduce greenhouse

effect gas emissions by 8% by the year 2010. This is equivalent to reducing pollutant emissions to the

same level as in 1990. It is important to understand that in recent years, greenhouse effect gas emissions

in Europe have increased, thus requiring a 14% reduction in production in order to achieve the 2010

objective. Energy and transport are the main CO2 emission generators and should have their production

increase by almost 40% in relation to the 1990 level by the year 2010. In this context, many initiatives

are being taken by the European Community. Thus, in the transport area, the “revised” strategy should

be published by the end of the year. This will concern the highway, highway freight and different travel

modes, but also the solutions to be found to infrastructure congestion problems through pricing, taxing,

and public transport policy. As pointed out by Fabiani, manufacturers have contributed signifi cantly

to optimising the energy effi ciency of private cars, the CO2 emissions of which have been reduced

considerably.

The problem of urban transport remains entirely: motorists want to conserve the freedom offered by a

private car, but would also like, whenever they see fi t, to be able to use public transport. Citizens, who

are also drivers, want to reduce pollution while preserving this freedom by reasonable pricing. “The car

is okay provided it is a clean car,” explains Fabiani. Based on this observation, petroleum companies

undertake original initiatives. Thus, BP is heading a test program with 40 towns for the use of clean

fuels. At the same time, the oil company is working with an automobile manufacturer to study new

fuel technologies. Aware that highway transport growth is inevitable, preventive measures have been

taken to reduce their expected disturbances. Noise constitutes one of the major preoccupations, and

the European Parliament has asked that noise levels be limited by working on the tyre as well as on the

pavement surfacing.

“Bitumen demand will continue to increase in the coming 5 years,” reports Fabiani, even if this growth

could be substantially different from one continent to another. Thus, the expected growth is estimated

at between 1 and 2% in Europe, 3 to 4% in the United States and 4 to 5% in Asia. Considering that

bitumen comes from a very special manufacturing process planned long in advance, this involves major

changes. In any case, price fl uctuations have a decisive impact. After having reached very low levels,

oil prices are climbing to much higher peaks. “The variations in the international petroleum market and

the volatility of the dollar will continue,” warns Fabiani: “It would be possible to consider protection

mechanisms for our clients, for example the indexing of prices.” According to him, the bitumen cycle

and logistics associated with it call for partnerships. The process is clear: 3 to 4 months are necessary

to take the crude to the refi nery, 15 days to process it, a half-day of transport and another half-day to

bring it to the mixing plant. This relatively long chain is very characteristic: the closer the product is

to its fi nal point of utilisation, the more the process accelerates. Oil companies thus fall within a faster

system which calls for the setup of partnerships with road construction fi rms. “Be it for the technology

of products, their specifi cations, logistics, or price fi xing mechanisms, we feel that oil companies are

and will remain suppliers and that they must become, in one way or another, the partners of road

construction fi rms,” declares Fabiani.

In fact, his words match those of A. Dupont in demanding greater professionalism and quality in dealing

with the environment. In this regard, co-operation between EAPA and Eurobitume can only favour

contacts between the two parties.

Jean-Noël Onfi eld et Arlette Surchamp

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Mobilising around performance

To deal with this futuristic subject, the organisers invited Professor Félix von Cube (Germany). Owing to globalisation, a large number of companies have become exposed to increasingly stronger competitive pressure. For this reason, most executives have realised the need for improvements in corporate performance. In this context, what is obviously involved is the ability of all workers to deliver a level of performance and their determination to make additional efforts. Based on this, very special importance must also be attached to a primary observation: working should not be synonymous with “slaving” because, as von Cube explains: “Making efforts without wanting to produces substantially the same consequences as the attitude of a spoiled child: illness, violence, drug consumption.” For him, the solution is neither desire without efforts nor efforts without desire. “It is the pleasure of performing,” explains the professor, giving examples such as mountain climbers, doctors, artists and craftsmen to demonstrate that it is possible to fi nd pleasure in effort. As von Cube points out, the genetic heritage of man is not confi ned simply to his anatomy nor to his sensorial faculties, since it also includes a full range of behavioural aspects. Thanks to his brain, man is able to refl ect on these impulsive behaviours, with the ability to control them to a certain degree. Under modern living conditions with technical facility and material comfort, man can satisfy his urges rapidly and easily. He can thus play the “spoiled child,” an attitude which results in immediate gratifi cation, but with serious consequences. When the incentives are dulled, the needs increase constantly. It is thus essential to have recourse to the dynamics of evolving incentives. For von Cube, it is altogether possible to make efforts and to experience pleasure. The situation may appear paradoxical, since man can take on a risk in order to procure security. To satisfy his pleasure without effort, man has invented several devices – money, power, possession of material goods – , the supreme pleasure being social recognition. The latter can be obtained only by a single type of effort: deliver performance. “Only performance makes it possible to reach the upper hierarchical level and thus to satisfy the aggression-related needs within a community,” said von Cube. This principle of pleasure related to effort is also valid for social relations. As noted by the professor, man is able to attach himself, not only in personal relationships, but to more important social units, be they companies, political parties or nations. It is the biology of behaviour that makes it possible to analyse how ties are established within these environments. “We always identify with those who have succeeded, who occupy a higher rank, with the winner,” confi rms von Cube. It is true that, while participation in a success is part and parcel of the satisfaction of aggressive instincts, it also generates social relationships. For this reason, the executive staff must ensure that the company “emerges” in one way or another – by its size, its importance, its quality, its success. A man must identify with the objectives of the company for which he works, so that he can communicate with the others and thus participate in a common action. “However, he must also satisfy the virtue requirements of the company, i.e. have a sense of justice, be trustworthy and understand the notion of truth,” adds von Cube. The notion of justice in the sense of an economy of pleasure and non-pleasure in relation with performance of course applies to the staffi ng. The professor denounces: “Executives commit a serious error when delegating disagreeable work downward.” On the other hand, if confi dence is established, workers are motivated and the company is able to act. For von Cube, staffi ng does not mean simply administering: it means especially knowing how to defi ne goals, use opportunities, take risks, undertake. In fact, one of the missions that the staff must fulfi l entails responsibility of action. It is thus not surprising that one speaks increasingly of a management culture and a management ethic. “In this area, what is involved is social accountability with regard to co-workers, compliance with the natural environment and, ultimately, general dealings with other people and other companies,” says von Cube, continuing: “It is true that accountability of actions is situated over natural laws; it is something peculiar to man as

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a rational being.” Professor von Cube ends his presentation by citing Lorentz who characterised human evolution as follows: “Selection took man by the hand, set him on his feet and then let go of his hand. The result can stand by itself or fall, depending on how much it will have accomplished. But man can remain standing only when he studies more closely the laws of nature and more particularly the laws of his own nature.”

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RAPPORT PRÉPARÉ PAR ROUTE ACTUALITÉ

Futur des industries européennes des enrobés et du bitume

Du 20 au 22 septembre s’est déroulé au palais des congrès de Barcelone le deuxième congrès Eurasphalt/Eurobitume. Quatre ans après celui de Strasbourg qui avait, pour la première fois, réuni les deux associations dans un même congrès, EAPA – European Asphalt Pavement Association – et Eurobitume – European bitumen Association – ont de nouveau uni leurs forces pour offrir à quelque mille participants une manifestation tout aussi réussie que la première. Patrons des entreprises routières et des groupes pétroliers, responsables des Directions des routes, chercheurs et techniciens des laboratoires et des universités ont pu faire le point sur les derniers développements des industries du bitume et des enrobés autour d’un thème central : “ Performance et compétitivité. ”

La première journée a brossé le devenir européen des industries du bitume et des enrobés au travers

de sujets clés tels que les opportunités créées par l’élargissement de la Communauté européenne

(C.E.), les occasions futures pour l’industrie de la construction routière, l’impact des critères de santé,

de sécurité et d’environnement sur l’industrie routière, la recherche et développement en Europe

et le fi nancement de cette recherche aux Etats-Unis ; mais aussi autour des stratégies à employer

pour développer performance et compétitivité des mélanges bitumineux au XXIe siècle, dans un

environnement professionnel en pleine mutation. Nous vous proposons ci-dessous le compte rendu

d’une partie de cette journée.

Séance d’ouverture : optimisme tempéré

La séance d’ouverture réunit à la tribune Antoni Subira I Claus, ministre de l’Industrie, du Commerce

et du Tourisme de Catalogne ; José Cuervo Argudin, de la mairie de Barcelone ; Martin Carlson,

président d’Eurobitume ; Peter Rothwell, président de l’EAPA ; et Luis Javier Navarro Vigil, président

de l’Association espagnole des opérateurs des produits pétroliers. C’est ce dernier qui ouvre la séance.

Une Espagne optimisteAprès avoir remercié les personnalités présentes, L. J. Navarro Vigil rappelle que ce congrès est avant

tout une réunion technique où seront présentés les tendances les plus avancées et leurs applications

mais aussi les aspects économiques et les recherches. Par ailleurs, il indique que les questions

d’environnement, toujours au premier plan des investissements de l’industrie des produits pétroliers,

ne seront pas négligées. Il souligne qu’il s’agit, et les différentes sessions proposées dans ce congrès

développeront cette optique, de faire face aux demandes et d’offrir davantage de qualité dans les

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CHconditions visées par le marché. Il fait ensuite part de l’optimisme de la profession en Espagne où le

secteur qui concerne les infrastructures et la maintenance des chaussées requiert encore, selon une étude

récente, des investissements très importants. Il révèle que la somme consacrée à l’infrastructure et à la

maintenance des routes dans le budget du ministère de l’Equipement espagnol représente 4 milliards de

pesetas par an : “ Une partie importante de ce budget correspond donc à nos activités ce qui conforte

notre optimisme pour le futur. ”

L’industrie européenne de l’enrobé peut être fi ère…P. Rothwell (Tarmac) prend ensuite la parole et présente le programme du congrès. Il rappelle ensuite

que l’EAPA a tenu un atelier en 1998 à Berlin et un autre à Luxembourg en 1999 et campe l’association.

Il souligne en particulier les changements intervenus depuis le congrès de Strasbourg en 1996 et

énumère les objectifs montrant comment les membres de l’association se positionnent pour satisfaire les

clients et leurs principaux besoins.

L’EAPA a vu le jour en 1973 et a établi son premier bureau permanent en 1990 aux Pays-Bas. Ses

membres proviennent des associations et des sociétés de vingt-quatre pays européens. Cinq nouveaux

membres (Belgique, Roumanie, Russie, Slovénie et Suisse) ont rejoint l’association depuis 1996 et un

certain nombre de membres associés en 1996 sont devenus en 2000 des membres de plein droit (Estonie,

Italie, Portugal et République tchèque). Trois cents millions de tonnes d’enrobés sont mises en place

en Europe chaque année. 70 % d’entre elles sont produites par les membres de l’EAPA. “ La majorité

des routes sont en enrobés, constate P. Rothwell, et les fruits de notre travail profi te à des millions

d’Européens. ”

Mais qu’en est-il de l’enrobé en 2000 ? Il rappelle le discours du précédent président qui commençait

son propos à Strasbourg en disant que les techniques de l’enrobé n’avaient pas changé dans les dernières

décennies, qu’il était toujours fabriqué avec du bitume et des granulats comme en 1930. Mais, celui-ci

avait ensuite parlé de la recherche et développement, des améliorations sur le plan de la santé et

de la sécurité et des nouveaux défi s d’organisation dans le cadre de la norme européenne et des

spécifi cations.

Le nouveau président note que l’on est entré dans une nouvelle ère où l’environnement règne en maître,

la sécurité et la santé occupent la plus grande partie de l’attention des professionnels de la route et

affectent également les clients de ces derniers.

S’attardant sur l’environnement, il signale que sur l’ordre du jour politique de l’U.E., le développement

des couloirs de transport européen occupe une place prioritaire ainsi que la classifi cation des routes et le

développement des transports intermodaux. Mais, il indique qu’il a été très diffi cile d’attirer l’attention

des politiques sur l’infrastructure et le transport routiers. Il note le violent contraste avec les Etats-Unis

où les propositions pour le développement des transports ont vraiment promu celui du transport routier.

La plupart des pays européens pensent que le développement de l’infrastructure routière connaîtra des

contraintes car le parc automobile se développe, la congestion des routes atteint un niveau élevé et le

système de transports publics est incapable de répondre aux besoins. Le public demeurera d’ailleurs

réticent vis-à-vis de ces transports tant qu’ils ne s’amélioreront pas. Par ailleurs, les automobilistes

éprouvent beaucoup de ressentiment face aux taxes qui les affectent. Il rappelle que depuis les années

60, celles sur les carburants ont progressé de manière exponentielle et peuvent atteindre jusqu’à 80 % du

prix de détail dans certains pays d’Europe. Parallèlement le développement de l’infrastructure routière

est relativement lent alors que l’on assiste à un trafi c d’entrée important dans les pays d’Europe de

l’Ouest créant un besoin énorme de nouvelles routes.

Autre contrainte relevée par P. Rothwell : le confl it entre ce développement nécessaire et l’opposition

des “ Verts ”. Inversement, il pense que cette situation constitue aussi une opportunité pour l’industrie

routière. Dans les trente dernières années, le trafi c, et en particulier celui des poids lourds, a augmenté

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d’une manière très importante. Or la profession a su développer les techniques de compactage, des

nouveaux matériels, des nouveaux produits avec de nouvelles exigences en matière de stabilité : “ On a

compris qu’il fallait augmenter la résistance à la déformation des enrobés. ” C’est ainsi que depuis 1990,

ont été développés de nouveaux additifs et de nouveaux liants. Les routes modernes en enrobés durent

plus longtemps…

Le bruit étant devenu un problème majeur, certains pays ont recouvert leurs chaussées en béton

d’enrobés bitumineux pour réduire le niveau de nuisance sonore. L’industrie routière s’est mise à

fabriquer des matériaux plus silencieux, enrobés drainants ou autres… Mais, le président de l’EAPA

constate que les clients sont désormais beaucoup moins concernés par les problèmes techniques que par

les réductions de prix…

Il souligne que l’industrie du bitume a vu son rôle changer. Les producteurs et les entrepreneurs

doivent assumer de plus en plus de responsabilités. Les membres de l’EAPA rapportent qu’ils doivent

livrer des produits au top de la technologie et défi nir des normes de performance de l’enrobé qui doit

répondre également aux exigences des produits de construction de la directive européenne : “ Nous

sommes passés d’un matériau conçu pour éviter la poussière et permettre au trafi c de se développer

plus librement en toute sécurité à de nouvelles routes qui ne se déforment pas, qui produisent moins

d’éclaboussures, qui durent plus longtemps. ” Il considère que l’industrie a répondu techniquement aux

demandes les plus nombreuses d’une manière satisfaisante pour le client mais aussi pour l’usager : “

L’industrie européenne de l’enrobé peut être fi ère de ses développements des années 90. ”

Cependant, il note que l’importance du rôle de l’utilisateur s’est accrue et est devenue un facteur majeur.

En dépit de l’approche technologique très bonne de l’industrie du bitume pour répondre aux besoins,

le confl it demeure entre la profession routière et les “ Verts ” surtout en ce qui concerne l’émission

de CO2. Mais, ceci concerne aussi les fabricants d’automobiles. Il signale que dans les cinq à vingt

prochaines années, l’exploitation de nouveaux carburants et de nouveaux produits permettra de réduire

les émissions de CO2. En 2015, on peut penser que les matériaux plus légers, les moteurs hybrides, le

développement des piles à combustible permettront de réduire en principe de 50 % les émissions de

C02 des véhicules. A plus long terme, l’impact du CO2 sera complètement négligeable. Ford, Chrysler

et Mercedes ont déjà des véhicules qui fonctionnent à pile à combustible. Il pense que ces mesures

permettront aux zones congestionnées de l’Europe de mettre en place des programmes de transport

réalistes développant les infrastructures. Le gouvernement britannique dans son plan de transport a

décidé de maintenir les infrastructures existantes avec les normes modernes. Dans la décennie suivante,

des couches de revêtement de surface silencieuses seront appliquées sur 60 % du réseau stratégique et

en particulier sur toutes les surfaces en béton.

Avant de conclure, il fait référence à deux initiatives qui se sont déroulées durant les quatre dernières

années : la prise de conscience de l’amélioration nécessaire de l’environnement du travail est devenue

de plus en plus importante sur le plan de la sécurité et de la santé. Il indique que dans certaines zones,

on a pu voir une classifi cation du bitume parmi les matériaux dangereux. La Suède, la Norvège, la

Finlande, le Danemark, l’Allemagne, les Pays-Bas et la France ont combiné leurs forces pour procéder

à une recherche épidémiologique à grande échelle puisqu’elle couvre 56 000 travailleurs du bitume.

Cette étude est une entreprise de l’EAPA, d’Eurobitume, de l’Agence internationale pour la recherche

et de l’Iarc (organisme français dépendant de l’OMS). L’objectif de cette étude est d’observer la

relation scientifi que qui existe entre les décès du cancer des travailleurs de l’asphalte et ceux des autres

travailleurs. Il souligne que cette étude menée en France est très importante et en profi te pour remercier

les membres du groupe qui ont bien voulu partager leurs informations.

La seconde initiative se rapporte à une étude critique de la consommation énergétique dans les chaussées

bitumineuses. Il s’agit en fait de connaître l’impact sur l’environnement de la production d’enrobés en

termes de production énergétique et en termes d’émission. Une meilleure compréhension de ces

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CHfacteurs peut apporter l’occasion de réduire la consommation d’énergie dans l’ensemble du processus de

fabrication en réduisant ainsi les émissions de C02 : la température de fabrication des enrobés pourrait

être abaissée, ce processus générant moins de fumée.

Les résultats de cette recherche ont été analysés en novembre 1999 et les projets de ce rapport seront

utilisés par certains orateurs durant le congrès.

Il conclut qu’après un siècle de croissance en volume et une dernière décennie bouleversée par des

changements fondamentaux (pression des environnementalistes, développement des super-camions,

infl exion gouvernementale sur le fi nancement public des transports), l’industrie du bitume a dû changer

radicalement : “ Nous nous sommes ouverts à l’extérieur ” reconnaît-il en poursuivant : “ Ce n’est pas

une simple coïncidence si les développements techniques majeurs en matière de bitume sont intervenus

dans la dernière décennie. Pour l’avenir, je pense que les avancées techniques vont continuer à se

développer et permettront de répondre aux lobbies environnementaux. Ceci combiné avec les avancées

techniques du moteur à combustion interne permettront d’accélérer la croissance de notre industrie. ”

Les problèmes nationaux sont désormais mondiauxLe président d’Eurobitume succède à son homologue de l’EAPA. M. Carlson annonce que 955

personnes assistent à ce congrès venant de 44 pays. Il souligne que cette provenance variée des

participants (Europe, Afrique, Asie, Australie et Amériques) montre la mondialisation du secteur. Ce

congrès constitue un cadre idéal pour partager et apprendre. Il signale que l’effort réalisé en commun

par les deux associations pour monter ce deuxième congrès et d’autres projets conjoints a conduit à un

partenariat très bénéfi que entre les deux organisations qui s’est accéléré durant les dernières années.

A son tour, il note les changements importants survenus depuis 1996 rappelant les restructurations

majeures chez les pétroliers comme dans les entreprises. Soulignant les relations différentes nouées

entre les entrepreneurs et les autorités, il note une tendance vers de nouveaux modes de fi nancement et

vers une privatisation de la recherche.

Par ailleurs, des problèmes nationaux, il y a encore quelques années, sont désormais mondiaux et ceci,

estime-t-il, a une infl uence sur le rôle de l’association : “ Nous devons réfl échir sur l’avenir stratégique

de notre secteur. Pour que notre industrie soit compétitive et joue son rôle dans la maintenance et

le développement des infrastructures de transport, nous avons besoin de la participation de toutes les

parties prenantes pour penser à l’avenir à long terme du secteur public et du secteur privé. ”

Il évoque ce qu’Eurobitume – forte de cinq associations nationales et de dix-sept sociétés qui produisent

90 % de l’ensemble du bitume vendu en Europe – a vécu depuis 1996.

Première initiative, l’association a mis sur pied une équipe de spécialistes de la santé et de la sécurité

car l’industrie doit se plier à de très nombreux règlements nationaux et européens dans ce domaine.

Une bonne compréhension des principes mis en jeu et l’impact que ces législations peuvent avoir sur

les activités des différents acteurs de la profession peuvent infl uencer les décisions : “ Ceci constitue

une partie essentielle de nos activités modernes. ” Ces spécialistes ont donné une aide permettant de

répondre à des questions essentielles comme le stockage, la production et la manutention du bitume.

La seconde initiative développée de manière proactive a trait aux fondations nécessaires pour évaluer

l’impact sur l’environnement des applications du bitume. Le public et les autorités de plus en plus

préoccupés par les questions d’environnement réclament des informations à ce sujet.

M. Carlson rappelle que le bitume est durable car il est recyclable à 100 %. Eurobitume a produit un

écoprofi le pour la production de bitume et, dans le projet conjoint avec l’EAPA, développe un outil

d’évaluation de l’impact d’une route en enrobés sur l’environnement.

Il indique que son association a travaillé sur une meilleure connaissance de la performance des liants

bitumineux car les constructeurs de routes et les fournisseurs de matériaux doivent répondre à un certain

nombre de défi s. Les tests empiriques, première génération des normes européennes, ne fournissent pas

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de moyens suffi sants pour une évaluation rapide de la performance des nouveaux produits : “ Nous

devons avoir des tests reliés à la performance pour nous assurer de la bonne utilisation des bitumes

et pour faciliter la recherche et encourager le développement de nouveaux produits. ” Il rappelle

l’atelier Eurobitume sur les propriétés liées à la performance qui s’est tenu à Luxembourg avec le

soutien de l’EAPA et qui représente une étape majeure dans le développement de ces normes reliées

à la performance en Europe. Il estime que le processus fi nal dans lequel les nouvelles normes sont

développées est aussi important que le partenariat entre les fournisseurs, les entrepreneurs et les autres

parties prenantes. Eurobitume a décidé de prendre part à ce processus et ses membres ont investi dans

un projet à deux ans dont le directeur est André Stawiarski. Ce projet devrait aider à développer des

normes reliées à la performance pour les liants bitumineux. Il souhaite que toutes les parties concernées

expriment leur point de vue de manière ouverte car cette large diversité sera la force de l’Europe et

permettra de développer la performance européenne sur le réseau routier : “ Nous vous demandons de

ne jamais oublier que dans la grande majorité des cas, des solutions existantes et des spécifi cations

empiriques peuvent être suffi santes, mais pour répondre à des demandes de plus en plus nombreuses

nous devons connaître les performances attendues de nos produits ; nous avons besoin de délais réduits

pour mettre en place les innovations. ”

En conclusion, il rappelle vouloir donner une dimension internationale à la planifi cation de scénarios.

Eurobitume voudrait y adjoindre les problèmes d’environnement locaux et régionaux auxquels se heurte

l’industrie du bitume et des enrobés en Europe à l’heure actuelle.

Bravo pour la transparence…J. Cuervo A., président conseiller de la Commission de maintenance des services urbains de la mairie

de Barcelone “ ville méditerranéenne soumise à de fortes pluies en automne ”, signale qu’il a coutume

d’expliquer à ses concitoyens le pourquoi des inondations qui touchent sa ville. Non sans humour, il

indique qu’il rend responsables pour une part les enrobés qui ont recouvert des rues de la ville et des

alentours et qui ont rendu le sol imperméable augmentant le risque d’inondations… “ Indirectement,

nous vous rendons coupables de notre problème. ” Mais, il tempère immédiatement son propos en

notant qu’il apprécie désormais les systèmes de drainage et l’amélioration de la perméabilité des

chaussées : “ Vous n’êtes plus seulement le problème, vous êtes aussi ceux qui nous apportaient des

solutions ! ”

Une ville se bat pour sa qualité de vie et ceci passe par une réduction des bruits, or le trafi c augmente

sans cesse. Il faut donc que l’enrobé des chaussées compense cette nouvelle agression sonore. Il se

félicite de voir que les professionnels travaillent sans cesse sur de nouveaux produits qui rendent

compatibles le développement économique d’une ville et le maintien de sa qualité de vie tant sur le plan

de la diminution de la nuisance sonore que sur celui des sols drainants : “ Vous partagez les problèmes

des hommes politiques et j’apprécie votre désir de transparence au travers de l’étude épidémiologique

que vous menez. ” Pour lui, il n’existe aucune opposition entre développement urbain et sensibilité

environnementale. Il dit être convaincu qu’il existe à côté de l’écologie verte une écologie grise, une

écologie urbaine dont la réponse n’est pas utopique mais concrète pour l’environnement urbain. Il

félicite donc pour cette orientation la profession qui aborde avec une rigueur scientifi que les problèmes

actuels.

Une industrie pérenneAprès avoir écouté les discours des uns et des autres, A. Subira, ministre de l’Industrie, du Commerce

et du Tourisme de Catalogne, ouvre le congrès. Il fait ensuite un parallèle entre les véhicules et la route.

Si les constructeurs font des efforts pour que leur véhicule soient de plus en plus silencieux, sûrs et de

moins en moins polluants, il est bon de savoir qu’il existe un autre monde, celui de la route où les

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qu’il soit de marchandises ou de personnes car “ la vie des citoyens se passe sur la chaussée ”. Il

estime que l’industrie du bitume et des enrobés est compliquée et que l’aspect économique au cours

de ce congrès ne devra pas être négligé : “ Votre produit est mûr, vous n’avez pas de grosses marges

comparables à celles des nouvelles technologies… ” Rieur, il ajoute : “ Quoique ceux qui font des

marges extraordinaires font généralement peu de bénéfi ces car ils gaspillent l’argent. ” Plus sérieux, il

note qu’il s’agit d’un secteur coincé entre un client diffi cile (l’administration publique) préoccupé par

les cycles électoraux et un fournisseur (l’industrie pétrolière) très cyclique et compliqué, capable de

déstabiliser les hommes politiques les plus avertis. Or, il constate que ce secteur travaille sans cesse à

l’amélioration de la qualité et de la performance de ses produits. Félicitant l’ensemble de la profession

pour son optimisme et ses objectifs, il déclare : “ Votre industrie peut encore vivre des décennies car elle

peut faire des affaires en se mettant au service de la société. ”

Une pyramide humaine érigée devant les participants, sur la scène du palais des congrès, clôture la

séance d’ouverture. Constituée d’amateurs en provenance de tous les secteurs d’activité, elle montre ce

qu’une équipe soudée peut entreprendre et réussir.

Scénarios futurs

Max Von Devivere et David Lyall, respectivement secrétaires de l’EAPA et d’Eurobitume et coordinateurs

du congrès, vont tour à tour présenter les orateurs et cadrer leurs exposés.

M. Von Devivere rappelle que si l’industrie dépend bien souvent des décisions politiques, il est

cependant important de savoir comment les décisions sont prises car de plus en plus de décisions

nationales se prennent en tenant compte de celles de la Commission européenne. Il indique que le

premier orateur, Alain Baron, qui a occupé de nombreuses fonctions au sein de cette Commission, va

présenter le nouveau “ Livre Blanc ” mis en chantier par la Commission et actuellement en cours de

rédaction.

Le nouveau Livre Blanc de la Commission européenneL’exposé d’A. Baron porte sur la proposition de la Commission quant au développement d’une politique

de transport commune en Europe pour la période 2000-2010. Il précise que le Livre Blanc ne sera pas

publié avant la fi n 2000.

Aucun doute que le succès de cette politique représente une des clés de l’augmentation de la productivité

de l’industrie européenne et de la baisse du chômage mais elle implique un certain nombre de défi s à

relever dans les dix ans.

Parmi eux, il mentionne les changements pour la Communauté soulignant en priorité que l’on connaît

encore mal les implications de la politique de transport sur l’économie.

Le deuxième défi tient à l’élargissement de l’Europe occidentale qui représente une très bonne

opportunité pour l’industrie de la construction qui aura à développer son activité dans ces pays dont il

faudra remettre à niveau les liaisons routières et ferroviaires. Mais, signale A. Baron, cela signifi e qu’il

faudra aussi gérer l’augmentation du trafi c. Il mentionne la dimension méditerranéenne qui ne doit pas

être oubliée car elle représente un très grand potentiel de croissance dans l’avenir.

Enfi n l’autre grand défi a trait à l’augmentation du prix du pétrole. Son niveau de prix très élevé doit être

pris en compte dans la planifi cation de la politique des transports.

Ces défi s majeurs affectent toutes les activités et préoccupent également l’industrie du bitume et

des enrobés pour lequel le brut est une matière première très importante. Il suggère qu’elle pourrait

participer à des programmes de recherche sur le développement de nouveaux types d’enrobés qui

garantiraient des conditions de roulement plus sûres et diminueraient le bruit pour les riverains.

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L’objectif actuel de la politique de transport commune a été fi xé pour la première fois en 1992. Le

message principal de ce premier Livre Blanc reposait sur l’ouverture du marché des transports dans le

cadre d’une mobilité durable. Le transport devait répondre au défi du développement du marché interne

et à celui de l’abolition des frontières dans la Communauté.

Il estime que huit ans après la publication de ce document, le temps est venu de faire une évaluation des

résultats et de procéder, là où c’est nécessaire, à des ajustements de politique.

Beaucoup de réalisations sont à noter entre 1992 et 2000 parmi lesquelles le processus de libéralisation

qui a généré une augmentation de la fourniture de services en particulier dans le domaine des transports,

aérien notamment avec une diminution notoire des prix ; pour le transport routier, la libéralisation des

cabotages s’est vérifi ée en 1998.

Mais qu’a-t-il été entrepris pour rendre le transport routier plus compatible avec les objectifs fi xés ? A.

Baron précise qu’il ne mentionnera que les actions où beaucoup d’améliorations ont été apportées : les

moyens de transport, l’interconnexion des réseaux ainsi que l’interopérabilité du réseau ferroviaire avec

le développement de la haute vitesse en 1996. Dans ce contexte, un certain nombre de recommandations

vont être faites en particulier pour éliminer les goulots d’étranglement aux abords des grandes villes.

Par ailleurs, outre le réseau de transport transeuropéen, un programme a été mis sur pied en vue

d’améliorer les connexions entre les pays de la Communauté et entre ceux-ci et les autres pays.

L’Espagne a été un des grands bénéfi ciaires de la période 1994-1999.

Un système de transports intelligent, en particulier les aides à la navigation, et les systèmes de feroutage

tendent à soutenir les programmes communautaires pour permettre des transports plus sûrs et plus

effi caces.

Il signale que ce sont les aspects positifs de la mise en place de cette politique. Mais, l’évaluation des

résultats a fait apparaître un certain nombre de lacunes notamment dans la manière dont la croissance

a été gérée.

Les congestions, les encombrements, en particulier dans les zones urbaines, se sont accrus

considérablement durant la dernière décennie. L’insécurité routière est inacceptable avec ses 42 000 tués

chaque année dans la Communauté. Il signale en outre que le coût fi nancier du manque de sécurité sur

les routes européennes se monte à environ 42 milliards d’euros en tenant compte uniquement des morts.

Quant au coût humain, il est bien sûr extrêmement élevé.

Un autre problème identifi é a trait à l’environnement. Il indique que 90 % de l’effet de serre dont le

transport est responsable, est dû au transport routier : “ En 1997, on a voulu stabiliser ces émissions de

gaz, c’était un programme ambitieux et nous ne cherchons pas à en lancer un autre. ”

Autre problème, celui qui concerne le faible niveau de mise en œuvre des lois sociales et de sécurité en

Europe entraînant une distorsion de la concurrence.

Par ailleurs, il rappelle que l’objectif du Livre Blanc était de réduire le déséquilibre entre les modes de

transports, or tous les modes de transports sont loin d’être utilisés : “ Nous voulons proposer pour la

période 2000-2010 de nouvelles mesures pour renforcer l’effi cacité des systèmes de transports dans leur

ensemble. ”

Le Livre Blanc de 1992 représentait la première étape d’identifi cation des déséquilibres dans les

systèmes de transports, la Commission veut maintenant proposer des solutions appropriées pour

répondre au défi de la mobilité au XXIe siècle.

Sur la base de ces défi s, il indique qu’un certain nombre d’actions ont été identifi ées : contrôler

l’augmentation du trafi c durant la prochaine décennie pour assurer une mobilité durable et garantir la

compétitivité dans l’ensemble de la Communauté ; réduire l’insécurité et l’impact négatif des transports

sur l’environnement en matière de bruit et de pollution atmosphérique qui affectent une grande partie

de la population européenne.

Il souligne que selon une enquête récente la pollution atmosphérique est responsable d’un nombre

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de l’énergie dans les transports. ” L’augmentation des demandes en transport a été sous-estimée, ceci

explique les encombrements en zones urbaines et dans les zones frontalières, Alpes ou Pyrénées.

Les estimations de la Commission font apparaître 50 % de croissance pour le transport routier des

marchandises entre 1998 et 2010 et 20 % pour le transport des passagers. Les infrastructures telles

qu’elles existent actuellement pourront-elles répondre à ces augmentations ? Si l’on veut que l’économie

n’en souffre pas et que la qualité de vie des habitants soit préservée, il faudrait une modifi cation

des infrastructures. Mais la Commission ne pense pas que ce soit la seule solution et la diffi culté de

trouver des fi nancements, les problèmes d’environnement, l’espace restreint imposent une réfl exion sur

la planifi cation dans ce domaine. Il faudrait trouver des incitations dans les zones urbaines, adopter

une approche plus globale pour adapter la croissance à l’objectif de durabilité. Parmi les actions à

entamer, A. Baron cite une amélioration du réseau pour tirer partie des capacités existantes, la promotion

des alternatives au transport routier pour les passagers et les marchandises et l’application du principe

pollueur-payeur.

Il juge le secteur routier en Europe dominant mais très fragile. Son effi cacité et sa fi abilité fi nancière

demandent à être améliorées. C’est un réel problème qui sera traité dans le nouveau Livre Blanc.

La Commission va continuer à développer des alternatives crédibles au transport routier. La libéralisation

du transport de marchandises doit continuer et des mesures d’harmonisation sont encore nécessaires

pour abolir les obstacles au développement des voies fl uviales ou d’autres modes. Une part de marché

plus importante pour ces autres modes de transport, en particulier sur les longues distances, pourrait

être obtenue. Une souplesse plus grande dans le service “ porte-à-porte ” par le développement de

l’intermodalité pourrait aussi être engagée, en particulier pour le rail. En complément de ces actions, la

Commission veut promouvoir un développement des transports transurbains.

Durant la période 2000-2006, elle entend se concentrer sur les projets restants et sur l’élimination des

goulots d’étranglement pour la route et le rail. Pour la période 1993-1995, 600 millions d’euros ont été

consacrés au développement du réseau transeuropéen pour tous les projets. Entre 1996 et 1999, le budget

est passé à 1,6 milliard d’euros. Pour 2000-2006, il est prévu 1,1 milliard d’euros.

Le fi nancement se répartit entre les études qui peuvent être fi nancées jusqu’à 50 % de leur montant total

et les travaux jusqu’à 10 %.

Une aide additionnelle peut être accordée au secteur qui travaille par exemple sur le système des

transports intelligent qui constitue une des clés du succès de l’amélioration de la performance sur le

réseau. La sécurité, l’environnement, l’effi cacité du rendement énergétique demandent aussi des efforts

supplémentaires. Notamment en sécurité routière des efforts très particuliers portent sur l’éducation et

la formation.

Quant au rendement énergétique, A. Baron livre son opinion personnelle : “ Nous devrions saisir

l’occasion de la crise mondiale du pétrole pour relancer les programmes de recherche et réduire notre

dépendance en améliorant les moyens énergétiques de tous les modes de transports : réduction de la

consommation, énergie plus propre ou énergie renouvelable… Mais il faut aller au-delà et trouver des

alternatives au pétrole techniquement et économiquement viables. ”

Il conclut en soulignant que la mobilité durable n’est pas seulement un problème de transport, une

coopération très étroite est nécessaire avec l’industrie, les planifi cations locales, régionales ou nationales

et la Commission. Les urbanistes ne doivent pas être exclus de ces consultations.

L’élargissement de l’Europe est bien complexeD. Lyall apprécie le fait que depuis le congrès de Strasbourg, la Commission ait avancé et reconnu que

le secteur était très important : “ D’autant que dans le passé, confi e-t-il, nous avons ressenti que nous

étions un membre non souhaité dans le transport de l’U.E. ”

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Il présente Marc Maresceau professeur à l’Université de Gand et détenteur de très nombreuses chaires

dans le monde. Ce dernier va traiter du futur élargissement de la Communauté européenne, sujet dont

il est le spécialiste.

Sujet très complexe, prévient-il, mais primordial puisque aucune politique ne peut être formulée

actuellement sans tenir compte de la dimension de l’élargissement de la C.E.

Doivent être pris en considération les facteurs géopolitiques, économiques, juridiques et

psychologiques.

En 1990, la C.E. a proposé aux pays d’Europe centrale et orientale (Peco) les conclusions sur les accords

de l’Europe pour accompagner leur transition économique. Celles-ci sont à l’origine d’un quiproquo

car ces accords ont été accueillis par ces pays comme l’instrument de préadhésion alors que la C.E. les

considérait comme une alternative à l’adhésion…

Les premiers accords ont été signés en 1991 avec la Hongrie, la Pologne, la République tchèque, la

Slovaquie, la Roumanie, la Bulgarie, l’Estonie, la Lituanie et la Slovénie. L’aspect le plus important de

ces accords porte sur l’établissement de la vente libre en matière commerciale des produits industriels

avec des clauses spécifi ques en matière d’agriculture et de pêche. Or, ces pays, deuxième partenaire

derrière les Etats-Unis de la C.E., représentent 10 % du commerce extérieur de la Communauté.

Le professeur Maresceau précise qu’étant donné que la structure de libéralisation du commerce n’est

pas symétrique entre la C.E. et les pays associés, l’excédent de la balance commerciale augmente et se

montait à la fi n de 1998 à 33 billions d’euros.

L’une des caractéristiques surprenantes de la politique de l’U.E. repose sur le fait qu’elle ait besoin d’une

adaptation permanente. Un rôle très important est joué par le Conseil européen, institution composée

des chefs de gouvernements qui se réunissent deux fois par an et qui déterminent les politiques à suivre

par l’U.E. Le Conseil européen qui s’est tenu à Copenhague en 1993 a prouvé son importance en ce

qui concerne les relations avec les Peco. Il a été décidé au cours de ce sommet que l’accession devenait

un objectif commun mais sans calendrier, que les conditions économiques et politiques devaient être

réalisées par les pays candidats qui devaient faire preuve de stabilité politique et respecter les droits de

l’homme et la protection des minorités… De plus, lors de son accession, le nouveau membre doit se

fondre dans l’Union.

A partir des années 1994 et 1995, les membres associés des Peco ont demandé leur intégration comme

membres de l’U. E. Le 15 juillet 1997, la Commission a publié l’Agenda 2000 qui constituait la

première approche stratégique de l’élargissement de la C.E. qui marquait une distinction entre les

candidats et le besoin de réformer institutionnellement l’U.E. Cinq pays ont eu le droit d’entamer les

négociations (la République tchèque, l’Estonie, la Hongrie, la Pologne et la Slovénie) auxquels s’est

ajoutée Chypre. Toutefois le Conseil de Luxembourg n’a pas été insensible aux réclamations des autres

candidats à qui elle a suggéré de commencer des négociations de préadhésion. Un pays, la Turquie,

s’est senti frustré devant son rejet en 1989. Le professeur signale qu’il en parlera plus longuement par

la suite.

Les négociations pour l’adhésion réelle des cinq pays en question et de Chypre ont démarré en 1998. Au

sommet d’Helsinki en décembre 1999, il a été décidé que les autres pays d’Europe centrale et orientale

qui en avaient fait la demande pourraient être inclus dans les négociations de février 2000. Au total,

douze pays sont donc entrés dans le processus de négociations.

Le professeur Maresceau fait une parenthèse sur le transport qui est entré dans la base des négociations.

Il a le sentiment qu’aucun cadeau ne sera fait aux pays candidats et qu’ils devront suivre tout ce qui est

imposé aux pays de la Communauté en matière de transport s’ils veulent accéder à l’U.E. Cela implique

l’alignement dans les domaines fi scal et social, sur le plan des normes techniques ainsi que sur celui des

normes environnementales et sécuritaires. Il convient de mettre en place de nouvelles infrastructures et

la période transitoire de cinq ans n’est pas suffi sante pour faire face aux besoins des pays candidats.

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CHLa phase de préadhésion est importante. La Commission européenne cofi nance actuellement des projets

pour la restauration de routes en Pologne, en Bulgarie et en Roumanie. La pression de certains pays

candidats pour intégrer le réseau transeuropéen est forte.

La négociation la plus complexe tourne autour de la libre circulation des personnes, des travailleurs en

particulier. La position des 15 est encore assez vague, mais l’Autriche qui a une frontière commune de

plus de 1 200 km avec certains pays candidats a une position beaucoup plus affi rmée, l’Allemagne la

suivra vraisemblablement sur ce point et peut-être d’autres pays qui pourraient demander des périodes

transitoires refusées d’ores et déjà par les pays candidats qui ne comprennent pas pourquoi cette clause

nouvelle dans l’acquis communautaire survient subitement. Les visas posent un autre problème tout

aussi complexe en raison des liens que peuvent avoir les pays candidats avec leurs voisins…

Les pays candidats réclament eux des périodes transitoires dans d’autres domaines, notamment en ce

qui concerne l’acquisition de terres dans leurs pays par des membres de la C.E. Elles peuvent aller de

quelques années jusqu’à quinze ans voire davantage. En matière de transport, ils réclament aussi des

dérogations temporaires sur le marché du cabotage, la charge aux essieux, la dimension des pneus, les

taxes sur les véhicules…

Bien d’autres problèmes se posent quant à l’eau, la pollution industrielle, les décharges… D’énormes

efforts devront être réalisés par ces pays pour se mettre en conformité. Le professeur Maresceau estime

qu’à terme, le risque existe de voir l’U.E. placer la barre des standards européens plus bas.

Devant une communauté turque fortement représentée au congrès derrière son directeur des routes,

le professeur Maresceau a tenu à expliquer le refus opposé au sommet de Luxembourg, en 1997,

par la Communauté à l’accession de la Turquie à l’U.E., alors même qu’elle entretenait des relations

commerciales et privilégiées avec l’Europe. “ Ce n’est pas de la discrimination, mais elle doit régler,

comme ceci est demandé à tous les pays candidats, ses problèmes internes et respecter les droits

de l’homme. ” Politiquement, la Turquie ne satisfait pas aux critères exigés. Toutefois, au sommet

d’Helsinki, elle a obtenu le statut de pays candidat à condition de s’aligner sur les critères de base

valables pour tous les candidats. Les négociations d’accession n’ont pas commencé. Le professeur pense

qu’il faudra sans doute l’intervention des Etats-unis pour la convaincre d’accepter l’offre européenne.

Quant à la Russie, elle était il y a encore peu de temps beaucoup plus intéressée par l’Otan que par

l’U.E. ! Cependant, il convient de l’inclure dans les réfl exions de l’élargissement européen même si

pour l’instant elle ne satisfait pas aux critères politiques car elle est liée à long terme à la sécurité de

l’Europe.

M. Maresceau conclut qu’il n’est pas certain que lorsque le choix de l’élargissement de l’U.E. a été fait,

la communauté ait eu conscience de toutes les conséquences que cela impliquait. Il manque de toute

évidence une solide base politique commune. En outre, il semble que les populations des pays membres

s’intéressent de moins en moins à l’U.E. En fait, l’élargissement doit consolider la stabilité politique et

la sécurité autant que le développement économique : “ C’est un exercice diffi cile et compliqué et le

chemin est encore long avant que ces objectifs ne soient atteints. ”

Santé, sécurité, environnement : impacts sur la routeMax Von Devivere, avant de présenter l’orateur suivant, Tell Münzing, se félicite que beaucoup de pays

d’Europe centrale et orientale soient représentés à ce congrès et confi rme que l’Europe a besoin de

stabilité.

Tell Münzing, consultant, dirige pour sa société SustainAbility un programme avec l’Unep (United

nations Environment Program) conjointement avec vingt multinationales qui cherchent à approfondir

dans leur domaine, leurs connaissances sur ce qu’on appelle le développement durable. Il indique que

SustainAbility “ petite organisation hybride ” a été créée en 1987. Elle est forte de quarante experts qui

travaillent sur tous les aspects du développement durable.

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Le développement durable a souvent une signifi cation différente suivant les personnes. Récemment un

ouvrage le décrivait comme un morceau de savon que l’on essayerait de récupérer sous la douche. C’est

dire à quel point il est insaisissable… Pour T. Münzing, il doit atteindre trois objectifs : faire appel à

des solutions économiquement viables qui respectent l’environnement, sonore en particulier, et social

de l’individu.

Mais le développement durable ne se résume pas seulement à cette triple vision. Il estime qu’il y a

un challenge fondamental à relever face à ce qu’il appelle le “ capitalisme naturel ”. Celui-ci guette le

monde des affaires et il l’évalue à 33 trillions de dollars d’éco-services !

Sur le plan social, le développement durable passe par l’amélioration du niveau de vie des habitants de la

planète. C’est un énorme challenge, mais aussi l’opportunité d’un nouveau marché, estime T. Münzing

qui prédit un développement à cinq vitesses : les impacts, l’internalisation, les interfaces, l’intégration

et enfi n un bénéfi ce accru.

Il estime que les impacts environnementaux et sociaux sont bien souvent liés, dans les catastrophes

écologiques par exemple, et que les outils et les moyens employés par les entreprises pour y faire face

sont très insuffi sants. Quant à l’internalisation de ces impacts, elle va permettre en retour d’apporter à

l’entreprise les moyens de concevoir des technologies propres et de meilleurs produits. La certifi cation

ISO 14001 mais aussi les procédures d’audit et les estimations du cycle de vie sont les preuves d’une

prise en compte sociale et environnementale qui démarre. Les exemples des uns et des autres font

avancer le processus mais il faut pour que cela s’établisse une parfaite transparence et une bonne

information. Les rapports qui ont été réalisés sur les exemples de développement durable de par

le monde ont été regroupés dans un guide qui peut être consulté sur Internet. T. Münzing indique

que l’importance des interfaces est désormais reconnue, basée sur la connaissance que nous offre le

développement de l’information quasi en temps réel.

Il estime que le passé était caractérisé par le développement des différents modes de management en

matière fi nancière, environnementale et sociale et par la mise en place des premières interfaces. Le

challenge va plus loin désormais. Il s’agit de redéfi nir le système de management de la société elle-

même et les communications internes. Pour lui, l’intégration est possible grâce aux interfaces mais

aussi aux consultants extérieurs qui devront être mis au courant des décisions internes en cours. La

vérifi cation externe de la performance environnementale est souhaitable.

Sur le plan social, il signale que l’on en est encore au démarrage et que les indicateurs doivent être

développés.

Donnant ensuite des exemples de sociétés qui se sont impliquées dans ce développement durable, il

remarque que la plupart des grandes entreprises ont un important potentiel de mutation rapide.

Passant sa cinquième vitesse, il se demande comment à partir de là accroître les bénéfi ces d’une société

? “ Ce sera possible si nous développons les procédés, les technologies et les indicateurs en vue d’un

développement durable. ” Se référant à l’auteur Kevin Kelly, il note que l’on rentre dans une phase de

changements fondamentaux, évoque au passage les nouvelles technologies telles que la biotechnologie

capable de générer de nouveaux profi ts.

Il conclut que certaines décisions peuvent paraître ridicules comme le semblaient celles du début du

XXe siècle avant qu’elles ne deviennent réalité… Eurobitume et Eurasphalt apportent leur contribution

au développement durable avec la première étape que constitue le recyclage des chaussées. Il leur prédit

un nouveau monde, entreprenant, mais bien différent de ce qu’ils peuvent imaginer !

Le cinquième programme cadreGeorge Katalagarianakis, directeur de la recherche à la Commission européenne, présente la croissance

du développement durable dans l’industrie de la construction.

L’U.E. subventionne quelques études en appliquant le principe de subsidiarité. Il s’agit d’un travail de

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coordonner toutes ces recherches. Un réseau a été créé à l’intérieur duquel a pris place un département

de recherche sur les routes.

Le cinquième programme cadre (1998-2002) est organisé autour de quatre équipes qui travaillent sur

la qualité de vie et les ressources vivantes, la création d’une société d’information pour les usagers, la

promotion d’une croissance durable compétitive et l’énergie et l’environnement dans une optique de

développement durable.

G. Katalagarianakis précise qu’il convient d’établir un meilleur environnement, de meilleures conditions

de travail, une meilleure visibilité pour tous les participants au projet et une meilleure sécurité en

provenance du service public.

Ce programme est organisé autour d’actions clefs qu’il centre sur l’organisation des processus

innovateurs et sur les matériaux. Leurs actions portent sur la mobilité et l’intermodalité des transports

sans oublier les transports fl uvial et aérien.

Concernant l’industrie, leurs objectifs sont modernisation, amélioration de la compétitivité et sa

durabilité, qualité et réduction de la consommation des ressources. Il évoque les 2 millions d’entreprises

dont quelques-unes appartiennent à l’industrie de transformation. La modernisation, la qualité et la

robotisation doivent être réalisées au travers de la construction par le contrôle sur les productions

intelligentes, le processus d’éco-effi cience et de design et l’organisation de la production et du travail.

En ce qui concerne les machines, les entreprises modernes ont l’objectif zéro déchet et une infrastructure

de transport.

En matière de matériaux, le travail entrepris consiste en des recherches à moyen et long terme pour les

applications multisectorielles. Les zones de recherche reposent sur la base des matériaux, l’effi cacité, la

sécurité et les matériaux avancés, la durabilité, la production et la transformation.

Tous les travaux que les industries, les universités ont choisi de réaliser au niveau européen ont été

subventionnés par l’U.E. Mais pourquoi une recherche européenne ? “ Le commissaire européen a pensé

que nous ne pouvions pas continuer à avoir quinze politiques différentes de recherche… ” A donc été

mise en place une politique commune européenne globalisant tous les efforts de recherche entrepris au

niveau européen.

L’U.E. y dépense 4 % du budget consacré à la recherche.

Cette politique de recherche européenne sous-entend la mise en place de réseaux avec une combinaison

des programmes nationaux et du programme européen, la création d’instituts, la mobilité des

chercheurs… Elle a pour objectif fi nal la mise en place d’une recherche au niveau mondial.

Le travail qui a été réalisé en recherche et innovation comporte plusieurs points intéressants qui devraient

être considérés et ne pas être entrepris au niveau national. On peut utiliser de nouvelles méthodes pour

faire des vérifi cations, pour maximiser l’impact de la recherche entreprise.

Trois critères à suivre : la durabilité, les conditions de travail et l’environnement, le développement

économique. Le projet doit améliorer la situation existante, résoudre les problèmes et apporter de la

valeur ajoutée sans négliger les objectifs industriels. Il doit également apprendre aux ingénieurs et

techniciens à travailler plus étroitement entre eux.

L’excellence scientifi que et technique est requise car l’U.E. fi nancièrement ne peut pas subventionner

tous les projets.

Chaque projet regroupe en moyenne neuf partenaires répartis entre l’industrie, la communauté de

recherche et les petites et moyennes entreprises.

G. Katalagarianakis souligne que ce type d’actions RTD (Research and technological Developpement)

est essentiel pour les PME qui, bien souvent, n’ont pas les installations nécessaires pour les mener

personnellement. L’U.E. subventionne à 50 % ces recherches. Les projets combinés qui peuvent s’étaler

sur trois à cinq ans sont fi nancés entre 30 et 50 % suivant les objectifs.

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En ce qui concerne l’information, les projets en cours sont sur Internet.

Il conclut en rappelant que ce cinquième programme offre de bonnes opportunités pour soutenir la

recherche européenne. Dans le domaine des chaussées, il pense qu’il faudrait faire une proposition

pour les nouveaux matériaux, les nouvelles routes et la réhabilitation des routes existantes. Ce dernier

point lui paraît très important car les routes européennes ont un certain âge : “ Or, souvent on préfère

fermer les routes plutôt que les réhabiliter. ” Il convient également d’entreprendre une étude sur

l’accidentologie : certains accidents peuvent mettre en cause la conception, la construction des routes.

L’industrie routière doit prendre en compte tout cela. Toutes les idées novatrices seront accueillies par

l’U.E. Il indique que le réseau qui comprend 120 projets actuellement, a besoin d’être transformé.

Beaucoup de travail a déjà été réalisé (tunnel, fondations, vibrations, ingénierie des tremblements de

terre…) mais il en reste encore beaucoup et “ la Route ” doit aider les quatre réseaux en place…

Mike Acott : les perspectives américainesQuand bien même elles ne sont pas applicables à l’Europe et qu’elles peuvent prêter à controverse, les

perspectives américaines sont intéressantes à connaître.

“ Nos concitoyens ne veulent ni nous voir, ni nous entendre, ni nous sentir ” résume Mike Acott,

président de la NAPA (National Asphalt Pavement Association, USA). Ce constat n’est pas sans poser

de problèmes fondamentaux dans l’approche même du métier car dans le même temps, les acteurs de la

route sont confrontés à des attentes visant à une amélioration de la chaussée. Cela impose une approche

stratégique très pragmatique pour appréhender les problèmes de la qualité de l’environnement comme

de la performance technique de la chaussée. Un seul mot d’ordre selon M. Acott : “ être proactif. ”

De fait, les entreprises routières doivent s’adapter aux nouvelles réglementations, en particulier sur le

plan environnemental, mais aussi accompagner l’évolution législative dans le domaine social. “ Dans le

domaine de la sécurité comme de l’hygiène, les pressions sont aussi fortes aux Etats-Unis qu’en Europe

” souligne M. Acott.

Un problème supplémentaire auquel sont confrontées les entreprises routières en termes d’exploitation,

réside dans l’implantation des usines d’enrobages, à l’origine à la campagne, et qui à la suite d’une

urbanisation croissante, se sont parfois retrouvé intégrées dans le tissu résidentiel. Sur ce point, aux

Etats-Unis comme en Europe, la population tolère diffi cilement ce type de nuisances.

S’agissant des enjeux d’hygiène, de sécurité, de santé et d’environnement, M. Acott évoque les points

qui mobilisent les entreprises routières américaines au premier rang desquels il place le recyclage.

“ Dans ce domaine, force est de constater que nous n’avons pas été très bons pour communiquer

sur nos réalisations ” admet M. Acott qui ajoute : “ Le grand public est d’autant plus sensible à cet

aspect que le recyclage du papier, du verre ou des canettes est entré dans les mœurs. ” Ce défi cit de

communication est d’autant plus pénalisant qu’il existe des groupes de pression opposés à la route

très actifs et que des outils de communication comme Internet, certes performants mais relayant des

informations incomplètes voire totalement fausses participent à la désinformation du public. Pourtant

la performance américaine est là : près de 80 % des enrobés sont recyclés, ce qui représente quelque

73 millions de tonnes par an. Ces matériaux sont utilisés pour l’essentiel dans les couches de chaussées

et les ballasts. Au-delà de l’aspect environnemental, la logique économique existe. En outre, cette

démarche s’inscrit pleinement dans les orientations fi xées par l’administration routière américaine qui

incite de plus en plus au recyclage des matériaux. “ Les techniques à froid, de plus en plus utilisées

dans nos processus de réhabilitation, nous poussent dans cette voie ” relève M. Acott. Conscient

de l’importance à faire passer des messages, M. Acott mentionne les 5 millions de contacts (appels

téléphoniques) déclenchés à l’issue de la campagne de publicité initiée par la NAPA. Le principal

enseignement de cette action réside dans le fait que le public ignore tout de la réalité du métier de

l’industrie routière. Concernant l’évolution des tests et des essais, la NAPA a adopté une position

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l’environnement, réduire les émissions, éliminer les odeurs, s’affranchir des solvants est autant de

chantiers en cours. Ils s’inscrivent dans le cadre d’une procédure spéciale désormais largement

banalisée.

“ C’est typiquement ce que l’on peut appeler de la recherche proactive ” souligne M. Acott qui cite un

laboratoire de recherche au Royaume-Uni disposé à fi nancer ce type de projets. L’aménagement des

matériels de fabrication et de mise en œuvre, en particulier les fi nishers, constitue également un axe

de recherche prioritaire dont le but tend vers l’amélioration des conditions de travail. En collaboration

avec les constructeurs, la NAPA s’est engagée à mener des mesures de contrôles des émissions de

fumées. Bénéfi ciant d’une conjoncture économique très saine, l’industrie routière américaine connaît

une croissance signifi cative avec un niveau de production élevé. Plus de 500 millions de tonnes

d’enrobés ont ainsi été produites en 1999, ce qui traduit parfaitement l’ampleur du marché américain. A

titre de comparaison, la production américaine dépassait les 300 millions de tonnes en 1970, contre 150

millions de tonnes d’enrobés produites en 1960.

Cette véritable “ explosion ” de la production s’accompagne d’une baisse signifi cative des émissions des

usines d’enrobage. Cet acquis est à mettre au crédit des nouvelles centrales d’enrobage qui exploitent

les technologies les plus avancées comme celle de l’enrobage à contrefl ux en tambour. Le “ clean air

act de 1990 ”, qui s’apparente à la loi sur l’air, vise à réduire la pollution atmosphérique en contrôlant

les émissions à la source. “ Les services de contrôles s’avèrent très effi caces, il est ainsi possible de

classifi er les sources d’émissions et de constater que l’industrie routière n’est, en aucun cas, l’une des

sources principales de pollution atmosphérique ” affi rme M. Acott. Malgré cela, le président de la NAPA

rapporte que les exploitants d’usines d’enrobage sont victimes d’une coalition active sur l’ensemble du

territoire américain, et maintiennent une surveillance permanente des installations. Selon M. Acott, ces

activistes sont d’autant plus dangereux qu’ils pratiquent la désinformation.

“ Pour autant nous avons relevé le défi qui nous était imposé et avons pu prouver notre innocuité

” se félicite M. Acott. Cette réussite tient pour beaucoup dans l’effi cacité de “ l’effet diamant ”,

prime récompensant les entrepreneurs les plus engagés dans leur démarche en faveur de l’hygiène, la

sécurité et l’environnement. A ce titre, la démarche d’Amoco est exemplaire, la société ayant récemment

annoncé sa volonté de commercialiser un additif permettant de réduire les émissions de fumées des

postes d’enrobage mais aussi les pertes de masses. De même, l’introduction d’additifs alimentaires

permet de modifi er l’odeur des enrobés bitumineux avec un réel succès. Le recours à ces additifs n’est

pas neutre vis-à-vis de la température d’enrobage et de compactage.

Le chapitre de l’évolution des produits ne peut être évoqué sans parler du programme Superpave, à

travers lequel, les maîtres d’ouvrage tendent vers des revêtements économiquement performants et

durables dans le temps. Ce programme de “ chaussées à performances supérieures ” a accéléré la

mise en place de nouvelles technologies dans un domaine, l’industrie routière, peu habitué à de tels

changements. De fait, à la fi n 2000, on comptera 46 Etats – sur 50 – qui auront adopté ces spécifi cations.

Pour le président de la NAPA, qui met en avant l’intérêt de disposer d’une méthodologie harmonisée

entre les Etats, ceci n’a été possible que grâce à un partenariat avec les industriels et l’administration

fédérale.

Pour conclure, M. Acott entend souligner la force de travail mobilisée à partir des années 1980 pour

faire progresser la technique des enrobés à chaud. Quelque 350 techniciens et ingénieurs ont été formés,

un programme de bourse, des formations en alternance en entreprises et des incitations de carrières à la

sortie des universités ont été mis en place.

Quant à l’amélioration des produits, M. Acott insiste à nouveau sur l’idée de partenariat qui sous-tend

le processus. “ Notre stratégie est concentrée sur les produits bitumineux et sur la qualité ” révèle M.

Acott. En outre, la NAPA travaille sur le concept de chaussée perpétuelle, pour lequel, deux sections

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d’essais de 2 miles ont été mises en place. L’approche s’appuie sur un dimensionnement de chaussée

avec une structure centrale spécifi que et destinée à rester en place éternellement car limitant la reprise

des contraintes et offrant une bonne tenue à la fatigue. Cette structure est dimensionnée pour tenir entre

quinze et vingt ans sans travaux, la couche de roulement étant renouvelée à cette échéance.

Et M. Acott de conclure : “ Qu’il s’agisse de nouveaux produits, de problèmes d’hygiène et de santé ou

encore de questions d’environnement, nous entendons être proactifs et socialement responsables. ”

La situation sanitaire de l’industrie européenne des enrobés bitumineuxDepuis de nombreuses années, les industriels de la route se sont engagés dans une étude pour évaluer le

risque des travailleurs.

C’est au Docteur Paolo Boffetta, de l’Agence internationale de la recherche sur le cancer (AIRC)

que revient la lourde tâche de présenter l’enquête épidémiologique qui, outre les industriels, a associé

plusieurs organismes de recherches et administrations européennes. L’enjeu déterminant dans le cadre

de cette enquête réside dans la capacité à préciser les données sur l’exposition aux fumées auxquels sont

exposés les salariés de l’industrie des enrobés bitumineux. Aussi, la première phase du travail a consisté

à évaluer les risques encourus et rendre viable l’enquête. Sept pays ont ainsi été retenus pour servir de

cadre à l’enquête qui s’est intéressée à différents organes : les poumons, l’estomac, la peau et le rein.

Cette étude a été planifi ée en deux phases :

• la première, dite phase A qui consiste à identifi er une population, à en caractériser l’exposition aux

fumées et à en étudier la mortalité ;

• la deuxième, dite phase B qui consiste à étudier en détail chaque décès pour évaluer l’impact de

l’exposition aux fumées.

La grande mobilité des effectifs de la profession constitue une diffi culté évidente à ce type d’enquête.

Un questionnaire détaillé a été soumis aux entreprises à partir duquel, grâce à différents paramètres

pertinents, une estimation de leur exposition a pu être déterminée. L’analyse statistique porte sur les

décès à travers l’étude des causes. Il s’agit d’identifi er la cause des décès comparée aux spectres de

la population dans son ensemble. La comparaison entre l’observé et l’attendu s’appelle le ratio de

mortalité standardisé. Avant de détailler les résultats, P. Boffetta précise qu’ils doivent être replacés dans

une phase préliminaire : de fait, les indications ont été concentrées dans le groupe le plus intéressant

et portent sur soixante-quinze salariés ayant travaillé pendant au moins un an plein. En outre, les

chercheurs se sont attachés à étudier deux groupes de personnes, le premier composé de personnes

travaillant à la mise en œuvre, le second composé de personnes travaillant dans les usines d’enrobage.

Ces deux groupes représentent un tiers de la population globale étudiée. Parmi les résultats les plus

signifi catifs, P. Boffetta mentionne la pathologie la plus marquante : le cancer du poumon. Il s’avère que

la mortalité (14 %) est plus élevée que celle de la population en général mais proche de celle enregistrée

dans la fi lière de la construction exposée aux fumées de bitume. La ventilation par pays traduit certaines

disparités.

En ce qui concerne l’exposition estimée, évaluée par une approche semi-quantitative, la mortalité

apparaît plus élevée pour les travailleurs de la construction exposés aux fumées de bitume. Il n’y

a pas d’indication sur le risque encouru par rapport à la durée d’exposition. Pour ce critère, quatre

catégories sont défi nies. Fort logiquement, une faible exposition traduit un risque limité et vice versa.

Cette constatation a été vérifi ée pour les enrobés bitumineux comme pour les asphaltes coulés à froid.

D’après les conclusions préliminaires, la population des salariés de l’industrie routière ne présente pas

de taux de mortalité supérieur à ceux des salariés d’autres fi lières professionnelles. “ Quelques résultats

suggèrent une augmentation des cancers du poumon qui serait due à une exposition intense ” analyse P.

Boffetta, précisant que d’autres ne traduisent pas d’augmentation du risque.

La relation entre les fumées et d’autres pathologies est jugée peu pertinente.

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formes de cancer. Enfi n, des études de cas de cancer du poumon sont recommandées. A noter que ces

travaux de recherche mobilisent activement les entreprises routières qui en assurent le fi nancement. Les

travaux réalisés démontrent, même si cela reste des résultats préliminaires, qu’il n’y a pas de taux de

mortalité plus élevé chez les travailleurs de la route et que l’exposition aux fumées de bitume n’entraîne

pas, de manière explicite, une pathologie aggravée en termes de cancer. Les résultats fi naux devraient

confi rmer ce constat à partir duquel la profession pourra se déterminer. Avant de conclure, P. Boffetta

souligne la nécessité de distinguer les bitumes “ qui ne présentent aucun danger ni pour l’homme ni pour

son environnement ” de leurs fumées.

L’industrie européenne s’engage

Ces observations sur l’enquête épidémiologique internationale dédiée à l’étude des risques de cancer

chez les travailleurs des industries du bitume et de l’asphalte, sont relatives aux résultats préliminaires,

le rapport fi nal étant attendu pour la fi n de l’année. Il est cependant important de relever que :

• les professionnels des industries routières ne présentent pas de mortalité plus élevée que le reste de la

population, ce qui signifi e qu’ils sont en meilleure santé. Il s’agit là d’un enseignement majeur, tant c’est

inattendu dans le secteur industriel ;

• un problème reste à résoudre qui est celui exprimé par la mortalité due à un cancer du poumon,

sensiblement plus élevée chez cette population. En l’état actuel des choses, il est impossible d’imputer

ce phénomène ni à l’exposition aux fumées de bitumes, ni à d’autres facteurs tels que les gaz

d’échappements ou les goudrons de houille ;

• une analyse complémentaire, basée sur une comparaison parmi les travailleurs de l’industrie du bitume,

ne confi rme pas de risque supérieur de cancer du poumon chez la population de travailleurs exposés

au fumées de bitume. Le ratio du risque relatif comparé à celui du groupe de référence (travailleurs de

l’industrie de la construction non exposés) a été calculé à 1,01 dans un intervalle de confi ance à 95 %

compris en 0,84 et 1,24. De fait, les risques de cancer du poumon sont similaires pour les deux groupes

de personnes ;

• l’évaluation de l’impact des autres facteurs, tels que l’accoutumance aux fumées, nécessite une étude

de cas.

En tout état de cause, l’EAPA s’engage formellement à poursuivre cette étude épidémiologique pour

examiner minutieusement les conclusions fi nales et les recommandations qui seront édictées.

Stratégie pour la performance et la compétitivité

Pour illustrer les aspects de cette question fondamentale, le sujet a été organisé en plusieurs volets,

chacun permettant d’aborder un éclairage précis suivant qu’il s’agit d’un gestionnaire, d’un entrepreneur,

d’un pétrolier ou d’un universitaire s’intéressant à la motivation des salariés.

Comment gérer un réseau routierPour illustrer cette problématique, l’exemple de ce qui se fait aux antipodes est intéressant, tant cela

est différent de ce que l’on peut observer en Europe et même aux Etats-Unis. En Nouvelle-Zélande,

la gestion des routes est organisée autour de cinq exigences. La première que cite Robin Dunlop,

directeur de Transit New Zeland, (agence néo-zélandaise des déplacements) est la vision stratégique,

indispensable à toute action. De même, une bonne perception des besoins du client, mais aussi

des différents intervenants autour de la route, doit être traduite en activité organisationnelle. Cela

suppose d’avoir identifi é ces attentes et de les avoir hiérarchisées. Il convient également de mesurer la

performance des outils et des techniques mis œuvre. “ Nous apprécions de pouvoir déterminer notre

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gestion du réseau sans intervention directe du ministère ” explique R. Dunlop. Pour garantir l’effi cacité

des actions menées, un accord est conclu avec le ministre des Transports, qui spécifi e les exigences à

satisfaire. De même, des mesures de performances sont mises en place. “ Transit New Zeland se veut

l’un des leaders mondiaux dans la prestation de solutions routières en apportant effi cacité et sécurité aux

réseaux de l’Etat et pour ainsi répondre aux exigences des utilisateurs ” explique R. Dunlop, précisant

que l’agence intervient également en tant qu’opérateur de réseaux routiers. De fait, les exploitants gèrent

le réseau routier néo-zélandais sous la responsabilité de Transit New Zeland. Pour connaître au mieux

les besoins des usagers, enquêtes et études sont périodiquement conduites, certaines sur des thèmes

très pointus. Les résultats sont traduits en actions à entreprendre. Les usagers sont le plus possible

associés aux études tant à titre individuel que dans le cadre d’associations. Les enquêtes de satisfaction

sont fréquentes tous comme les sondages permettant d’apprécier l’évolution des comportements et

des attentes du public. “ Nous avons beaucoup de chemin à parcourir avant d’envisager un début de

privatisation ” souligne R. Dunlop, qui précise que la maîtrise d’ouvrage publique reste la règle. Toute

la diffi culté réside dans la mutation de leur rôle : ces maîtres d’ouvrage publics doivent devenir des

prestataires de services et mettre en place l’organisation qui en résulte. “ La maîtrise d’ouvrage doit être

ouverte à la discussion et favorable à l’innovation ” plaide R. Dunlop. En Nouvelle-Zélande, comme

dans d’autres pays, les attentes des utilisateurs mettent en première ligne la sécurité. La fi abilité et

la viabilité du système routier, le confort de conduite, la protection de l’environnement, l’insertion

paysagère et l’effi cacité de l’infrastructure par rapport au prix de service sont également des souhaits

clairement exprimés.

Pour cela, Transit New Zeland a introduit un système de gestion de la sécurité qui consiste, chaque

année, à identifi er les dangers. Des études de trafi c sont menées, les “ points noirs ” sont éliminés. La

philosophie qui sous-tend cette politique consiste à disposer d’un environnement routier ne réservant

aucune surprise, c’est-à-dire proposer en permanence une route la plus lisible possible. Ce principe

de gestion obéit logiquement à respecter un équilibre entre les nécessités de sécurité et de mobilité. Il

convient de préciser que la même préoccupation de sécurité s’applique à la conduite de nuit, avec une

signalisation adaptée et renforcée. Dans le domaine de la fi abilité du système routier, l’automobiliste

néo-zélandais ne se démarque pas des autres usagers de la route : il exige de plus en plus d’informations,

en temps réel autant que faire se peut, supporte mal la présence de travaux, dénonce la congestion. “ En

tout état de cause, le manque d’information est très mal perçu ” insiste R. Dunlop.

Les attentes de confort imposent d’avoir des revêtements routiers de qualité, des voies de circulation

bien dimensionnées et des tracés harmonieux. Abordant les enjeux d’effi cacité, R. Dunlop évoque une

gestion de la route améliorée, une construction innovante et une utilisation optimisée des infrastructures.

Tout cela pose un problème crucial qui est la question du fi nancement. Comme le pense R. Dunlop,

les taxes sur le carburant vont fi nir par devenir insupportables, ce qui posera le problème inéluctable

du péage. Il faut donc faire poser le prix le plus juste aux usagers en limitant la gène. Cela amène

à s’intéresser aux technologies de péage “ fantômes ”, permettant de s’affranchir d’infrastructures

lourdes (gares de péage) et pouvant également servir à différents contrôles sur le trafi c. “ A travers les

technologies de contrôle d’accès, il est possible de gérer les fl ux de circulation ” rappelle R. Dunlop.

Quant au niveau des tarifi cations pratiquées, le prix doit être adapté en fonction des enveloppes

budgétaires allouées aux routes. Dans ce domaine également, le compromis est de règle : il convient

d’offrir un niveau de service “ négocié avec les usagers ” au meilleur coût en indiquant clairement qu’un

niveau de service élevé a un prix.

Dans le domaine de l’environnement et de l’insertion de la route dans le paysage, l’expérience néo-

zélandaise est intéressante tant ce pays apparaît sensible à ces critères.

Privatisation et optimisation des outils et des techniques, entretien déterminé par un système de gestion

des actifs routiers, audits de sécurité, modélisation des dégradations sont autant d’aspects

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infrastructure donnée. Si jusqu’à présent, rien n’a été développé dans le domaine des mesures, la

communauté routière néo-zélandaise s’y emploie. “ Le recours à l’analyse des coûts est largement

répandu ” informe R. Dunlop citant le taux de 70 % pour les dépenses affectées aux routes nationales.

La gestion du risque est une composante fondamentale de la politique locale. Il s’agit d’une véritable

alchimie, sensée rendre compatibles des demandes contradictoires en identifi ant les risques encourus, ce

qui suppose de développer un plan de gestion du risque.

Pour les indicateurs de performances, R. Dunlop explique que dans le cadre de tout système routier,

il faut déterminer le coût de maintenance kilométrique, le pourcentage de réalisation du programme

par coût et par résultat, mesurer les propriétés données à la chaussée (pour apprécier le retour sur

investissement) en s’attachant notamment à la mesure de l’uni et de l’orniérage mais aussi à la résistance

à la glissance. Le dimensionnement des structures doit répondre aux besoins tout en tenant compte des

impératifs de gestion et de management. Comme le précise R. Dunlop, il est bon de développer une

vision globale de cet aspect et d’être enthousiaste dans sa démarche. Là encore, la Nouvelle-Zélande

fait preuve d’originalité ayant entrepris, depuis 1998, la rédaction d’un ensemble de spécifi cations en

intégrant une stratégie à long terme. Aussi, la gestion des ressources humaines est une composante clé

totalement intégrée dans la stratégie et passe par la formation et la promotion des salariés. Des logiciels

spécifi ques permettent de réaliser une planifi cation avancée en fonction des projet au niveau national.

En conclusion, R. Dunlop réitère ses propos sur l’importance de connaître les attentes des usagers,

comme celles des différents intervenants de la route et qu’il convient de traduire en performances.

Considérant que les améliorations doivent être apportées en continu, des systèmes à même de développer

un réseau routier “ intelligent ” sont privilégiés. “ Il convient également de disposer de gestionnaires

qui prennent un peu de recul pour que leur action s’inscrive dans le temps ” commente R. Dunlop. Et

de mettre en garde : “ Ceux qui ne répondent pas à ce défi vont au devant de graves diffi cultés. ” De

fait, ce changement inéluctable renvoie aux nouvelles technologies dont l’impact ne fait que poindre.

Pour R. Dunlop, une meilleure gestion des routes et une nouvelle génération d’infrastructures routières

amélioreront signifi cativement les conditions de circulation et permettront de réduire les besoins en

construction de nouvelles routes.

Partenariat public/privé, le modèle du Royaume-Uni Le point de vue de l’entreprise sur le partenariat public/privé est présenté par Euan McEwan, directeur

général de la société Carillion Plc qui s’attache en premier lieu à préciser les termes génériques

fondamentaux dans tout projet de fi nancement public/privé. Pour information, précisions que Carillion

Plc est l’une des entreprises les plus importantes du Royaume-Uni et intervient dans tous les métiers

de la fi lière construction exception faite de la maison individuelle. Le groupe est en revanche très

présent dans le secteur de l’ingénierie civile, les services et la gestion d’infrastructures. Au Royaume-

Uni comme dans d’autres pays, le recours aux partenariats public/privé est justifi é par l’incapacité de

l’Etat à faire face aux demandes. Le recours à de nouvelles taxes étant exclu, il a fallu trouver de

nouvelles alternatives. Les initiatives de recours au fi nancement privé qui ont été lancées à partir de

1992, tendaient, d’une part à augmenter la qualité et la quantité des capitaux disponibles en créant

un partenariat entre les secteurs public et privé et, d’autre part, à faciliter la mise en place de cette

structure originale. Amorcées timidement, ces initiatives se sont progressivement imposées pour être

formalisées à un niveau ambitieux puisque représentant près de 2 % du budget britannique. Au-delà

du seul montant, le gouvernement exprime sa volonté d’optimiser ses engagements budgétaires. “ La

performance fi nancière qui est recherchée est à même de répondre à la demande de service public

confi ée à des fournisseurs privés ” pense E. McEwan qui poursuit : “ Le client doit avoir une idée très

claire du service qui lui est proposé. ” Aussi, le mécanisme de paiement doit être strictement préparé, les

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ressources fi nancières devant aussi être clairement précisées. La rentabilité est la condition sine qua non

du processus. Elle conditionne l’attractivité de tout projet et doit être appréciée en termes de cycle de

vie de l’infrastructure. “ C’est dans ce domaine que des alternatives innovantes doivent être imaginées

” insiste E. McEwan. De fait, les besoins des usagers sont précisément explicités. Il faut donc mettre

en face un produit adapté auquel doit se plier l’entrepreneur. Si dans le passé, on se souciait plus

de l’apport de capitaux, aujourd’hui, priorité est donnée à la qualité de la mission à remplir. De fait,

l’entreprise est de plus en plus prestataire de services qui s’engage sur un niveau de prestation donné.

“ Des spécifi cations précises sont essentielles dans ce type de processus ” souligne E. McEwan, qui

met en exergue l’importance de la rédaction de tout contrat dans lequel les formalités doivent être

spécifi ées le plus clairement possible. Pour illustrer ce point décisif, E. McEwan cite un exemple concret

de fi nancement dans lequel Carillion Plc a été associée. Il s’agit de la conception et la construction

de la prison de Liverpool, suivant les normes de l’administration pénitentiaire anglaise. “ A partir des

exigences de sécurité, de confort, d’hygiène et de fonctionnement, il nous a fallu nous adapter aux

contraintes fi nancières tout en nous assurant de la viabilité du projet ” rapporte E. McEwan pour qui,

seules des options novatrices garantissent la faisabilité du projet. Parmi ces innovations, E. McEwan cite

un système de contrôle d’accès des prisonniers, qui permet de gérer leurs déplacements à l’intérieur de

l’établissement. Grâce à ce dispositif, la conception même de l’ouvrage a été modifi ée et des économies

substantielles ont été faites. Avantage supplémentaire, le marché est soumis à une obligation de délais,

l’entreprise étant, selon le cas, pénalisée en cas de retard ou gratifi ée si elle livre le chantier avant

l’échéance.

Appliqué au domaine routier, il s’agit du concept de l’utilisateur/payeur, où l’automobiliste s’acquitte

d’un péage pour emprunter une infrastructure à un niveau de service et de qualité garanti. Pour

pouvoir assurer ces deux critères, l’opérateur doit disposer de ressources fi nancières suffi santes et avoir

démontré sa capacité à maîtriser tous les aspects du projet. La capacité à négocier est également vitale

lors de la constitution des contrats. Chaque risque doit être évalué à sa juste valeur et faire l’objet d’une

contrepartie appropriée. Le danger est de transférer tous les risques au niveau du secteur privé.

A travers des initiatives de partenariat public/privé, il est apparut, suivant la nature du projet, que

les gains constatés variaient entre 10 % et 15 % du budget global. “ Les considérations fi nancières

doivent être prises en compte tout au long du cycle de vie du projet ” rappelle E. McEwan qui souligne

l’importance d’associer le secteur privé dès l’origine du projet. Cette précaution permet d’optimiser

le développement en tendant vers une conception, une réalisation et une exploitation les plus adaptées

aux contraintes des différentes parties prenantes. Elle permet surtout d’approcher au plus près le coût

réel effectif à chaque étape et d’assurer ainsi la rentabilité du projet. Comme le dénonce E. McEwan,

trop souvent le coût de la réalisation est majoré pour limiter les conséquences d’un coût d’entretien mal

estimé.

L’approche de Carillion Plc pour le fi nancement de services a été mise en place en 1994. Six ans

plus tard, elle a fait de la société le premier acteur dans le domaine des concessions au Royaume-Uni

avec quatorze projets dont six sont d’ores et déjà opérationnels. Tous ces contrats comprennent la

construction, la maintenance et l’exploitation de l’infrastructure. Pour E. McEwan, le succès de

Carillion Plc s’explique notamment par la sélection des projets et la mise en place d’une structure

dédiée, associant les partenaires de l’entreprise, pour chaque projet. “ Cette société, compétente pour

négocier le contrat et mener à bien le projet dans ses différents aspects techniques, juridiques et

fi nanciers gère l’ensemble du dossier ” précise E. McEwan qui insiste sur l’implication “ indispensable

” des partenaires au regard des enjeux fi nanciers. Là aussi, la concertation entre les différentes parties

prenantes joue pleinement, s’agissant de débattre de l’engagement fi nancier de chacun, des termes

régissant ce partenariat et des modalités de gestion. Le retour sur investissement est examiné avec

beaucoup d’attention de même que les ressources potentielles. L’évaluation du risque constitue

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CHégalement l’une des phases les plus sensibles de la démarche. Une fois le projet sélectionné et les

partenaires identifi és encore faut-il gagner l’appel d’offres. “ Cela implique une parfaite compréhension

du projet pour lequel une solution pertinente a été apportée ” explique E. McEwan. Il s’agit en tout

état de cause d’un travail de longue haleine, certains programmes ayant nécessité jusqu’à cinq ans de

préparation. Une fois le contrat attribué, l’implication des différents partenaires s’inscrit dans le long

terme, la durée des concessions variant le plus souvent entre vingt-cinq et trente ans. Cela suppose de

bien connaître la “ culture ” du partenaire pour que la relation soit durable dans le temps.

Aussi, la société créée doit “ vivre ” tout au long de la concession en montant progressivement en

puissance au fur et à mesure que le projet se dessine. Ce schéma offre un avantage évident pour tous : le

client bénéfi cie d’un service donné à un coût déterminé selon un niveau de qualité demandé, l’entreprise

dispose d’une opportunité d’innover et de générer un cash-fl ow régulier.

“ Il est vital de connaître précisément les risques encourus, les contributions respectives de chacun et

les investissements nécessaires pour mener à bien le projet ” répète E. Mc Ewan. Et de conclure : “

Le fi nancement privé à travers ces partenariats entre les entreprises et l’administration public est une

solution d’avenir. ” De fait, cette formule est de plus en plus retenue, dans des secteurs variés. Au-delà

du Royaume-Uni, ce concept devrait pouvoir s’appliquer à d’autres pays européens.

Le point de vue des entreprises routièresEn l’absence de Alain Dupont, président-directeur général de Colas, c’est à Michel Chappat, directeur

scientifi que et du développement, que revient la délicate mission de remplacer au pied levé son président.

“ La raison médicale l’a emporté sur l’élan entrepreneurial ” lance M. Chappat pour excuser Alain

Dupont. Sur l’importance de la route, il n’apparaît pas nécessaire d’insister. Son rôle primordial dans

l’économie d’un pays et dans l’offre de transports est démontré tous les jours. Cette place stratégique

n’est d’ailleurs plus contestée même si les gouvernements ont tendance à accorder des subventions

au rail et à favoriser le développement du mode ferroviaire voire à recommander la réduction de la

circulation automobile ici ou là. Si l’on prend l’exemple de la France, force est de constater que le

chemin de fer ne peut plus faire face à la demande. “ Il ne pourra pas rattraper son retard avant

longtemps, voire jamais ” estime M. Chappat, se référant aux études et projections du ministère des

Transports. Le rail ne pourra donc plus assurer une offre concurrente de transport de marchandises.

La route est donc bien un vecteur essentiel pour soutenir la croissance économique et soutenir le

développement de l’Europe. “ Il faut pourtant compter avec l’hostilité de certains mouvements politiques

et en particulier les écologistes ” note M. Chappat. Pour lui, dans la situation de croissance des pays

européens, il est de plus en plus diffi cile d’admettre ces oppositions de principe : “ contre la route ”, “

contre la voiture ”. Un peu de réalisme amène d’ailleurs certains opposants féroces à accepter la route

et son rôle. “ Nous pouvons aussi insister sur le fait que notre métier de constructeur de routes s’enrichit

tout les jours d’un savoir-faire plus large qui nous conduit à présenter des offres plus performantes dans

plusieurs domaines ” se félicite M. Chappat qui mentionne les transports en commun en site propre, que

ce soit des couloirs pour les bus en ville ou la circulation des tramways dans les grandes agglomérations,

les plates-formes industrielles, les plates-formes multimodales en développement constant, ou encore

le ballast des chemins de fer que réalisent les entreprises routières et qui sont autant de solutions

alternatives proposées à leur initiative. “ Tous nos travaux, tous nos chantiers sont réalisés dans le strict

respect de l’environnement, nous savons réaliser de forts jolis aménagement intégrés et nous le faisons

de mieux en mieux ” affi rme M. Chappat. Les entreprises font des efforts continus et importants pour

améliorer le rendement des outils de production et d’applications et les performances des produits

sont autant d’éléments d’appréciation des politiques menées : elles vont dans le sens d’une réduction

de l’effet de serre de manière continue. “ Tous ces efforts de nos entreprises pour le développement

durable et le respect de l’environnement méritent reconnaissance et nous serions tentés de dire une

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reconnaissance plus marquée de la part de tous nos clients et en particulier de la part des pouvoirs

publics ” estime M. Chappat. De même, il est tout aussi certain que les entreprises doivent intégrer avec

réalisme, dans leurs réfl exions et leurs méthodes, le souci du développement durable, l’analyse du cycle

de vie des produits. Les entreprises l’ont dit avec réalisme : il est nécessaire de travailler de manière très

objective, complète, sur la quantifi cation de ces préoccupations et ce n’est pas facile. “ L’approche doit

être sereine et prudente, parfois on constatera que certaines idées reçues sont balayées par ces études

voire même par les effets ” préconise M. Chappat pour qui les détracteurs devront alors revoir leurs

idées.

En tout état de cause, il ne faut pas craindre ces nouvelles approches, mais il faut y travailler très

sérieusement. L’intérêt est évident, ne serait-ce que pour maintenir un haut niveau de relation avec les

clients publics qui eux, doivent traiter le problème du fait des lois mais aussi du fait des pressions de

l’opinion publique. Adhérant totalement aux propos de A. Dupont qu’il relaie, M. Chappat est amené

à évoquer les mouvements de concentration actuels qui touchent les entreprises routières. “ Nous nous

trouvons devant une situation où, d’un côté il y aurait de grands groupes et de l’autres des entreprises

locales de petite et moyenne taille en perpétuelle régénérescence ” constate M. Chappat. Au-delà ce

cette sorte de partage, réel ou apparent, la question est de savoir s’il y a effectivement de profondes

différences entre ces catégories d’entreprises. Et M. Chappat de répondre : “ Certes oui sur le mode

de management, mais notre métier pour l’essentiel est le même. C’est principalement un métier

de proximité nécessitant une présence forte sur le terrain. ” De fait, les grands groupes tels qu’ils

existent sont en fait une fédération de PME. “ Nous ne devons jamais l’oublier ” insiste M. Chappat.

Il est vrai que cette situation est fondamentalement différente de celle qui apparaît quand on parle

de regroupement et de concentration qui caractérisent d’autres secteurs d’activités comme la grande

distribution, l’industrie pétrolière et plus généralement l’industrie lourde. La concentration observée se

traduit par de profonds changements sur le terrain. “ Dans ce que nous connaissons, nous respectons les

entreprises sur le terrain, nous respectons les marques, toutes les marques avec leur culture qui leur est

propre ” assure M. Chappat. Dans le domaine de la route, l’avenir des entreprises routières ne peut être

assuré que par une performance économique et technique, par la qualité des produits et des prestations

pour la satisfaction des clients et par l’esprit de responsabilité. “ Nous croyons nécessaire de poursuivre

un effort de recherche déterminé dans nos entreprises, seul moyen d’assurer le progrès de nos produits

et de nos organisations. Nous ajouterons là encore qu’il nous paraît très souhaitable que nos clients, en

particulier, les pouvoirs publics respectent et valorisent cet engagement pour la recherche et le progrès

” poursuit M. Chappat qui à titre d’exemple appelle à une ouverture plus marquée à l’innovation dans

les marchés publics. Le renforcement en taille des grands groupes routiers permet une expansion au

plan mondial. En outre, une présence renforcée dans de nombreux pays, en Europe et dans d’autres

continents, est un facteur de diffusion des techniques, produits et méthodes. Et M. Chappat d’observer

: “ Notre force technique permet de les adapter aux besoins des clients de chaque pays. C’est aussi cela

la nouvelle infl uence de l’Europe. ” Les “ performance bonds ” ont incontestablement la préférence

des entreprises tant ils constituent un facteur de progrès obligeant l’entreprise à plus de préparation

des chantiers, à davantage de responsabilité. Leur essence même devrait rassurer le client puisqu’ils

intègrent un engagement de bonne fi n. Adoptés par la Banque mondiale, par la Banque européenne

de développement, il conviendrait qu’ils soient un peu plus souvent utilisés par l’ensemble des

prescripteurs publics ou privés. “ Si nous, constructeurs de routes, faisons quelques efforts, exigeons

plus de nous-mêmes et de nos équipes, nous devons exiger plus, ou du moins souhaitons exiger plus de

nos fournisseurs de granulats – même si nos sociétés possèdent leurs propres carrières – et de bitumes

” pense M. Chappat. En termes d’attente, les entreprises se disent en droit d’attendre davantage de

garanties de qualité, de régularité de qualité et de niveau de qualité. “ Peut-être ne devrons-nous plus

nous contenter à l’avenir de normes fondées sur le comportement physique du bitume ? Peut-être

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CHdevrons-nous être aussi mieux informés sur son origine et sur le cycle de fabrication qu’il a subi avant

livraison ? ” s’interroge M. Chappat. En tout état de cause, la qualité des produits des entreprises

routières en dépend. Leurs performances aussi. Compte tenu de la conjoncture pétrolière, les entreprises

souhaitent que les produits bitumineux gardent leur avance de compétitivité en termes de prix. “ Nous

faisons toute confi ance à la sagesse des pétroliers ” commente M. Chappat.

Abordant les problèmes de sécurité et relayant les propos de A. Dupont, M. Chappat estime nécessaire

de mieux faire connaître les efforts pour cette préoccupation dans les entreprises routières et les

précautions prises pour la santé des salariés mais aussi celles des usagers et des riverains. “ A force

de subir les assauts de certains délateurs, il faut réagir encore plus sur le plan de la communication

et faire savoir que nous réalisons de beaux chantiers ” pense M. Chappat qui rappelle que dès 1991,

A. Dupont décidait de supprimer les goudrons et assimilés chez Colas. Cette décision a été complétée

par l’exclusion des composés toxiques, et autant que faire se peut des composés jugés trop dangereux.

Comme le souligne M. Chappat, c’est important que l’ensemble des entreprises fassent corps dans ce

sens car c’est un signe de progrès et une preuve de maturité. Et de conclure : “ Il faut reconnaître que

la technique est très présente dans nos métiers mais elle doit être innovante, plus performante et doit

contribuer plus effi cacement demain qu’hier à la compétitivité de nos entreprises. ”

Le point de vue des pétroliersL’industrie pétrolière connaît également de profondes mutations qui ont des conséquences évidentes

dans le secteur du bitume. Dans ce contexte de fusions/acquisitions répétées, les objectifs sont d’acquérir

une dimension mondiale et de dégager des synergies. Cette industrie se caractérise par le niveau élevé

des capitaux nécessaires à l’exploration et à la production du pétrole et du gaz. “ C’est vrai que nos

volumes d’affaires sont élevés mais nous investissons aussi des sommes considérables ” tempère Michel

de Fabiani, président Europe de BP, président associé de BP France et vice-président de l’Association

européenne de l’industrie pétrolière. De fait, l’unité de mesure est de l’ordre du milliard de dollars.

Sur le plan européen, le protocole de Tokyo, spécifi que à l’Union européenne tend à réduire les

émissions de gaz à effet de serre de 8 % à l’horizon 2010. Cela équivaut à ramener les émissions

polluantes au même niveau qu’en 1990. Il est important de savoir qu’au cours de ces dernières années,

les émissions des gaz à effet de serre en Europe ont augmenté ce qui oblige à réduire leur production

de 14 % pour atteindre l’objectif de 2010. L’énergie et les transports sont les principaux émetteurs

d’émissions de CO2 et devraient voir leur production augmenter de près de 40 % par rapport au niveau

de 1990 à l’horizon 2010. Dans ce contexte, de multiples initiatives sont prises par la Communauté

européenne. Ainsi, dans le domaine des transports, la stratégie “ révisée ” devrait être publiée d’ici à

la fi n de l’année. Sont concernés la route, le fret routier, les différents modes de déplacements mais

aussi les solutions à apporter aux problèmes de congestion des infrastructures à travers la tarifi cation,

la fi scalité, la politique de transports publics. Comme le souligne M. de Fabiani, les constructeurs ont

beaucoup fait pour optimiser le rendement énergétique des voitures particulières, dont les émissions de

CO2 ont été considérablement réduites.

Le problème du transport urbain reste entier : l’automobiliste veut conserver la liberté que lui apporte

une voiture particulière mais souhaite également, si bon lui semble, utiliser les transports en commun.

Le citoyen, qui est également un conducteur, veut réduire la pollution tout en préservant cette liberté

par une tarifi cation raisonnable. “ D’accord pour la voiture à condition qu’il s’agisse d’un véhicule

propre ” explique M. de Fabiani. A partir de ce constat, les pétroliers engagent des initiatives

originales. Ainsi BP pilote un programme d’essais avec quarante villes pour l’utilisation de carburants

propres. Parallèlement, le pétrolier travaille avec un constructeur automobile pour étudier les nouvelles

technologies de carburant. Sachant que la croissance du transport routier est inéluctable, des mesures

préventives ont été prises pour en réduire les nuisances attendues. Le bruit constitue l’une des

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préoccupations majeures, le Parlement européen demandant de limiter les niveaux sonores en travaillant

sur le pneumatique comme sur le revêtement de la chaussée.

“ La demande en bitume va donc augmenter dans les cinq prochaines années ” assure M. de Fabiani,

même si la croissance pourrait être sensiblement différente d’un continent à l’autre. Ainsi, la progression

attendue est estimée entre 1 % et 2 % en Europe, 3 % à 4 % aux Etats-Unis et 4 % à 5 % pour l’Asie.

Considérant que le bitume est issu d’un mode de fabrication très spécial planifi é longtemps à l’avance,

cela signifi e des changements importants. En tout état de cause, les fl uctuations tarifaires ont une portée

déterminante. Après avoir atteint des niveaux très bas, le prix du pétrole atteint des pics beaucoup trop

élevés. “ Les variations du marché international du pétrole et la volatilité du dollar vont se poursuivre

” prévient M. de Fabiani qui poursuit : “ On pourrait envisager des mécanismes de protection pour

nos clients, comme par exemple l’indexation des prix. ” Pour lui, le cycle du bitume et la logistique

qui s’y attache conduisent à un nécessaire partenariat. Le processus est clair : trois à quatre mois

sont nécessaires pour acheminer le brut en raffi nerie, quinze jours pour le traiter, une demi-journée de

transport et une autre demi-journée pour l’amener dans la centrale d’enrobage. Cette chaîne relativement

longue est très caractéristique : plus le produit se rapproche de son utilisation fi nale plus le processus

s’accélère. Les pétroliers se placent donc dans un système plus rapide qui suppose la mise en place

d’un partenariat avec les entreprises routières. “ Qu’il s’agisse de la technologie des produits, de leurs

spécifi cations, de la logistique, des mécanismes de fi xation des prix, nous pensons que les sociétés

pétrolières sont et resteront des fournisseurs et qu’elles doivent devenir d’une manière ou d’une autre

les partenaires de entreprises routières ” déclare M. de Fabiani.

De fait, ses propos rejoignent ceux de A. Dupont pour davantage de professionnalisme et de qualité dans

le respect de l’environnement.

A cet égard, la coopération entre l’EAPA et Eurobitume ne peut que favoriser les contacts entre les deux

parties.

Jean-Noël Onfi eld et Arlette Surchamp

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FREN

CHMobiliser autour de la performance

Pour traiter de ce sujet prospectif, les organisateurs ont invité le Professeur Félix von Cube (Allemagne). Du fait même de la globalisation, un grand nombre d’entreprises se trouvent exposées à une pression concurrentielle de plus en plus forte. Pour cette raison, la plupart de leurs dirigeants ont pris conscience de la nécessité d’augmenter les performances des entreprises. Dans ce contexte, il est évidemment question des aptitudes de chacun des collaborateurs à fournir un niveau de performances et de sa volonté à faire des efforts supplémentaires. A partir de là, il faut également attacher une importance toute particulière à un constat primordial : travailler ne doit pas s’apparenter à “ trimer ” car, comme l’explique F. von Cube : “ Faire des efforts sans en avoir envie provoque sensiblement les mêmes conséquences qu’une attitude d’enfant gâté : maladies, violence, consommation de drogues. ” Pour lui, la solution n’est ni l’envie sans efforts ni les efforts sans l’envie. “ C’est le plaisir des performances ” explique le professeur qui cite les alpinistes, les médecins, les artistes et les artisans pour démontrer qu’il est possible de prendre du plaisir dans l’effort. Comme le précise F. von Cube, l’héritage génétique de l’homme ne porte pas seulement sur son anatomie ni sur ses facultés sensorielles, puisqu’il comprend également tout un volet comportemental. Grâce à son cerveau, l’homme est à même de réfl échir à ces comportements impulsifs, pouvant les commander jusqu’à un certain degré. Dans les conditions de vie moderne de la facilité technique et du bien-être matériel, l’homme peut satisfaire ses pulsions rapidement et facilement. Il peut donc jouer à “ l’enfant gâté ”, attitude qui résulte d’une satisfaction immédiate des pulsions mais aux conséquences graves. De fait, quand les incitations s’émoussent, les besoins augmentent sans cesse. Il est donc indispensable de recourir à la dynamique d’incitation évolutive. Pour F. von Cube, il est tout à fait possible de fournir des efforts et d’éprouver du plaisir. La situation peut apparaître paradoxale, l’homme pouvant rechercher le risque pour se procurer un sentiment de sécurité. Pour satisfaire son plaisir sans effort, l’homme s’est inventé plusieurs moyens – l’argent, la puissance, la possession de biens matériels –, le plaisir suprême résidant dans la reconnaissance sociale. Cette dernière ne peut être obtenue que par un seul type d’effort : fournir des performances. “ Seules les performances permettent d’atteindre un niveau hiérarchique supérieur et ainsi de satisfaire les besoins de pulsion d’agression au sein d’une communauté ” expose F. von Cube. Ce principe de plaisir lié à l’effort vaut également pour les relations sociales. Comme le rappelle l’universitaire, l’homme est à même de se rattacher, au-delà de ses relations personnelles, à des unités sociales plus importantes qu’il s’agisse des entreprises, des partis politiques ou des nations. C’est la biologie du comportement qui permet d’analyser comment s’établissent les liens au sein de ces environnements. “ On s’identifi e toujours à ceux qui ont du succès, qui occupent un rang supérieur, au vainqueur ” confi rme F. von Cube. Il est vrai que si la participation à une réussite relève du domaine de la satisfaction des pulsions d’agressivité, elle engendre aussi des relations sociales. C’est pourquoi, les responsables de l’encadrement doivent veiller à ce que l’entreprise “ émerge ” d’une manière ou d’une autre – par sa taille, son importance, sa qualité, ses succès. Il est nécessaire que l’homme s’identifi e aux objectifs de la société pour laquelle il travaille, pour qu’il puisse communiquer avec les autres et ainsi participer à une action commune. “ Mais il doit également satisfaire aux exigences de vertu de la société, c’est-à-dire avoir le sens de la justice, être digne de confi ance et avoir la notion de la vérité ” ajoute F. von Cube. La notion de justice dans le sens d’une économie de plaisir et de non-plaisir en rapport avec les performances s’applique bien entendu à l’encadrement. Et le professeur de dénoncer : “ Les dirigeants commettent une erreur gravissime lorsqu’ils se contentent de déléguer le travail désagréable vers le bas. ” A contrario, si la confi ance est instaurée, les collaborateurs sont motivés et la société est en mesure d’agir. Pour F. von Cube encadrer ne veut pas dire seulement administrer : cela signifi e surtout

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de défi nir des objectifs, exploiter des opportunités, prendre des risques, entreprendre. De fait, l’une des missions dont doit s’acquitter l’encadrement réside dans la responsabilité dans l’action. Ainsi ce n’est pas par hasard que l’on parle de plus en plus de culture de l’encadrement et d’éthique de l’encadrement. “ Dans ce domaine, il est question de la responsabilité sociale à l’égard des collaborateurs, du respect de l’environnement naturel et en fi n de compte, de la fréquentation globale d’autres hommes et d’autres sociétés ” assure F. von Cube qui poursuit : “ Il est vrai que la responsabilité dans l’action se situe au-dessus des lois naturelles, c’est quelque chose de propre à l’homme qui réfl échit. ” Le professeur von Cube termine son intervention en citant Lorentz qui a ainsi caractérisé l’évolution humaine : “ La sélection a pris l’homme par la main et l’a mis sur pieds pour ensuite lui retirer sa main. Le résultat reste débout ou tombe, selon ce que tu réussiras à faire. Mais l’homme ne parvient à ne pas tomber que lorsqu’il étudie mieux les lois de la nature et tout particulièrement les lois de sa propre nature. ”

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INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION

Bernard Brûlé

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a privilege and a great pleasure for me to welcome you at this fi rst session dedicated to performance

tests and specifi cations for binders and mixes.

As you can see, I have been granted the honor of chairing this session with the assistance of two

co-chairmen

- Peter GREEN from BP for the fi rst half of the session, and

- Theo TERLOUW from SHELL for the other half.

The fi rst theme which concerns performance tests and specifi cations has turned out a success with the

participants as it has brought about over 120 proposals for communication.

Without going too deeply into details, we can consider that a little over 40% of the contributions deal

with bituminous binders.

In this sector, the favorite topics mainly cover the aging of pure asphalts and polymer asphalts seen on

binders as is or in presence of aggregates in the form of open graded asphalt mixes. Some of the works

deal with the study of mechanisms while other compare the various in-lab artifi cial aging methods to

try select the most appropriate method.

Polymer asphalts still rouse a considerable interest, and publications treat of their formulation, of the

study of compatibility problems, of the observation of their microstructure, and of the routine evaluation

of industrial binders so as to more precisely know whether they are actually interesting and to compare

their characteristics and the performances observed in the fi eld.

We note a particular interest in the behavior at low temperatures, more specifi cally for polymer asphalts.

The questions posed concern the relevancy of the indicators used and of the proposals made for rupture

tests integrating or not the fracture energy.

And there is of course the problem of specifi cations for pure asphalts and modifi ed asphalts. The EU, in

fact, does not seem ready to directly adopt the notion of Performance Graded (PG) as it results from the

works conducted by the SHRP. Some publications mention a systematic comparison which

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shows that in the case of standard grade pure asphalts, there is a strong correlation between the notion

of PG and conventional indicators such as the penetration and ball and ring temperature. As regards the

performance specifi cations for polymer asphalts, we see that we still have a long way to go on each side

of the Atlantic !

About 30% of the communications refer to the formulation of asphalt concretes and to the determination

of mixes such as rutting, fatigue and thermal cracking.

It seems that in this domain the study of permanent deformations is the topic that has brought about

the greatest number of new work dealing with in-lab simulation, use of large size rutters to carry out

accelerated tests in controlled atmosphere, modeling, and acknowledgment of permanent deformations

in pavement sizing on the same level as fatigue.

Less than 30% of the communications deal with the relationship that exists between the properties of

mixes studied in laboratory and the performances of pavements, emulsion mixes and recycling. We also

classify into this category a few contributions quite remarkable that provide a fundamental refl ection on

the modeling or the impact of specifi cations upon the life of road contractors.

As regards the most remarkable and innovative contributions, you will discover them when listening to

the authors selected by the experts of the Scientifi c Committee and to a lesser extent, via a few pieces of

information I will give you about a limited number of papers deemed excellent.

The task of the Scientifi c Committee has been particularly hard but the competence of the experts

members of the Committee has enabled us to select the ten proposals chosen for a presentation.

The time allowed was too short to choose more than 10 communications and I sincerely congratulate the

very few authors selected whose names will be given to you later on.

It is worth noting that the technical harvest has been particularly rich since eight other papers have been

marked as « excellent » by the Scientifi c Committee, 17 as « very good », and over 30 as « good ».

The obvious conclusion is that for this fi rst session only you now have to read more than some sixty

communications printed in the Proceedings. I hope you will enjoy your reading !

I will now add a few words about a limited number of papers that were regarded as excellent but that it

has unfortunately been impossible to select for presentation by the authors owing to a lack of time.

These are the following eight communications:

Communication No. 41 by I. NOESLER called:

« New Possibilities for a Quantitative Test of the Adhesion between Mineral Aggregate and Asphalt ».

The author proposes a quantitative, objective and original method for assessing the binder - aggregate

passive adhesiveness. Its principle is quite simple: the monodimensional asphalt mixed aggregate to be

tested is immersed into a solution of methylene blue. Measuring the optic density at time zero after 20

minutes at room temperature and then after 60 minutes when boiling allows one to accurately assess the

amount of methylene blue absorbed by the partly stripped surface of the aggregate and consequently, the

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stripping coeffi cient.

The application of this method allows the effi ciency of mass activation to be evaluated and leads one

to believe that as far as passive adhesiveness is concerned, carefully choosing the aggregate is more

important than choosing the asphalt.

Communication No. 209 by H. SOENEN and B. ECKMANN called:

« Fatigue Testing of Bituminous Binders with a Dynamic Shear Rheometer ».

We show that the cyclic shearing of a bituminous binder provided its modulus exceeds about 50 MPa

results in a decrease of the modulus linked to the fatigue. The results prove that there is a log-log

linear relationship between the number of loads leading to the rupture and the amplitude of the initial

deformation like in mix fatigue laws.

The position and the slope of the fatigue straight line are specifi c to binder but a homogeneous series,

namely several asphalts having a different consistency and coming from the distillation of a same crude

oil results in a single relationship.

The work conducted by the SHRP has roused a considerable interest, and in Europe the experts are

asking two essential questions:

- does the notion of PG developed by the SHRP bring something really new as regards

pure asphalts ?

- what does the notion of PG become in the case of off-spec or special asphalts, or

polymer asphalts ?

Communication No. 162 by J. CARSWELL, M.J. CLAXTON and P.J. GREEN called

« The Classifi cation of Asphalts or Polymer Modifi ed Asphalt within the SHRP Performance Grading

System »

deals with these two problems.

An exhaustive analysis of 28 binders, namely:

- 10 road asphalts

- 15 special asphalts including polymer asphalts

- 3 off-spec asphalts

makes one notice a very strong correlation between the PG classes and conventional indicators such as

the penetration and ball and ring softening temperature in the case of fi rst-grade pure asphalts whereas

off-spec asphalts fairly edge away from this correlation. As for polymer asphalts, their modifi cation

level can be seen on the PG diagram.

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Communication No. 164 by M. HUURMAN is called:

« Cyclic Triaxial Tests on Asphalt Concrete Related to Rutting ».

It describes a method for characterization of the behavior of asphalt concretes relative to permanent

deformations based on the application of cyclic triaxial loads. The results allow one to determine

the parameters of BURGER’s model which authorizes the forecast of the change in the deformation

according to the loading accumulation. One thus obtain deformation laws which can be integrated into

the pavement sizing methodologies as is the case for fatigue laws.

To give an account of the communication co-written by J.M.M. MOLENAAR and A.A.A. MOLENAAR

is mission impossible and I will not take the risk !

Though its name seems rather simple:

« Aspects of Constitutive Modeling of Asphalt »

the contents of the communication inspires respect and I leave it to experts who have the necessary

competencies (and their number is probably very small !) to extract the benefi t from this fundamental

refl ection. As regards the conclusions and assuming I correctly understood them, they seem reassuring

for road technicians as it is mentioned that the fundamental approach though it is imperfect and limited,

results in a reasonable estimation of road material performances and that it should be used in preference

to the empirical approach.

The specialists will appreciate ! ...

F. PEREZ RIMENEZ, R. MIRO RECASENS and J. CEPEDA ALDAPE are the authors of

communication No. 253 called:

« Fatigue Performance Study of Bituminous Mixtures by Direct Tensile BTD (Barcelona Traccion

Directa) ».

They describe an original approach to fatigue, which consists in loading the base of a Marshal sample

by an alternate direct tension using two semi-circular plates made integral with the base. The dynamic

test procedure allows an accurate observation of the change in the damage. In a fi rst step, a simple direct

tensile test makes one obtain information about the rupture of the mix such as the deformation - stress

curve, the rupture deformation, and the rupture energy. The dynamic test allows one to establish the

fatigue law.

Communication No. 25 by S. HESP, H. CAI and D. THOM is called:

« Low Temperature Performance Testing of Polymer Modifi ed Asphalt Concrete ».

Prevented thermal shrinkage tests have been conducted on pure asphalt mixes and identical mixes

formulated with the same modifi ed asphalts having variable SB copolymer and polyethylene content.

The results show that no signifi cant improvement of the performances measured at low temperature

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given a 3% SB or 4% PE content. On the contrary, adding 6% of copolymer reduces the brittleness

temperature by 9% in the case of a 85/100 and 11°C in the case of a 150/200.

We also see that if the rupture due to a prevented thermal shrinkage is very sudden in the case of pure

asphalts and SB modifi ed asphalts, it is much more gradual if PE is added, without one knowing how

this observation affects the actual performances of the mix in the pavement.

The last « excellent » communication was written by G. CERNI and M. BOCCI. It is called:

« Relationship Between the Superfi cial and Structural Characteristics of Pavements ».

It deals with the impact of the temperature upon the rubber - pavement friction coeffi cient such

as measured using the SRT pendulum. It is original in that it takes account of the effect of the

temperature upon the asphalt binder stiffness modulus according to a function that depends on the

thermal responsiveness and is specifi c to the binder referred to.

The response of the SRT pendulum therefore doubly depends on the temperature as it affects the

deformability of the two materials involved namely the mix and the pendulum shoe rubber. We are thus

obliged to take account of a particular infl uence of the binder outside of the correction of the effect the

temperature has on the measurement of SRT coeffi cient.

This is the end of this very short presentation of the eight better communications among those that

could not be selected.

I sincerely hope that the little I told you will incite you to make yourselves better acquainted with

these papers and I warmly congratulate the authors for the quality of their work and the interest of their

contributions.

But after these few appetizers it is now time to step to the entrée. I leave it to you to discover the name

of the authors who will speak successively to present the best ten contributions to the fi rst session and I

call upon my co-chairman Peter Green to address the meeting.

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PRÉSENTATION INTRODUCTIVE

Bernard Brûlé

Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles, Messieurs …

C’est à la fois un privilège et un très grand plaisir de vous souhaiter la bienvenue à cette session 1 dédiée

aux essais performantiels et aux spécifi cations pour liants et enrobés.

Comme vous le voyez on m’a confi é l’honneur de présider cette session et je serai assisté par deux

coprésidents à savoir :

- Peter GREEN, de la société BP, pour cette première demie session puis,

- Théo TERLOUW, de la société SHELL, pour la seconde demie session.

Ce premier thème concernant les essais performantiels et les spécifi cations a connu un très vif succès

auprès des participants puisqu’il a suscité plus de 120 propositions de communications.

Sans trop entrer dans le détail on peut considérer qu’un peu plus de 40% des contributions sont

consacrées aux liants bitumineux.

Dans ce domaine les sujets les plus fréquemment abordés concernent notamment le vieillissement

des bitumes purs et des bitumes polymères qui est observé sur les liants tels quels ou en présence de

granulats sous forme d’ enrobé drainant. Certains travaux portent sur l’étude des mécanismes et d’autres

comparent les différentes méthodes de vieillissement artifi ciel en laboratoire pour tenter de sélectionner

la plus pertinente.

Les bitumes polymères continuent de susciter un intérêt considérable et les publications traitent de leur

formulation, de l’étude des problèmes de compatibilité, de l’observation de leur microstructure et de

l’évaluation systématique de liants industriels pour en cerner plus précisément l’intérêt réel et pour

comparer leurs caractéristiques aux performances observées sur sites réels.

On note un intérêt particulier pour ce qui concerne le comportement à basses températures et, ce, plus

précisément pour les bitumes polymères. Les questions qui se posent concernent la pertinence des

indicateurs utilisés et des propositions sont formulées d’essais à la rupture intégrant ou non l’énergie

de fracture.

Et puis, bien sûr, il y a le problème des spécifi cations pour bitumes purs et bitumes modifi és. En fait,

il n’apparaît pas que la Communauté européenne s’avère prête à adopter directement la notion de

PG (Performance Graded) telle qu’elle émerge des travaux du SHRP. Certaines publications font état

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CHcomparaison systématique dont il ressort que, dans le cas des bitumes purs de qualité normale, il existe

une forte corrélation entre la notion de PG et les indicateurs traditionnels tels que la pénétration et la

température de bille et anneau. En ce qui concerne des spécifi cations performantielles pour les bitumes

polymères on se rend compte qu’il reste encore beaucoup de chemin à parcourir de part et d’autre de

l’Atlantique !

30% environ des communications relèvent de la formulation des bétons bitumineux et de la détermination

des propriétés des enrobés telles que l’orniérage, la fatigue et la fi ssuration thermique.

Dans ce domaine, il semble que ce soit l’étude des déformations permanentes qui ait suscité le plus

de nouveaux travaux qui traitent de la simulation en laboratoire, de l’utilisation d’orniéreur de grandes

dimensions pour essais accélérés en atmosphère contrôlée, de la modélisation et de la prise en compte

des déformations permanentes dans le dimensionnement des chaussées au même titre que la fatigue.

Moins de 30% des communications traitent des relations entre les propriétés des enrobés étudiées en

laboratoire et les performances des chaussées, des mélanges à l’émulsion et du recyclage. Nous classons

aussi dans cette catégorie quelques contributions tout à fait remarquables faisant état d’une réfl exion de

fond quant à la modélisation ou l’impact des spécifi cations sur la vie des entreprises routières.

Pour ce qui est des apports les plus remarquables et les plus innovants vous les découvrirez en écoutant

les auteurs sélectionnés par les experts du Comité Scientifi que et, dans une moindre mesure, au

travers des quelques informations que je vous donnerai à propos d’un nombre limité de papiers jugés

excellents.

La tâche du Comité Scientifi que a été particulièrement diffi cile mais la compétence des experts membres

de ce comité a permis de sélectionner les 10 propositions qui ont été retenues pour présentation.

C’est, bien sûr, faute de temps que 10 communications seulement ont pu être retenues et je félicite

chaleureusement les auteurs peu nombreux, et dont je vous donnerai les noms un peu plus tard, qui ont

été sélectionnés.

Il mérite d’être signalé que la moisson technique a été particulièrement fructueuse puisque 8 autres

papiers ont été considérés comme “excellents” par le Comité Scientifi que, 17 ont été considérés comme

“très bons” et plus de 30 ont été considérés comme “bons”. La conclusion évidente en est que vous

avez, pour cette session 1, à lire avec une grande attention plus d’une soixantaine des communications

imprimées dans les Proceedings. Je vous souhaite bonne lecture à tous !

Après cette introduction je vous dirai quelques mots à propos d’un nombre limité de papiers, qui, bien

que considérés comme excellents, n’ont malheureusement pas pu être retenus, faute de temps, pour être

présentés par leurs auteurs.

Il s’agit des 8 communications suivantes :

La communication 41, d’I. NOELER, s’intitule :

“New Possibilites for a Quantitative Test of the Adhesion between Mineral Aggregate and Bitumen”.

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Elle propose une méthode originale quantitative et objective d’appréciation de l’adhésivité passive liant

– granulat. Son principe est simple : on immerge des granulats mono dimensionnels enrobés par le

bitume à tester dans une solution de bleu de méthylène. La mesure de la densité optique au temps

zéro, après 20 minutes à température ordinaire puis, après 60 minutes à ébullition permet d’évaluer

très précisément la quantité de bleu de méthylène absorbée par la surface de granulat partiellement

désenrobée donc le coeffi cient de désenrobage.

L’application de cette méthode permet d’apprécier l’effi cacité du dopage dans la masse et conduit

à constater que, vis-à-vis de l’adhésivité passive, le choix du granulat est plus crucial que celui du

bitume.

La communication 209, d’H. SOENEN et B. ECKMANN, a pour titre :

“Fatigue Testing of Bituminous Binders with a Dynamic Shear Rheometer”

On montre que le cisaillement cyclique d’un liant bitumineux, si son module est supérieur à une valeur

de l’ordre de 50 MPa, conduit à une décroissance du module qui est associée à la fatigue. Les résultats

montrent qu’il existe une relation log-log linéaire entre le nombre de sollicitations conduisant à la

rupture et l’amplitude de la déformation initiale, comme dans les lois de fatigue des enrobés.

La position et la pente de la droite de fatigue sont spécifi ques du liant mais une série homogène, à savoir

plusieurs bitumes de consistance différente provenant de la distillation d’un même brut, conduit à une

relation unique.

Les travaux du SHRP ont suscité un intérêt considérable et, en Europe, les experts se posent deux

questions essentielles :

- la notion de PG développée par le SHRP apporte-t-elle quelque chose de réellement

nouveau dans le cas des bitumes purs ?

- qu’en est-il de la notion de PG dans le cas de bitumes “hors norme”, spéciaux ou de

bitumes polymères ?

La communication 162 de J. CARSWELL, M.J. CLAXTON et P.J. GREEN intitulée :

“The Classifi cation of Bitumens and Polymer Modifi ed Bitumen withing the SHRP Performance

Grading System”

traite ces deux problèmes.

L’analyse exhaustive de 28 liants, à savoir :

- 10 bitumes routiers,

- 15 bitumes spéciaux y compris des bitumes polymères,

- 3 bitumes hors spécifi cations,

conduit à observer une corrélation très forte entre les classes de PG et les indicateurs traditionnels tels

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bonne qualité alors que les bitumes hors spécifi cations s’éloignent sensiblement de cette corrélation.

En ce qui concerne les bitumes polymères leur niveau de modifi cation peut-être visualisé dans le

diagramme PG.

La communication 164 de M. HUURMAN est intitulée :

“Cyclic Triaxial Tests on Asphalt Concrete Related to Rutting”

Elle décrit une méthode de caractérisation du comportement des bétons bitumineux vis-à-vis des

déformations permanentes basée sur l’application de sollicitations triaxiales cycliques. Les résultats

permettent de déterminer les paramètres du modèle de BURGER qui autorise la prévision de l’évolution

de la déformation en fonctions de l’accumulation des chargements. On obtient ainsi des lois de

déformation qui peuvent être intégrées aux méthodologies de dimensionnement des chaussées au même

titre que les lois de fatigue.

Rendre compte en quelques mots de la communication co-rédigée par J.M.M. MOLENAAR et A.A.A.

MOLENAAR relève de la mission impossible aussi ne m’y risquerai-je pas.

Si le titre est relativement anodin :

“Aspects of Constitutive Modelling of Asphalt”

le contenu de la communication inspire le respect et je laisse aux experts qui en ont les compétences

(de tels experts ne doivent pas être bien nombreux !) le soin d’extraire le bénéfi ce de cette réfl exion

fondamentale. En ce qui concerne les conclusions, et à supposer que je les ai correctement comprises,

elles paraissent rassurantes pour les techniciens de la route puisqu’il est mentionné que, malgré

ses imperfections et ses limites, l’approche fondamentale conduit à une estimation raisonnable des

performances des matériaux de chaussées et qu’elle est préférable à l’approche empirique.

Les spécialistes apprécieront !…

F. PEREZ RIMENEZ, R. MIRO RECASENS et J. CEPEDA ALDAPE sont les auteurs de la

communication 253 dont le titre est :

« Fatigue Performance Study of Bituminous Mixtures by Direct Tensile BTD (Barcelona Traccion

Directa) »

On décrit dans cette communication une approche originale de la fatigue qui consiste à solliciter, en

traction directe alternée, la base d’une éprouvette Marshall à l’aide de deux plaques semi-circulaires

solidaires de cette base. Les modalités de cet essai dynamique permettent une observation précise de

l’évolution de l’endommagement.

Dans un premier temps un essai de traction directe simple conduit à l’obtention d’informations quant à

la rupture de l’enrobé telles que la courbe contrainte déformation, la déformation à la rupture et l’énergie

de rupture. Le test dynamique permet, lui, d’établir la loi de fatigue.

La communication 25 de S. HESP, H. CAI et D. THOM s’intitule :

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“Low Temperature Performance Testing of Polymer Modifi ed Asphalt Concrete”.

Des essais de retrait thermique empêché ont été appliqués à des enrobés à base de bitumes purs et à des

enrobés identiques formulés avec les mêmes bitumes modifi és par des teneurs variables en copolymère

SB et en polyéthylène. Les résultats montrent que l’amélioration des performances mesurées à basse

température n’est pas signifi cative pour des teneurs de 3 % de SB ou de 4 % de PE. Par contre l’addition

de 6 % de copolymère diminue la température de fragilité de 9°C dans le cas d’un 85/100 et de 11°C

dans le cas d’un 150/200.

Complémentairement il est observé que si la rupture par retrait thermique empêché est très brutale dans

le cas des bitumes purs et des bitumes modifi és SB elle est beaucoup plus progressive dans le cas de

l’ajout de PE sans que l’on connaisse pour autant l’incidence de cette observation sur les performances

réelles de l’enrobés dans la chaussée.

La dernière “excellente” communication a pour auteurs G. CERNI et M. BOCCI et pour titre :

“Relationship Between the Superfi cial and Structural Characteristics of Pavements”

Elle traite de l’infl uence de la température sur le coeffi cient de friction caoutchouc – chaussée tel qu’il

est mesuré à l’aide du pendule SRT. L’originalité tient à la prise en compte de l’effet de la température

sur le module de rigidité du liant bitumineux selon une fonction dépendant de la susceptibilité

thermique, et qui est spécifi que du liant considéré.

La réponse du pendule SRT dépend donc doublement de la température puisqu’elle affecte la

déformabilité des deux matériaux considérés à savoir l’enrobé et le caoutchouc du patin du pendule. On

est donc amené à prendre en compte une infl uence spécifi que du liant hors de la correction de l’effet de

la température sur la mesure du coeffi cient SRT.

J’en ai maintenant terminé quant à cette très brève présentation des 8 meilleures communications parmi

celles qui n’ont pas pu être retenues.

J’espère que le peu que je vous en ai dit vous incitera à en prendre une connaissance approfondie et je

félicite chaleureusement les auteurs pour la qualité de leurs travaux et l’intérêt de leurs contributions.

Mais après ces quelques hors-d’œuvre il est temps de passer au plat de résistance. Je vous laisse

découvrir maintenant les noms des auteurs qui vont se succéder à la tribune pour vous présenter les 10

meilleures contributions à la session 1 et je passe la parole à mon coprésident Peter Green.

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FOLLOW-UP TO EUROBITUME WORKSHOP IN LUXEMBOURG ON PERFORMANCE RELATED PROPERTIES FOR BITUMINOUS BINDERS

André Stawiarski

Slide 1

Slide 2

IntroductionEn mai 1999 la communauté technique routière était réunie au Parlement de Luxembourg pour un

Atelier consacré à l’identifi cation et à l’évaluation des propriétés des liants bitumineux reliées à la

performance des revêtements de chaussées.

Cet Atelier a marqué une étape importante dans la préparation de normes performantielles pour les

liants bitumineux appelées à former la 2ème génération de normes européennes pour les bitumes.

Cette présentation décrit le projet engagé par l’industrie du bitume, dans la continuité de cet Atelier, en

liaison étroite avec les instances de normalisation européenne.

Follow-up to Eurobitume

Workshop 1999 in Luxembourg

André Stawiarski

eurobitume

E&E Congress 2000 2

• May 1999 : Eurobitume Workshop on

binder properties linked to asphalt

performance

• European performance related standards

for bituminous binders

A step forward

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Les questions suivantes seront abordées :

Pourquoi des normes performantielles pour les liants sont-elles nécessaires? Quels sont les besoins

auquels elles doivent répondre?

Quelle entité est chargée de leur établissement? Et qui peut participer à leur développement ?

Quel processus suivre pour leur élaboration? Quelle est la production attendue et sous quel délai?

Slide 4

Les besoinsD’une manière générale, l’identifi cation et la reconnaissance claire des besoins du marché constituent

un préalable nécessaire au lancement de tout nouveau projet de normalisation européenne. Ces besoins

peuvent être exprimés par les producteurs, les utilisateurs ou les prescripteurs.

E&E Congress 2000 3

Performance related standards

for bituminous binders

• Why are they needed ?

• Who is in charge ?

• What is expected ?

• How to proceed ?

• When it comes ?

E&E Congress 2000 4

Why PR standards for

Binders?

• Increasing demands on pavements

• Binder contribution to performance

• Binder evaluation and selection

• Product development

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Les chaussées routières doivent faire face à des exigences nouvelles auxquelles leurs performances

doivent répondre :

- des perspectives de trafi c plus élevé et plus agressif en terme de charge appliquée,

- la demande d’une longue durée de service avec un entretien aussi limité que possible,

- le meilleur rapport coût-effi cacité pour les solutions employées,

- le développement de marchés de travaux à obligation de résultats dans lesquels l’entreprise s’engage

sur un niveau de performance.

Le liant bitumineux n’est bien sûr pas le seul constituant d’un revêtement de chaussée mais il contribue

de manière très signifi cative à sa performance :qu’il s’agisse d’enrobés ou d’enduits superfi ciels. Cette

contribution à la performance doit pouvoir être évaluée de manière satisfaisante.

En particulier les performances relatives des différents types de liants, bitumes purs et modifi és par

exemple, doivent pouvoir être appréciées et comparées sur des bases rigoureuses.

De nouvelles méthodes d’essai pertinentes encourageront le développement de nouveaux produits plus

performants mieux à même de répondre au défi s posés à la route.

Slide 5

Les acteursC’est le Comité Européen de Normalisation qui a la responsabilité de produire les normes

européennes.

Un nouveau Comité Technique le TC 336 liants bitumineux vient d’être mis en place et succède au sous-

comité bitume du TC 19 produits pétroliers.

Sa structure simplifi ée est présentée ici :

Il comprend deux principaux groupes de travail :

- l’un chargé d’établir les normes performantielles des liants bitumineux routiers - bitumes purs

ou modifi és - qui seront utilisés pour des applications à chaud - en particulier pour les enrobés

bitumineux,

- l’autre chargé des émulsions et des bitumes fl uidifi és et fl uxés - pour les applications à froid.

Des task groups seront constituées au sein des groupes de travail afi n de préparer des projets pour

chacun des sujets inscrits au programme de travail.

A noter que le Comité comprend également 2 groupes de travail à vocation plus temporaire issus de la

5

CEN Technical Committee

Bituminous Binders

Advisory Group

TGs

Test Methods

WG

Bituminous Binders for Paving

TGs

WG

Emulsions and Fluxed Bitumens

TC 336

Bituminous Binders

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industriel (ils ne sont pas représentés sur le schéma pour simplifi cation).

Il convient de signaler en particulier la présence d’un Groupe Conseil -l’Advisory Group- pour assister

le Comité Technique dans un rôle d’orientation et de conseil et qui pourra veiller à ce que le travail

engagé corresponde effectivement aux besoins et aux attentes du marché.

Slide 6

Il est essentiel qu’au sein de cet Advisory Group mais également à tous les niveaux du Comité Technique

les parties prenantes - les stake holders - soient représentées et impliquées.

Elles comprennent :

- les autorités routières et les laboratoires routiers (ceux-ci sont rassemblés au niveau européen au sein

du FEHRL ou Forum des Laboratoires Européens de Recherche Routière),

- l’industrie routière avec l’EAPA pour la représenter au niveau européen,

- l’industrie des liants avec Eurobitume.

Il convient également de garder en toile de fond les attentes de la société en général vis-à-vis de la route,

qu’elles émanent des usagers ou des riverains,

sans oublier le contexte réglementaire avec en particulier la Directive produits de construction et le

mandat qui en découle pour les produits de construction routière. La Direction Générale Entreprise de

la Commission Européenne coordonne ces questions.

Slide 7

Le projet Eurobitume et le processus de normalisationDans sa volonté de s’impliquer pleinement l’industrie du bitume pour sa part s’est engagée dans un

projet de 2 ans. Décrit dans ces grandes lignes il consiste à :

- se doter d’une structure de travail : une équipe et un chef de projet

- afi n de développer les positions de l’industrie sur : le concept, les propriétés, les méthodes d’essai, les

spécifi cations, le système de classifi cation des liants…

- en coopérant étroitement avec l’industrie routière (l’EAPA) et d’autres organismes

E&E Congress 2000 6

Stake Holders

• Road authorities

• Road industry

• Binder industry

• Society at large

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- en prenant une part active aux travauxdu CEN, à tous les niveaux requis

- en favorisant une bonne communication par le moyen de l’Internet, de publications ou d’évènements

comme ce congrès.

Ce projet démarré au premier semestre 2000 est dans sa phase de lancement et il conduit à formuler de

premières propositions.

Slide 8

L’une de ces propositions porte sur le processus d’établissement de ces nouvelles normes pour lequel

quatre grandes étapes sont suggérées.

Arrêtons-nous sur la première :

Identifi er les propriétés des liants qui sont liées à la performance de l’enrobé ou du revêtement de

chaussée.

E&E Congress 2000 7

Eurobitume Project

• Set up a structure

• Develop the bitumen industry position

• Co-operate with asphalt industry

• Contribute actively to the CEN process

• Communicate

E&E Congress 2000 8

Suggested Standardisation Process

1 Identify the binder properties linked to

the asphalt pavement performance

2 Select and standardise appropriate new

test methods to measure these properties

3 Collect data and ensure field validation

for establishing new binder specifications

4 Review the grading system according to

the new specifications

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Les propriétés des liants reliées aux performances de la chausséeOn peut penser que cette première étape a été raisonnablement atteinte et qu’un consensus existe

maintenant sur les propriétés des liants reliées aux exigences de la chaussée - telles qu’elles apparaissent

sur ce tableau tiré des conclusions communes Eurobitume et EAPA de l’Atelier 1999 de Luxembourg :

- vis-à-vis de la résistance à la déformation permanente : une propriété rhéologique à température

élevée de service

- vis-à-vis de la résistance à la fi ssuration superfi cielle du au vieillissement du liant : logiquement le

comportement au vieillissement du liant à court terme et à long terme

- vis-à-vis du pouvoir structurant : le module du liant (propriété rhélogique)

- vis-à-vis de la résistance à la fi ssuration à basse température : une combinaison de propriété

rhéologique et de comportement à la rupture à basse température

- vis-à-vis de la résistance à la fatigue : le comportement en rupture par fatigue du liant

- pour les aspects fabrication et mise en oeuvre : la viscosité en fonction de la température et la stabilité

au stockage pour les liants modifi és.

Slide 10

E&E Congress 2000 9

Binder properties linked toasphalt performance

Performance requirements

for pavement and mix

Binder properties

Resistance to permanent

deformation

Rheological property at

elevated service temperature

Resistance to surface cracking

due to binder ageing

Ageing behaviour : short term

and long term

Structural strenght Rheological property :

complex modulus

Resistance to low temperature

cracking

Combination of rheological

and failure properties

Resistance to fatigue cracking Failure property

Manufacturing and laying Viscosity vs temperature

Storage stability

E&E Congress 2000 10










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Des méthodes d’essais pertinentes

Nous sommes maintenant arrivés à la deuxième étape du processus :

à savoir sélectionner les méthodes d’essai les plus appropriées pour mesurer les propriétés des liants afi n

de procéder à leur normalisation en Europe.

Ceci revient à choisir parmi les nombreuses méthodes qui ont été recensées, identifi ées et discutées lors

de l’Atelier de Luxembourg.

Slide 11

Pour effectuer ce travail d’évaluation cinq task groups ont été récemment créés.

Trois sont communs au CEN et à Eurobitume et leur constitution est en cours. Ils concernent les trois

sujets déjà inscrits au nouveau progamme de travail du Comité Technique :

- Task group propriété à haute température,

- Task group essais de vieillissement,

- Task group propriété à basse température.

Deux autres task groups ont été formés au sein d’Eurobitume pour une évaluation préliminaire des

essais relatifs :

- au module de rigidité du liant,

- à la fatigue du liant.

Slide 12

Ce travail d’évaluation est conduit de manière systématique. Il comprend pour chaque méthode d’essai

étudiée :

- le recensement de l’information disponible : procédures d’essai, références de publications,

expériences en laboratoire et sur le terrain

- puis une analyse du lien avec la performance et des aspects pratiques (disponibilité et coût de

l’équipement, durée de l’essai…)

- pour déboucher sur une recommendation quant à la normalisation (ou non) comme méthode


Establishment of Task Groups

• Joint CEN/Eurobitume TGs

• TG High temperature property

• TG Binder ageing

• TG Low temperature property

• Eurobitume TGs

• TG Binder stiffness

• TG Binder fatigue

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européenne commune

- recommendation également quant à l’usage de la méthode dans des spécifi cations contractuelles,

pour le contrôle qualité ou comme un outil de recherche et de développement.

Soulignons le besoin d’essais pratiques et rapides pour le contrôle qualité de production ou de

réception.

Les informations nouvelles publiées à l’occasion de ce Congrès relatives aux essais sur les liants seront

très utiles pour ce travail d’évaluation et devront être prises en compte.

Slide 13

L’évaluation systématique d’ une douzaine de méthodes d’essai a déjà commencé - sans oublier les

méthodes traditionnelles actuelles qui doivent être considérées en particulier pour les besoins de

contrôle évoqués plus haut.

Au sein du Task Group propriété à haute température relative à la déformation permanente :


Evaluation of test methods

• Existing information• test procedures• paper references• lab and field experience

• Analysis• evaluation of relevance to performance• evaluation of practical aspects

• Recommendation• for standardisation as EN test method• for use in specifications

• contractual specifications• routine quality control ⇐⇐⇐⇐ practical tests• development and evaluation of new binders


Test methods under review

Including existing traditional test methods

• High temperature property related to

permanent deformation: 5

• Ageing tests

• Short term ageing: 2

• Long term ageing: 4

• Binder stiffness related to bearing

capacity: 1

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- le module complexe mesuré au rhéomètre à cisaillement dynamique,

- la méthode de mesure de viscosité des liants modifi és utilisée en Australie,

- la viscosité apparente,

- la viscosité à taux de cisaillement nul,

- par comparaison au point de ramollissement actuellement dans la norme.

Pour les essais de vieillissement on citera :

- pour le vieillissement court terme l’adaptation de l’essai RTFOT aux liants modifi és,

- pour la simulation du vieillissement en place à long terme :

les différents essais mis au point aux Etats-Unis, en Belgique, en Allemagne et en Grande-Bretagne.

On retrouve le module complexe pour l’évaluation de la rigidité du liant en liaison avec la capacité de

portance de l’enrobé.

Le travail se met en place pour les essais de mesure des propriétés à basse température.

Nous pouvons lancer ici un appel aux compétences afi n que les Task Groups bénéfi cient de l’expertise

nécessaire dans leur travail d’évaluation et que tous les acteurs soient associés (laboratoires routiers,

entreprises, producteurs de liant)

Slide 14

Un système de spécifi cations pour les liants bitumineux

Lorsque l’on disposera de ces nouvelles méthodes normalisées pertinentes il conviendra alors de

procéder aux deux étapes suivantes du processus :

- lors de la troisième étape : rassembler des données et s’assurer de leur validation sur le terrain avant

de fi xer des nouvelles spécifi cations pour les liants.

- et en quatrième lieu revoir le système de classifi cation des liants (le grading) en accord avec ces

nouvelles spécifi cations.

Si ces deux étapes sont ultérieures, elles doivent être préparées dès maintenant.

14










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En particulier il y a lieu de concevoir le système global de spécifi cations que les acteurs souhaitent voir

mis en place en Europe.

Voici une proposition de descriptif général - un cahier des charges - d’un tel système présenté comme

une base de discussion.

L’objectif du système doit être de permettre de sélectionner le bon liant pour une application donnée.

Il est reconnu que les liants doivent faire l’objet de spécifi cations même s’il ne s’agit pas forcément de

spécifi cations normalisées.

Ces spécifi cations peuvent en effet être :

- internes : les spécifi cations de fabrication du producteur

- contractuelles : entre un fournisseur et son client

- normalisées soit sur une base volontaire (approche suivie jusqu’ici), soit sur une base réglementaire

- ce qui sera le cas avec la Directive Produits de Construction.

Slide 16


Specification System 1/2

• Purpose• allow to select the right binder for a given application

• Binders need specifications - either:

• internal specifications (producer)

• contractual specifications (supplier - customer level)

• standardised specifications• on voluntary basis

• on mandatory basis (EC mandate)


Specification System 2/2

• CEN binder specifications• preferably a common framework for all binders:

• mass market refined bitumens

• more specific special bitumens and modified binders

• Selection of the binder• remain under the responsibility of road designer

and/or asphalt producer

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FREN

CH

Pour les spécifi cations normalisées des liants :

un cadre commun est jugé préférable pour tous les liants, qu’il s’agisse de bitumes purs ou de bitumes

modifi és.

Deux ensembles distincts de liants devront y trouver leur place :

- les bitumes courants issus du raffi nage, en nombre relativement restreint, mais qui forment la plus

grosse part du volume et qui connaissent un marché transfrontalier signifi catif en Europe

- les liants modifi és et les bitumes spéciaux qui forment un ensemble non limité de produits spécifi ques

beaucoup plus nombreux représentant aujourd’hui environ 10% du marché.

La sélection du liant devra rester sous la responsabilité du concepteur de la chaussée (le maître d’oeuvre)

ou du producteur d’enrobés.

Slide 17

Le calendrierQuel délai peut-on envisager pour l’élaboration de ces nouvelles normes ?

Voici quelques perspectives de calendrier :

- nous partons de la première génération de normes et de spécifi cations européennes des bitumes qui

vient seulement d’entrer en application au niveau national depuis le mois de mai 2000, après la

ratifi cation par le CEN intervenue fi n 1999,

- le projet Eurobitume décrit plus haut court jusqu’au mois de mars 2002,

- le programme de travail du CEN prévoit que les premiers projets de normes reliées aux performances

soient disponibles en 2003 pour l’envoi en enquête CEN.


Expected Timing

• European Specifications EN 12591

• introduced May 2000

• Eurobitume project on PRS

• March 2000-March 2002

• First new PR Standards

• CEN target for enquiry 2003

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FREN

CHSlide 18

En conclusion

Bâtir la prochaine génération de normes reliées aux performances pour les liants bitumineux constitue

assurement un défi pour l’industrie.

Pour réussir, nous croyons qu’ il est nécessaire :

- de s’assurer en permanence que le travail engagé corresponde réellement aux besoins de l’ensemble

des acteurs du marché,

- que tous ces acteurs s’impliquent réellement dans le processus,

- qu’une communication ouverte sur l’avancement des travaux existe à tous les niveaux,

- et qu’un calendrier à la fois réaliste et stimulant soit suivi.

Rappelons que nous en sommes maintenant à l’évaluation des méthodes d’essai candidates à la

normalisation.

Eurobitume s’est impliqué fortement et a investi pour soutenir le développement d’un tel projet. Nous

ne doutons pas qu’avec l’appui actif de ses partenaires le défi sera relevé avec succès.


Summary

• Objective

• performance related standards for

bituminous binders

• Keys for success

• meet market requirements

• involve stake holders

• communicate openly

• set realistic but challenging timetable

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REPORT OF SESSION 1 PREPARED BY BITUMEN

Bitumen, the technical journal published by the German Bitumen Association Arbit, Hamburg.

Contents

Report on oral presentations

Report on the discussions following each oral presentation

Report on oral presentations (speakers’ names in italics)

S F Brown (UK) and T V Scholz (USA): Development of laboratory protocols for the ageing of asphalt

mixtures

The storage of a loose asphalt mix in an oven at 135˚C infl uences the stiffness modulus of later

compacted specimens to a signifi cant extent. Storage periods of less than one hour already result in

an increase of stiffness by 9 to 24%. The storage period of loose asphalt mixes at the relevant high

temperatures must thus be determined more accurately in order to obtain comparable properties for the

laboratory specimens produced later on from this mix. For continuous graded asphalt mixes an oven

storage time of 2 hours at 135˚C is considered suffi cient; this reproduces the ageing encountered in

practice, through the mixing process, silo storage and transport. Gap graded asphalt mixes, however,

perform quite differently. Investigations have shown that (after mixing) storage of the loose mix in

the oven should be avoided if the laboratory specimens produced from this mix are o be representative

of mixes produced in batch plants. Compared with fi eld-compacted specimens of asphalt produced in

drum mixers, specimens from laboratory mixed material, produced without ageing, show far higher

stiffness values than the former. The following was found for long-term ageing: storage of 120 hours

at 85˚C gave results similar to site samples. A new, advanced state-of the art oven was used. Use of the

stiffness modulus ratio allows mixtures with different inherent resistances to ageing to be adequately

distinguished.

E Horvathne and J Levey (Hungary): Structure analysis of road building bitumens – the effect of ageing

for the structure; road building case study with modifi ed bitumen

The Hungarian oil and bitumen industry use thin-layer chromatography with fl ame ionisation detection

(TLC-FID) as a new method for the group analysis of bitumen. Investigation of a binder using this test

method takes only about three hours. Only a small specimen and a small amount of solvent is needed

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for this test. The test method has proved to be statistically reliable. Investigated was the infl uence of

the ageing tests RTFOT and PAV on the condition of the binder. Three different ageing indices were

determined –

• the ageing index of viscosity (the rate of viscosity of the bitumen sample in the aged

and unaged state);

• the ageing index of the aromatic content (the rate of aromatic content in the binder in

the aged and unaged state);

• the ageing index of the resin content (the rate of resin content in the binder specimen in

the aged and unaged state).

The study was supplemented in practice on a 1-km test section, constructed in 1998. A polymer-

modifi ed PmB 35/65 (pen) was compared with a 50/70 (pen) bitumen. The results of investigations on

the binder showed that the PmB was better. The comparison was carried out on the basis of the SHRP

specifi cation (eg , G*sin_ for fatigue resistance – an evaluation parameter the applicability of which for

polyner-modifi ed bitumens is doubted on the part of the Americans – as also expressed at this congress

(see report by M G Bouldin et al, Book 1-74). In summary, a rapid test method for the group analysis of

bitumen was presented. The test method can be used for the evaluation of different bitumens , for the

evaluation of different ageing tests relative to their accuracy, for the evaluation of modifi ed bitumens, as

well as for the evaluation of locally used and inserted processes in bitumen manufacture, eg, oxidation

or fl uxing of bitumen.

C Desmazes, M Lecomte and D Lesueur (France) and M Phillips (Netherlands): A protocol for reliable

measurement of Zero Shear Viscosity in order to evaluate the anti-rutting performance of binders

The results of Zero Shear Viscosity measurements resulted – for both conventional and polymer-

modifi ed binders – in an altogether better correlation with the rutting resistance of asphalt than other

binder parameters. Three methods are given for the measurement of Zero Shear Viscosity: the creep

test with or without creep recovery, viscosity measurements at low shear rates, and sinusoidal oscillation

at low frequencies. Measurement of the creep and creep recovery phases was selected. The Zerio Shear

Viscosity _0 can be determined through the creep compliance. The test method proved suitable for a

wide range of binders. Reliable results were obtained for conventional binders, for Multigrade bitumens

and for PmB containing up to 4% SBS. For the latter a test temperature of 40ºC proved suitable. Testing

at higher temperatures (60-70ºC) was considered promising for bitumens with higher percentages of

modifi er.

G W Rowe and M G Bouldin (USA): Improved techniques to evaluate the fatigue resistance of asphaltic

mixtures

The study of a large number of fatigue curves led to the result that the evaluation at the arbitrary limit

of 50% of the strain-controlled reaction during the fatigue test, practised hitherto, does not accurately

describe the actual fatigue resistance of asphalt mixes. The currently applied defi nition of initial

stiffness is criticised. Hitherto the heating of the specimen, required in the test method, has not been

adequately into account. A typical fatigue curve can be divided into four parts: at the beginning the

curve goes down rapidly (the heating of the specimen is considered to be the main cause); this rapid

decrease slows down and there is then a region with slow and steady decrease in force (reason –

formation of microcracks); and eventually larger cracks are formed and cracking progresses with further

decrease of reaction force; fi nally there is a region which characterises the fracture of the curve. Fatigue

fracture is determined as the point at which the curve passes from the third to the fourth stage. This

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point is not identical with the above-mentioned 50% limit. In 1989 Hopman proposed an energy ratio to

determine the number of load cycles for a fatigue test with constant strain. On this basis a fundamental

defi nition of the point of crack formation in the bending fatigue test can be given for both fatigue tests

with constant strain, as well as for those with constant stress. The basis of this work consists of fatigue

tests using both the conventional trapezoidal asphalt specimens in the two-point bending beam test, as

well as tests using the four-point bending device; both are part of the SHRP specifi cation. The work

thus provides a remarkable progress in the fi eld of fatigue testing of asphalt.

V Wegan and C Bredahl Nielsen (Denmark): Microstructure of polymer-modifi ed binders in bituminous

mixtures

The microstructure of a polymer-modifi ed binder in an asphalt mix is presented, in connection with the

results of an infrared analysis and creep tests to determine the in-service properties, and in particular

the stability of an asphalt basecourse. The background to these investigations is a road project in

which the quality control led to suspicions that polymer-modifi ed bitumen used tended to segregate

due to insuffi cient storage stability. The binder concerned was an SBS-modifi ed bitumen. The polymer

distribution in the asphalt structure was investigated on 10 core specimens, using specially prepared

thin sections for microscopic examination. This confi rmed that there was a tendency towards the

segregation of the polymer content towards the top. This was also confi rmed by infrared analysis.

Compared with asphalt basecourses not containing modifi ed bitumen, dynamic creep tests showed that

in this instance there was no improvement in rutting resistance. The above-mentioned stretch of road

was opened to traffi c at the end of 1999. So far there has been no rutting, though the traffi c loading so

far is only one-tenth of that anticipated. Only the more distant future can thus show whether the use of

a polymer-modifi ed binder (in spite of the faulty storage stability determined here) will show advantage

compared with a non-modifi ed binder.

L Champion-Lapalu, J P Planche, D Martin and J F Gérard (France) and D Anderson, (USA): Low-

temperature rheological and fracture properties of polymer-modifi ed bitumens

The low-temperature behaviour of different polymer-modifi ed bitumens was investigated. The

rheological properties were studied by means of the Bending Beam Rheometer and the Dynamic Shear

Rheometer, as well as the fracture properties using the three-point bending beam device. The fracture

faces obtained were observed and evaluated with the aid of environmental scanning and cryoscanning

electron microscopy. The base bitumen was 70/100 pen, modifi ed with two different EVA plastomers (4

and 6% by weight), as well as with one SB and three SBS elastomers (4% by weight in each case). The

work showed that the rheological behaviour of the polymer-modifi ed bitumens and the base bitumen

under dynamic shear loading is similar or, in other words, that the rheological properties of polymer-

modifi ed bitumens at low temperatures are determined by the properties of the phase having the higher

modulus, ie the base bitumen. By contrast, the addition of polymers improves the fracture properties

of the binder since the polymer-rich phase represents a barrier to crack formation. In some instances it

was observed that the crack by-passed the polymer-rich phase (crack deviation); there the cracking took

place at the contact plane between the polymer phase and the matrix. A good bond between the two

phases represents high cracking resistance of the polymer-modifi ed bitumen. In some other instances

it was observed that the fracture plane went through the polymer plane. This shows a particularly good

bond between the two phases of the base bitumen and the polymer particles. The fracture toughness

value, which conformed to the observations, was determined by means of a bending test, which had

originally been developed for the testing of polymers and has since become an ASTM test method

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for polymers. The work confi rmed the obvious, but hitherto unproven assumption that the rheological

properties of bitumen, and particularly those of polymer-modifi ed bitumen at low temperatures, are not

identical with the mechanical fracture properties.

R Guericke and H E Hoeppel (Germany): Results of ARBIT test programme 1998/99, involving 36

unmodifi ed and modifi ed bitumen binders on the German market

The subject of the investigations was the question of the partial contribution of the binder to the technical

performance of rolled asphalt pavements for heavily traffi cked roads (SMA surface courses and asphalt

binder courses). At the time of the investigation, 36 binders were available on the German market,

all of which were used in the investigation. In addition to the conventional binder tests, a number

of new binder test methods was used: Dynamic Shear Rheometer, Bending Beam Rheometer, Force

Ductilometer, as well as (in addition to short-term ageing using RFT), two methods of long-term ageing.

The results of binder testing were correlated with the results of tests on asphalt mixes. The principal

results are:

(a) the evaluation of new test methods for binders. The Zero Shear Viscosity proved to

be the test method which best describes the partial contribution of the binder to the

stability of an asphalt mix (for non-modifi ed binders as well as for PmB); the Bending Beam Rheometer results show a markedly better correlation with the low-temperature

behaviour of asphalt specimens than do the results of the Fraass breaking point test

(but the relevance of the BBR test to bitumens with higher polymer contents has not

yet been confi rmed since the rheological properties determined by the BBR allow

only an indirect evaluation of the fracture mechanical properties (cf the paper by L

Champion-Lapalu); the deformation energy (measured across the entire elongation

path) by means of the Force Ductility test shows, at three different test temperatures,

the clear superiority of the polymer-modifi ed bitumens.

(b) for asphalt road construction. The results of the Immersed Wheel Tracking Test (a

combination of moisture effect and mechanical loading, as encountered in practice)

show, for a representative asphalt mix having a voids content of between 6 and 7%

by volume, the advantages of polymer-modifi ed bitumen in connection with rutting

resistance in combination with stripping.

M E Nunn, D :Lawrence and A Brown (UK): Development of a practical test to assess the deformation

resistance of asphalt

In Great Britain, as in other countries, there is at present quest for a test method by means of which

the deformation resistance of asphalt for structural road layers can be determined reliably, simply and

rapidly. The British Standard Draft for Development BS DD 226 describes a test method in which a

cylindrical asphalt specimen is subjected to repeated unconfi ned axial loading. In a further development

a confi ning pressure in vacuum is produced. This increases the external atmospheric pressure on the

sides of the cylindrical specimen via a previously fi tted rubber membrane. In order to produce the

vacuum, the air is extracted through the lower pressure plate which has, for this purpose, a star-shaped

grid of drill holes. The specimen thus fi nds itself in an airtight chamber from which the air has been

removed, with a fl exible side plane. The test method is designated as the “Vacuum Repeated Load Axial

Test” (VRLAT). Test results to date are promising, showing very good correlation with the results of the

(British Standard) wheel tracking test. The VRLAT test can be carried out quickly and simply, the cost

of the test device is low and it fulfi ls the requirements for a practice-related evaluation of the complete

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asphalt road end product. The test is being proposed for inclusion in a European Standard.

A C A de Jonghe, J H Swart and J P J van der Heide (Netherlands): The selection of the optimum

modifi ed binder for a heavy duty pavement

The progress from the analysis of requirements to the choice of a suitable polymer-modifi ed binder is

illustrated by the example of a road construction project. The criteria underlying the choice are derived

with the aid of a road design method involving the visco-elastic properties. These are stiffness, as

well as cracking resistance and fatigue resistance of the road base; stiffness, as well as resistance to

permanent deformation of the basecourse; and resistance to cracking, resistance to binder segregation

and to ageing of the porous asphalt surface course. The PmB to be use was selected following

the results of laboratory investigations. Compared with the traditional recipes used in asphalt road

construction, the mixes produced by means of the strategy described here show a marked improvement

in meeting the requirements in practice.. The investigations confi rm that the specifi c properties of a

PmB must closely match conditions in the fi eld and the mix should be selected with this in mind. The

road construction project used as an example was carried out in 1998 and 1999 and an evaluation is

envisaged over the next fi ve years.

D S Decker (USA): How is Superpave impacting the contractor?

The oral presentations in Technical Session 1 were concluded with an overview of further progress in the

implementation of the Superpave guidelines (Superpave – Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements) in

highway construction practice in the individual states of the USA. The US road contractors’ association

(NAPA) has issued a number of publications explaining the introduction of Superpave, including

Superpave Construction Guidelines and Contractor Perspectives on Superpave Implementation. These

publications bring the previously published ones up to date. Some changes were needed to the

previously proposed Superpave system, taking into account differing materials available in different

regions and also the experience of local asphalt contractors and highway departments in relation to

planning, mix composition and laying of asphalt roads. Such supplementary recommendations and

guidelines relate to aggregates, binders, questions of mix design or mix optimisation, the re-use of

reclaimed asphalt, particular problems with SMA (the new US designation for which is GGS – Gap-

Graded Superpave), the laying of asphalt in connection with aggregate grading (“restricted zone”), the

upper grading limit and achievable compaction (“tender zone”), quality control and fi nally the use of

the material for the construction of asphalt roads for non-public (ie private) clients. The private market

in the US has a 50% share of total hot mix production. The main problem was the acceptance of coarser

asphalt mixes than had been the norm hitherto. All in all, the introduction in the United States of the

Superpave Guidelines for hotmix asphalt is progressing well. While some contractors in some parts of

the country have encountered problems, there is a large number of successful Superpave projects.

Report on session discussions (according to the related oral presentations)

1 – following presentation by Mrs E Horvathne

Polish experience was reported on methods for the structural analysis of bitumen. According to these,

changes in the bitumen caused by ageing are dependent on the type of crude from which the bitumen is

produced. Bitumens from naphthene-based crudes behave differently from bitumens produced from

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paraffi n-based crudes. During the ageing of bitumen from naphthene-based crudes, it was observed that

the resin content increases in the fi rst place, but later in the ageing process the proportion of asphaltenes

increases considerably to the disadvantage of resin components.

Reply by Mrs Horvathne: The work in Hungary, reported here, relates exclusively to bitumens from

Russian crudes, ie, paraffi n-based crudes.

2 – following presentation by Mrs L Champion-Lapalu

Investigations on fracture behaviour were also carried out at the Technical University of Catalonia. The

question was on an evaluation of the fracture load in combination with the tenacity of the bitumen and

the energy related to it. How, for example, should one evaluate the comparatively high fracture load of

a hard (20/30 pen) bitumen relative to the low-temperature fracture properties?

Reply by Mrs Champion-Lapalu: The critical stress intensity factor K1C

is determined by the fracture

load. It is a value giving the resistance to crack initiation. Fracture energy is a value for the resistance

to crack propagation.

3 – following presentation by Mrs V Wegan

Studies in Rumania (Centre for Highway Engineering), following the observation of lengthy road

sections, show that the use of so-called reactive polymers, which fundamentally alter the structure and

properties of a bitumen, is more promising than modifi cation with inert polymers, to which SBS also

belongs. These reactive polymer are cheaper and more compatible with the various grades of bitumen.

The paper presented showed that modifi cation with inert polymers gives provides no particularly great

highway engineering advantages relative to low-temperature properties.

From Italy (University of Ancona) it was pointed to the advantages of another version of infrared

spectroscopy, ie, refl ection spectroscopy. This method omits the solvent process in specimen preparation

and the morphological and rheological effects of polymer-modifi cation can, in combination with

microscopic investigations, be more accurately deternubed,

4 – following presentation by Mrs C Desmazes

At Liverpool University (UK) a large number of binders which were modifi ed with 5% SBS were

tested in creep mode. Even at higher shear stresses and a comparatively high test temperature of 60ºC,

the steady-state creep fl ow had not been reached even after 4 hours’ testing. The only possibility of

measuring Zero Shear Viscosity was the use of low-frequency oscillatory mode.

G Rowe (USA) pointed to the possibility of accurately and reliably calculating Zero Shear Viscosity

on the basis of a mathematically determined retardation spectrum, even for binders with high modifi er

content (eg, 8% SBS) over a large temperature range. There is a number of dynamic test methods which

can give suitable data for creep behaviour and with which the retardation spectrum concerned can be

calculated.

Based on a very good correlation between the results of the rutting test and Zero Shear Viscosity, Colas

(France) proposed that the rutting test be more accurately analysed with regard to its effectivity.

5 - following presentation by S Brown

In Germany (Braunschweig Technical University) it was observed that granite as an aggregate in asphalt

gives a higher rate of ageing, presumably because of its catalytic effect.

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Reply by Prof Brown: During extensive previous studies (Dynamic Shear Rheometer using small disc

plates made from different types of aggregates) it was observed that different aggregates gave differing

ageing behaviour in the bitumen specimens used in these tests. However, the chemical causes for this

were not studied since this is more a question for the engineers.

A further question from the German Asphalt Association related to the infl uence of storage length in a

silo (in addition to transport and laying) on the ageing of bitumen and how this is taken into account in

laboratory simulation.

Reply by Prof Brown: The basis of the laboratory protocol described was the production without

storage, If necessary, of course, a storage factor could be taken into account.

6 – following presentation by G Rowe

In France (LCPC) the phenomenon of the warming of specimens in the fatigue test has been the subject

of research for many years. Warming occurs not only in the initial phase of the fatigues test; in this

phase other aspects are also important, so that the decrease in stiffness modulus in this fi rst part of the

fatigue test, mentioned in the paper, cannot be regarded solely as a temperature problem.

Reply by Mr Rowe: It is correct that temperature effects occur in the further progress of fatigue. The

initial phase, in which there is some settling in and which is according to our view largely thermal, is

followed by a linear process. What is needed is a method for the better defi nition of the state of fracture,

a method for the defi nition of the point (on the time axis) at which failure occurs, in conformity with a

change in the physical mechanism. For this the data on a linear basis – the linear shape of the curve –

must be regarded.

Two further contributions to the discussion dealt with the principle of fatigue testing:

The tensile/swell loading for fatigue tests was recommended by W Arand (Braunschweig Technical

University) (see Session 1).

Liverpool University (UK) compared the results of fatigue tests with controlled strain and controlled

stress. An increase in temperature was observed mainly at controlled stress. The dissipated energy

recorded versus the number of cycles, resulted in points for controlled strain and controlled stress which

lay in the same cluster; the scatter of these points for the controlled stress, however, was grater.

7 – following presentation by M Nunn

Questions included the accuracy of the test method (Ministry of Transport and Public Works,

Netherlands) and the applicability of the test method to asphalts with a strong aggregate skeleton, eg,

SMA (Centre for Highway Engineering, Rumania)

Reply by Mr Nunn: To the fi rst question (Netherlands): The VRLAT test method has been used in a

considerable number of laboratories. A special interlaboratory test has not been carried out to date, but

the following fi gures can be given, based on various test results:

Repeatability % - in the 20s

Reproducibility % - up to about 40

The test method has proved itself in practice.

To the second question (Rumania): The VRLAT test method is principally intended for asphalt binder

course material and less for surface course material.

8 – following presentation by J van der Heide

In Spain (Polytechnical University of Madrid) investigations are being carried out within the scope of

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a study on the suitability and selection of polymer-modifi ed binders. The question of a suitable and

practice-related test method for the evaluation of the ageing of polymer-modifi ed binders in asphalt

mixes can not yet fi nally be answered, given the present state of the art.

9 – following presentation by R Guericke

A question was whether Zero Shear Viscosity, the Bending Beam Rheometer and Force Ductility,

discussed in the paper, can replace the conventional tests, such as Fraass Breaking Point and others, and

whether these new tests will be included in future binder specifi cations.

Reply by Prof Guericke: Zero Shear Viscosity, for example, on the basis of oscillation mode, would

indeed be a suitable candidate for a new generation of bitumen tests for the evaluation of binder

properties at high in-service temperatures, such as resistance to rutting. The Bending Beam Rheometer

has given very good results for the evaluation of low-temperature properties for all 36 binders

investigated in this programme. However, the suitability of the BBR for bitumens with higher modifi er

contents is less certain.

10 – following presentation by D Decker

Question: Have there been changes in the cost of construction caused by the change from conventional

practice to the Superpave system and how can such costs be met?

Reply by Mr Decker: This depends on the local start point. Some US states already possessed high

standards of design and construction, making the changeover relatively simple. In other areas costs have

risen by 10 to 15% following the introduction of Superpave methods. Compared with the expected gain

in durability and long-term performance, however, these additional costs are low.

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GERM

AN

BERICHT ÜBER E&E CONGRESS IN BARCELONA 2000

Verfasst im Auftrag der Zeitschrfi t “BITUMEN” (Herausgeber: ARBIT, Hamburg)

Technische Sitzung 1:Performance-bezogene Prüfverfahren und Spezifi kationen für Bindemittel und Asphaltgemische Von den zum Kongress angenommenen schriftlichen Beiträgen wurden 121 der Sitzung 1 zugeordnet

(Proceedings, Book 1). Für die Technische Sitzung 1 wurden hiervon zehn Beiträge ausgewählt,

die zum mündlichen Vortrag mit einer Dauer von jeweils 15 Minuten mit anschließender kurzer

Diskussion kamen. Hinzu kam ein vorab ausgewählter Vortrag, der die Verbindung zwischen einem

vorangegangenen Workshop der Eurobitume in Luxemburg (Mai 1999) mit dem aktuellen Eurasphalt &

Eurobitume-Kongress in Barcelona herstellte. Dieser Vortrag wurde von A. Stawiarski, dem Technischen

Manager der Eurobitume, gehalten.

Die Sitzung 1 wurde geleitet von B. Brûlè, P. Green und T. Terlouw. Nachfolgend wird eine Übersicht

über die erwähnten zehn während des Kongresses vorgetragenen Beiträge gegeben (unterstrichen ist

jeweils der Name des Vortragenden):

1) Vortrag:E. Horvathne, J. Levey (Ungarn): Structure analysis of road-building bitumens. The effect of ageing for the structure. Road building case study with modifi ed bitumen. (Strukturanalyse von Straßenbaubitumen. Einfl uss der Alterung auf die Struktur. Eine Praxisstudie mit Anwendung von modifi ziertem Bitumen.)Als neue Methode der Gruppenanalyse von Bitumen wird in der ungarischen Erdöl- und Bitumenindustrie

die Dünnschicht-Chromatographie mit Flammen-Ionisations-Detektion (TLC-FID) angewendet. Eine

Bindemitteluntersuchung mit diesem Prüfverfahren dauert nur ungefähr 3 Stunden. Für die Prüfung

werden nur eine geringe Probemenge und eine geringe Menge von Lösemittel benötigt. Die Prüfmethode

hat sich als statistisch zuverlässig erwiesen. Untersucht wurden der Einfl uss der Alterungsprüfungen

RTFOT und PAV auf die Beschaffenheit des Bindemittels. Bestimmt werden drei verschiedene

Alterungsindices

• der Alterungsindex der Viskosität (das Verhältnis der Viskosität der Bitumenprobe im gealterten und

im ungealterten Zustand)

• der Alterungsindex des Gehaltes an Aromaten (das Verhältnis des Gehaltes an Aromaten der

Bindemittel im gealterten und ungealterten Zustand)

• der Alterungsindex des Harzgehaltes (Verhältnis des Harzgehaltes der Bindemittelprobe im gealterten

und ungealterten Zustand)

Die Studie wird ergänzt durch eine 1 km lange Versuchsstrecke, die 1998 gebaut wurde. Verglichen

werden ein (plastomermodifi ziertes) PmB 35/65 (pen.) mit einem Bitumen 50/70 (pen.). Nach den

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ANErgebnissen der Bindemitteluntersuchungen zeigt das PmB Vorteile. Dieser Vergleich wird auf Basis

der SHRP-Spezifi kationen geführt (z. B. G*• sin δ für den Widerstand gegen Ermüdung – eine

Bewertungsgröße, deren Aussagekraft vor allem für polymermodifi zierte Bitumen von amerikanischer

Seite auch anlässlich dieses Kongresses angezweifelt wird – s. Bericht M. G. Bouldin et al., Book

1-74).

Zusammenfassend: Vorgestellt wird eine schnelle Prüfmethode für die Gruppenanalyse von Bitumen.

Das Prüfverfahren kann eingesetzt werden sowohl für die Beurteilung unterschiedlicher Bitumen, für

die Beurteilung unterschiedlicher Alterungsprüfverfahren bezüglich ihrer „Schärfe“, zur Beurteilung

von modifi zierten Bitumen und auch zur Beurteilung von örtlich angewendeten, nachgeschalteten

Prozessen bei der Bitumenherstellung, wie z. B. Oxidation oder Fluxen von Bitumen.

Diskussion:

Von polnischer Seite ,TU Breslau/Wroclaw, wird über eigene Erfahrungen mit Methoden der

Strukturanalyse von Bitumen berichtet. Danach sind durch Alterungseinfl üsse hervorgerufene

Veränderungen des Bitumens abhängig vom Erdöltyp, aus dem das Bitumen hergestellt wurde. Bitumen

aus naphthenbasischen Erdölen verhalten sich anders als Bitumen aus eher paraffi nbasischen Erdölen.

Bei der Alterung von Bitumen aus naphthenbasischen Erdölen konnte beobachtet werden, dass sich

zunächst der Anteil an Harzen vergrößert, im weiteren Verlauf der Alterung nimmt jedoch der Anteil an

Asphaltenen auf Kosten der Harzkomponente stark zu.

Erwiderung E. Horvathne:

Die Arbeiten in Ungarn, über die hier berichtet wurde, beziehen sich ausschließlich auf Bitumen aus

russischen Erdölen, diese zählen zu den paraffi nbasichen Erdölen.

2) Vortrag:L. Champion – Lapalu, J. P. Planche, D. Martin (Frankreich), D. Anderson (USA), J. F.

Gerard (Frankreich): Low-temperature rheological and fracture properties of polymer modifi ed bitumens. (Rheologische Eigenschaften bei tiefen Temperaturen und Brucheigenschaften von polymermodifi zierten Bitumen.)Untersucht wurde das Verhalten von unterschiedlichen polymermodifi zierten Bitumen bei tiefen

Temperaturen. Geprüft wurden sowohl die rheologischen Eigenschaften (mit dem Bending-Beam-

Rheometer und dem Dynamischen Scherrheometer) als auch die Brucheigenschaften (mit dem

Dreipunktbiegeprüfgerät). Die dabei erhaltenen Bruchfl ächen wurden mit Hilfe von zwei Verfahren

der Raster-Elektronenmikroskopie betrachtet und ausgewertet. Verwendet wurde ein Basisbitumen der

Penetration 70/100, das mit zwei unterschiedlichen EVA-Plastomeren (Zugabemengen 4 und 6 Gew.-%)

sowie mit einem SB- und drei SBS-Elastomeren (Zugabemenge jeweils 4% ) modifi ziert worden war.

Die Arbeit zeigt, dass das rheologische Verhalten der polymermodifi zierten Bitumen und des

Basisbitumens unter dynamischer Scherbeanspruchung bei tiefen Temperaturen ähnlich ist, oder mit

anderen Worten, dass die rheologischen Eigenschaften der polymermodifi zierten Bitumen bei tiefen

Temperaturen durch die Eigenschaften der Phase mit dem höheren Modul – das ist das Basisbitumen –

bestimmt werden. Im Gegensatz dazu verbessert der Polymerzusatz jedoch die Brucheigenschaften des

Bindemittels, weil die polymer-reiche Phase ein Hindernis für den Rissfortschritt darstellt. In einigen

Fällen war zu beobachten, dass der Riss die polymer-reichen Zonen umging (Rissablenkung), der

Bruch erfolgt hier in der Kontaktfl äche zwischen der Polymerphase und der Matrix. Eine gute Haftung

zwischen beiden Phasen entspricht einer hohen Bruchzähigkeit des polymermodifi zierten Bitumens.

In einigen anderen Fällen konnte beobachtet werden, dass die Bruchfl äche durch die Polymerfl äche

hindurchging. Dieser Mechanismus weist auf eine besonders gute Adhäsion zwischen den beiden Phasen

Grundbitumen und Polymerpartikel hin. Der Bruchzähigkeitswert, der in seiner Größe mit diesen

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Beobachtungen konform ging, wurde mit Hilfe eines Biegeversuches ermittelt, der ursprünglich für die

Prüfung von Polymeren entwickelt wurde und inzwischen eine ASTM-Prüfmethode für Polymere ist.

Die Arbeit bestätigt die naheliegende aber bisher nur wenig durch Fakten unterlegte Vermutung, dass

die rheologischen Eigenschaften von Bitumen und besonders von polymermodifi zierten Bitumen bei

tiefen Temperaturen nicht identisch sind mit den bruchmechanischen Eigenschaften.

Diskussion:

An der Technischen Universität von Katalonien werden ebenfalls Untersuchungen zum Bruchverhalten

durchgeführt. Gefragt wird nach der Bewertung der Bruchlast in Verbindung mit der Zähigkeit (im

Sinne von Kohäsion) des Bitumens und der damit im Zusammenhang stehenden Energie. Wie soll z.

B. die vergleichsweise hohe Bruchlast bei Verwendung eines harten Bitumens der Penetration 20/30

bezüglich der Brucheigenschaften bei tiefen Temperaturen bewertet werden?

Antwort L. Champion – Lapalu:Mit der Bruchlast wird der sogenannte Critical stress intensity factor K

1C bestimmt. Er ist ein Kennwert

für den Widerstand gegen die Rissentstehung (crack initiation). Die Bruchenergie (fracture energy) ist

ein Kennwert für den Widerstand gegen den Rissfortschritt (crack propagation).

3) Vortrag:V. Wegan, C. Bredahl Nielsen (Dänemark): Microstructure of polymer modifi ed binders in bituminous mixtures. (Mikrostruktur von polymermodifi zierten Bitumen in Asphaltgemischen.)Dargestellt wird die Mikrostruktur eines polymermodifi zierten Bindemittels in einem Asphaltmischgut

in Verbindung mit den Ergebnissen einer Infrarotanalyse und von Kriechversuchen zur Beurteilung der

Gebrauchseigenschaften und speziell der Standfestigkeit einer Asphaltbinderschicht. Hintergrund der

Untersuchungen ist ein Straßenbauvorhaben, bei dem die Qualitätskontrolle Anhaltspunkte dafür gab,

dass das verwendete polymermodifi zierte Bitumen infolge einer unzureichenden Lagerstabilität die

Tendenz zur Entmischung vermuten ließ. Hierbei handelte es sich um ein SBS-modifi ziertes Bitumen.

An Probematerial von 10 Bohrkernen wurde die Polymerverteilung in der Asphaltstruktur mit Hilfe von

besonders präparierten Dünnschliffen mikroskopisch untersucht. Die mikroskopische Untersuchung am

Asphalt bestätigte, dass eine Tendenz zur Absonderung des Polymeranteils in Richtung der Oberseite

vorhanden war. Dies wurde durch die Infrarotanalyse bestätigt. Die dynamischen Kriechversuche

ergaben im Vergleich zu Asphaltbinderschichten mit nicht-modifi zierten Bitumen in diesem Fall keine

Verbesserung bezüglich Widerstand gegen Spurrinnenbildung.

Die anfangs erwähnte Straße wurde Ende 1999 für den Verkehr freigegeben. Bisher sind keine

Spurrinnen aufgetreten, wobei die festgestellte Verkehrsbelastung bisher nur 1/10 des erwarteten Wertes

erreichte. Demzufolge kann hier erst die fernere Zukunft zeigen, ob in diesem Fall der Einsatz eines

polymermodifi zierten Bindemittels (trotz der hier festgestellten mangelhaften Lagerstabilität) Vorteile

gegenüber einem nicht-modifi zierten Bindemittel bringt.

Diskussion:

Nach Studien in Rumänien (Center for Highway Engineering) unter Einbeziehung der Beobachtung

von längeren Straßenabschnitten erscheint die Anwendung von sogenannten reaktiven Polymeren,

die die Matrix und die Eigenschaften eines Bitumens grundlegend verändern, erfolgversprechender

im Vergleich zur Modifi zierung mit inerten Polymeren, zu denen auch SBS gezählt wird. Diese

reaktiven Polymere sind preisgünstiger und mehr kompatibel mit den verschiedenen Bitumentypen. Die

vorgetragenen Studien haben gezeigt, dass durch die Modifi zierung mit den genannten inerten Polymeren

keine wesentlichen straßenbautechnischen Vorteile in den Eigenschaften bei tiefen Temperaturen

erreicht werden können.

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ANVon italienischer Seite (University of Ancona) wird auf die Vorteile einer anderen Version der Infrarot-

Spektroskopie hingewiesen, das ist die Refl exions-Spektroskopie. Bei dieser Methode entfällt der

Lösungsvorgang bei der Präparation der Probe und es können in Kombination mit mikroskopischen

Untersuchungen morphologische und rheologische Wirkungen einer Polymermodifi zierung zutreffender

beobachtet werden.

4) Vortrag:C. Desmazes, M. Lecomte, D. Lesueur (Frankreich), M. Phillips (NL): A protocol for reliable measurement of Zero Shear Viscosity in order to evaluate the anti-rutting performance of binders. (Prüfvorschrift für die zuverlässige Bestimmung der Null-Scherviskosität zur Beurteilung der Eignung von Bindemitteln für standfeste Asphalte.)Die Ergebnisse von Null-Scherviskositätsmessungen ergaben sowohl für konventionelle als auch für

polymermodifi zierte Bindemittel insgesamt bessere Korrelationen mit dem Widerstand von Asphalt

gegen Spurbildung als andere Bindemittel-Parameter.

Zur Messung der Null-Scherviskosität werden drei verschiedene Vorgehensweisen genannt: der

Kriechversuch mit oder ohne Rückverformung nach Entlastung, Viskositätsmessungen bei niedrigem

Schergefälle, und schließlich die sinusförmige Beanspruchung bei sehr niedrigen Frequenzen. Für die

Untersuchungen, über die hier berichtet wird, wurde das Prinzip des erwähnten Kriechversuches mit

Rückkriechphase nach Entlastung gewählt. Über die Kriechkomplianz (Kriechnachgiebigkeit) kann die

Null-Scherviskosität h 0 ermittelt werden. Das Prüfverfahren erwies sich als geeignet für eine breite

Spanne von Bindemitteln : Zuverlässige Ergebnisse wurden erhalten für konventionelle Bindemittel, für

Multigrade-Bitumen und für PmB, die bis zu 4% SBS enthalten. Für diese Bindemittel hat sich eine

Prüftemperatur von 40 °C als geeignet erwiesen. Für höher modifi zierte Bindemittel wird die Prüfung

bei höheren Temperaturen (60 – 70 °C) als erfolgversprechend beurteilt

Diskussion:

An der Liverpool University (UK) wurde eine große Anzahl von Bindemitteln, die mit 5 % SBS

modifi ziert worden waren, in Kriech-Scherversuchen untersucht. Auch bei höheren Scherspannungen

und einer vergleichsweise hohen Prüftemperatur von 60°C konnte selbst nach 4 Stunden Prüfdauer der

Bereich der konstanten Fließgeschwindigkeit (steady-state creep fl ow) noch nicht erreicht werden. Die

einzige Möglichkeit, die Null-Scherviskosität (Zero Shear Viscosity) zu messen, war die Anwendung

einer oszillierenden Beanspruchung bei niedrigen Frequenzen.

G. Rowe (USA) weist auf die Möglichkeit hin, die Null-Scherviskosität auf der Basis eines

mathematisch determinierten Retardationsspektrums auch für sehr hoch modifi zierte Bindemittel (z.

B. mit 8 % SBS) zuverlässig für eine große Temperaturspanne zu berechnen. Es gibt eine Reihe

von dynamischen Prüfverfahren, die geeignete Daten zum Kriechverhalten liefern, mit denen das

betreffende Retardationsspektrum bestimmt werden kann.

Ausgehend von der sehr guten Korrelation zwischen den Ergebnissen der Spurbildungsprüfung

(rutting test) und der Zero Shear Viscosity wurde von französischer Seite (Colas), vorgeschlagen, den

Spurbildungstest bezüglich seines Wirkungsmechanismus genauer zu analysieren.

5) Vortrag:S.F. Brown (UK), T. V. Scholz (USA): Development of laboratory protocols for the ageing of asphalt mixture. (Entwicklung von Festlegungen für die Laboralterung von Asphaltgemischen.)Die Lagerung von losem Asphaltmischgut im Wärmeschrank bei 135 °C beeinfl usst den Steifi gkeitsmodul

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der später verdichteten Proben signifi kant. Lagerungsdauern unter einer Stunde bewirken bereits

ein Anwachsen der Steifi gkeit um 9 bis 24% . Für die Lagerungszeit von losem Asphaltmischgut

bei den betreffenden hohen Temperaturen ist daher eine genauere Festlegung erforderlich, um zu

vergleichbaren Eigenschaften der später aus dem Mischgut hergestellten Laborprüfkörper zu gelangen.

Für Asphaltgemische mit stetigem Kornaufbau wird eine Lagerungszeit im Wärmeschrank von 2

Stunden bei 135 °C als repräsentativ angesehen, um die in der Praxis vorhandenen Alterungseinfl üsse zu

reproduzieren, die während des Mischvorganges, der Lagerung im Mischgut-Silo und des Transportes

des Asphaltmischgutes entstehen.

Ganz anders verhalten sich diesbezüglich Asphaltgemische mit Ausfallkörnung. Die Untersuchungen

haben gezeigt, dass (nach dem Mischvorgang) eine Lagerung von losem Mischgut im Wärmeschrank in

diesem Fall vermieden werden sollte, wenn die im Labor hergestellten Probekörper repräsentativ sein

sollen für Gemische, die in Chargenmischern hergestellt wurden. Verglichen mit Probekörpern aus der

Feldverdichtung von Asphalt, der in Trommelmischanlagen hergestellt wurde, liefern Probekörper, die

aus im Labor gemischten Material ohne Alterungseinwirkung hergestellt wurden, jedoch weit größere

Steifi gkeitswerte als jene der In-situ-Probekörper.

Für die Langzeitalterung wurde Folgendes gefunden: Eine Lagerungsdauer von 120 Stunden bei 85

°C brachte brauchbare praxisnahe Ergebnisse. Verwendet wurde eine neue Wärmekammer, die sich im

fortgeschrittenen Zustand der Entwicklung befi ndet.

Das Verhältnis der Steifi gkeitsmoduln erlaubt die zutreffende Bewertung auch von Gemischen mit

unterschiedlichen Alterungseigenschaften.

Diskussion:

In Deutschland (Technische Universität Braunschweig) wurde beobachtet, dass Granit als

Mineralstoffkomponente in Asphalt eine höhere Alterungsrate bewirkt. Vermutet werden katalytische

Effekte.

Erwiderung S. Brown:Bei umfangreichen früheren Untersuchungen (Dynamiches Scher-Rheometer unter Verwendung von

Rheometerplatten, die für diese Untersuchungen speziell aus Gesteinsmaterial hergestellt worden

waren) wurde beobachtet, dass unterschiedliche Mineralstoffe Unterschiede im Alterungsverhalten der

in diesen Versuchen verwendeten Bitumenproben bewirken. Die chemischen Ursachen wurden aber

bisher nicht weiter verfolgt, da es sich dabei eher um eine ingenieurmäßige Fragestellung handelte.

Eine weitere Frage (Deutscher Aphaltverband, Bonn) bezog sich auf den Einfl uss einer Lagerungsdauer

des heißen Asphaltgemisches im Mischgutsilo (zusätzlich zum Mischvorgang, zum Transport und zum

Einbau) auf die Alterung des Bitumens und deren Berücksichtigung auf eine Simulation im Labor.

Erwiderung S. Brown:Basis des beschriebenen Laborprüfverfahrens war ein Produktionsablauf ohne Silolagerung.

Erforderlichenfalls sollte aber eine Silolagerung selbstverständlich berücksichtigt.

6) Vortrag:G. W. Rowe, M. G. Bouldin (USA): Improved techniques to evaluate the fatigue re-sistance of asphaltic mixtures. (Verbesserte Verfahren zur Bewertung des Ermüdungswiderstandes von Asphaltgemischen.)Das Studium einer großen Anzahl von Ermüdungskurven führte zu dem Ergebnis, dass die bisher

praktizierte Auswertung auf Basis der willkürlich festgelegten 50%-Grenze der im Verlauf einer

Ermüdungsprüfung (mit konstanter Wegvorgabe = strain controlled) abfallenden Reaktionskraft zu einer

unzutreffenden Beurteilung des wirklichen Ermüdungswiderstandes von Asphaltgemischen führt. Die

Kritik setzt an bei der bisherigen Defi nition der Anfangssteifi gkeit. Die versuchsbedingte Erwärmung

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ANdes Probekörpers wird bisher nicht angemessen berücksichtigt. Eine typische Ermüdungskurve kann

unterteilt werden in vier Bereiche: Am Anfang fällt die Steifi gkeitskurve zunächst schnell ab (als

wesentliche Ursache hierfür wird die Erwärmung de Probekörpers genannt); der schnelle Abfall

verzögert sich, und es folgt ein Bereich mit langsamer, stetiger Abnahme der Kraft (Ursache:

Mikrorissbildung); danach folgt ein Bereich der Bildung größerer Risse und des Rissfortschritts

mit wieder zunehmenden Abfall der Reaktionskraft; und schließlich ein Abschnitt, der den Bruch

der Kurve kennzeichnet. Der Ermüdungsbruch ist defi niert als der Punkt, an dem die Kurve von dem

genannten dritten Bereich in den vierten Bereich übergeht. Dieser Punkt ist nicht identisch mit der oben

genannten bisher angewandten 50%-Grenze.

1989 wurde von Hopman die Anwendung eines Energieverhältnisses zur Bestimmung der Anzahl

der Lastwechsel für einen Ermüdungsversuch mit kontrollierter Dehnung vorgeschlagen. Auf der

Basis dieses Ansatzes kann jetzt sowohl für Ermüdungsversuche mit konstanter Dehnungsvorgabe als

auch mit konstanter Spannungsvorgabe eine grundlegende Defi nition des Punktes der Rissbildung im

Biegeermüdungsversuch angegeben werden. Grundlage der Arbeit sind Ermüdungsversuche sowohl

unter Verwendung der bekannten trapezförmigen Asphaltprobekörper im Zweipunktbiegeversuch als

auch Prüfungen mit dem Vierpunktbiegegerät, beide sind Bestandteil des SHRP.

Die Arbeit liefert damit einen bemerkenswerten Fortschritt auf dem Gebiet der Ermüdungsprüfung von

Asphalt.

Diskussion:

In Frankreich (LCPC) ist das Phänomen der Erwärmung von Probekörpern im Ermüdungsversuch seit

vielen Jahren Gegenstand der Forschung. Die Erwärmung tritt dabei nicht nur in der Phase zu Beginn

des Ermüdungsversuches auf; in dieser Anfangsphase sind auch noch andere Einfl üsse wichtig, so dass

die im Vortrag erwähnte Abnahme des Steifi gkeitsmoduls in diesem ersten Teil des Ermüdungsversuches

nicht allein als thermisches Problem bezeichnet werden kann.

Erwiderung G. Rowe:Es ist richtig, dass thermische Wirkungen auch über den weiteren Verlauf der Ermüdung andauern. Dem

Anfangsstadium, in dem eine „Konsolidierung“

erfolgt und die nach unserer Ansicht hauptsächlich thermischer Art ist, folgt ein linearer Prozess.

Benötigt wird eine Methode zur besseren Defi nition des Bruchzustandes, eine Methode zur Defi nition

des Punktes (auf der Zeitachse), an dem der Bruch im Probekörper eintritt, konform mit einem Wechsel

in seinem physikalischen Mechanismus. Dazu ist es erforderlich, die Daten auf linearer Basis, die

Gestalt der Kurve in linearer Darstellung zu betrachten.

Zwei weitere Diskussionsbeiträge befassten sich mit dem Prinzip von Ermüdungsversuchen:

Empfohlen wird die Zug-Schwell-Beanspruchung für Ermüdungsversuche, s. Proceedings, Book1,

Bericht W. Arand, Session1 (Technische Universität Braunschweig). Verglichen werden Ergebnisse von Ermüdungsversuchen mit kontrollierter Dehnung und kontrollierter

Spannung (Liverpool University, UK): Eine Temperaturerhöhung wurde hauptsächlich bei

Spannungsvorgabe beobachtet. Die dissipierte Energie aufzeichnet gegen die Anzahl der Lastwechsel

ergab für Dehnungsvorgabe und für Spannungsvorgabe Punkte, die im selben Bereich lagen; die

Streuung der Punkte aus Spannungsvorgabe war jedoch größer.

7) Vortrag:M. E. Nunn, D. Lawrence, A. Brown (UK) : Development of a practical test to as-sess the deformation resistance of asphalt. (Entwicklung eines für die Praxis geeigneten Prüfverfahrens zur Beurteilung des Verformungswiderstandes von Asphalt.)

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Wie in anderen Ländern so wird auch derzeit in Großbritannien nach einem Prüfverfahren gesucht,

mit dessen Hilfe der Verformungswiderstand von Asphalt für Konstruktionsschichten im Straßenbau

zuverlässig, einfach und schnell bestimmt werden kann. Im britischen Normentwurf BS DD 226

wird ein Prüfverfahren beschrieben, bei dem ein zylindrischer Asphaltprobekörper einer wiederholten

axialen Druckbeanspruchung ausgesetzt wird, jedoch hier ohne eine seitliche Einspannung. In einer

jetzt vorgestellten Weiterentwicklung wird eine seitliche Einspannung über ein Vakuum erzeugt.

Dadurch wirkt der äußere Luftdruck auf die Mantelfl äche des zylindrischen Probekörpers über eine

vorher befestigte Gummimanschette ein. Zur Aufbringung des Vakuums wird die Luft über die untere

Druckplatte abgesaugt, die zu diesem Zweck ein sternförmig angebrachtes Raster von Bohrlöchern

aufweist. Der Probekörper befi ndet sich somit in einer luftdichten Kammer, aus der die Luft evakuiert

ist, mit einer fl exiblen Mantelfl äche. Das Prüfverfahren wird bezeichnet mit „Vacuum Repeated Load

Axial Test“ (VRLAT). Die bisher vorliegenden Prüfergebnisse sind erfolgversprechend, sie zeigen

eine sehr gute Korrelation mit den Ergebnissen der Spurbildungsprüfung (nach britischem Standard).

Das VRLAT-Prüfverfahren ist schnell und einfach durchzuführen, die Anschaffungskosten für die

Prüfeinrichtung sind gering und es erfüllt die Anforderungen an die praxisnahe Bewertung der fertigen

Asphaltstraße als Endprodukt. Die Prüfung wird für die Aufnahme in die europäischen Normen

vorgeschlagen.

Diskussion:

Gefragt wurde u.a. nach der Präzision des Prüfverfahrens VRLAT(Ministry of Transport and Public Works, NL), und nach der Anwendbarkeit dieses Prüfverfahrens für Asphalte mit einem ausgeprägten

Mineralstoff-Skelett, wie z. B. SMA (Center for Highway Engineering, Rumänien).

Erwiderung M. Nunn:Zur ersten Frage (NL): In einer größeren Anzahl von Laboratorien wurde das VRLAT-Prüfverfahren

angewendet. Ein besonderer Ringversuch wurde bisher nicht durchgeführt. Jedoch können nach den

vorliegenden Ergebnissen, die an unterschiedlichem Prüfmaterial gewonnen wurden, folgende Angaben

gemacht werden:

Wiederholbarkeit etwa ab 20 %

Reproduzierbarkeit bis zu 40 %

Das Prüfverfahren hat sich in der Praxis bewährt.

Zur zweiten Frage (Rumänien): Das VRLAT-Prüfverfahren ist in erster Linie für Asphaltbinderschichten

gedacht und weniger für Deckschichten

8) Vortrag:A. C. A. De Jonghe, J. H. Swart, J. P. J. van der Heide (NL): The selection of the optimum modifi ed binder for a heavy duty pavement. (Auswahl des optimalen modifi zierten Bindemittels für eine Straßenbefestigung für schweren Verkehr.)Der Weg von der Analyse der Anforderungen bis zur Auswahl eines geeigneten polymermodifi zierten

Bindemittels wird an einem Straßenbauprojekt beispielhaft gezeigt. Mit Hilfe eines

Straßenbemessungsverfahrens unter Einbeziehung der viskoelastischen Eigenschaften werden die

Auswahlkriterien hergeleitet: Dies sind die Steifi gkeit sowie der Widerstand gegen Rissbildung gegen

Ermüdung der unteren Tragschicht ; die Steifi gkeit so wie der Widerstand gegen bleibende Verformung

für die obere Tragschicht; der Widerstand gegen Rissbildung, gegen Bindemittelablösung und gegen

Alterung für die Deckschicht aus offenporigem Asphalt. Das anzuwendende PmB wurde nach den

Ergebnissen von Laboruntersuchungen ausgewählt. Im Vergleich zu den herkömmlichen Rezepturen

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GERM

ANAsphaltstraßenbau zeigen die nach der hier beschriebenen Strategie zusammengesetzten Gemische in

der Praxis eine deutliche Verbesserung bezüglich der genannten Anforderungen. Die Untersuchungen

bestätigen, dass die spezifi schen Eigenschaften eines PmB sehr genau auf die Bedingungen in der

Feldanwendung abgestimmt und ausgewählt sein müssen. Die Baumaßnahme wurde 1998 bis 1999

ausgeführt, eine Auswertung ist zumindest bis zum Jahre 2004 vorgesehen.

Diskussion:

In Spanien (Polytechnical University of Madrid) werden im Rahmen einer Studie Untersuchungen zur

Eignung und Auswahl von polymermodifi zierten Bindemitteln durchgeführt. Die Frage nach einem

geeigneten und praxisnahen Prüfverfahren zur Beurteilung der Alterung von polymermodifi zierten

Bindemitteln im Asphaltgemisch kann beim derzeitigen Stand der Erfahrungen nicht abschließend

beantwortet werden.

9) Vortrag:R. Guericke, H. E. Hoeppel (Deutschland): Results of ARBIT test programme 1998/99 involving 36 unmodifi ed and modifi ed bituminous binders on the German market. (Ergebnisse des Arbit-Untersuchungsprogramms 1998/99 unter Einbeziehung von 36 nicht-modifi zierten und modifi zierten Bindemitteln aus der Produktion für den deutschen Markt.)Gegenstand der Untersuchungen war die Frage nach dem partiellen Beitrag des Bindemittels auf

die technische Leistungsfähigkeit von Walzasphaltbefestigungen für Straßen mit Schwerverkehr

(Deckschichten aus Splittmastixasphalt und Asphaltbinderschichten).Zum Zeitpunkt der Untersuchung

waren für diesen Anwendungsbereich im deutschen Markt 36 Bindemittel verfügbar, die alle in die

Untersuchungen einbezogen wurden. Zusätzlich zu den konventionellen Bindemittelprüfungen wurde

eine Reihe neuer Bindemittelprüfverfahren angewendet: Dynamisches Scher- Rheometer, Bending

Beam Rheometer, Kraftduktilometer sowie (zusätzlich zur Kurzzeitalterung mit RFT) zwei Methoden

der Langzeitalterung. Die Ergebnisse der Bindemittelprüfungen wurden korreliert mit den Ergebnissen

von Prüfungen an Asphaltgemischen. Die wesentlichen Ergebnisse sind

a) zur Bewertung neuer Prüfverfahren für Bindemittel: Die Null-Scherviskosität erwies sich als die

Prüfmethode, die den partiellen Beitrag des Bindemittels zur Standfestigkeit eines Asphaltgemisches

am zutreffendsten anspricht (sowohl für die nicht modifi zierten Bindemittel wie auch für die PmB); die

BBR-Ergebnisse zeigen eine deutlich bessere Korrelation zum Kälteverhalten von Asphaltprobekörpern

als die Ergebnisse der Brechpunktprüfung nach Fraass (für Bitumen mit höherem Polymergehalt

ist die Aussagekraft der BBR-Prüfung damit aber noch nicht bestätigt, weil die mit dem BBR

angesprochenen rheologischen Eigenschaften nur eine indirekte Beurteilung der bruchmechanischen

Eigenschaften erlauben, vgl. Vortrag L. Champion – Lapalu); die mit Hilfe der Kraftduktilitätsprüfung

gemessene Formänderungsenergie (gemessen über den gesamten Dehnweg) zeigt bei drei verschiedenen

Prüftemperaturen eine deutliche Überlegenheit der polymermodifi zierten Bitumen.

b) für den Asphaltstraßenbau: Die Ergebnisse des Spurbildungsversuches im Wasserbad (als eine

Kombination von Feuchtigkeitsbeanspruchung und mechanischer Beanspruchung, wie sie auch unter

Praxisbedingungen anzutreffen ist) zeigt für ein repräsentatives Asphaltbindergemisch mit einem

Hohlraumgehalt zwischen 6 und 7 Vol.-% die Vorteile von härteren Straßenbaubitumen und besonders

deutlich die Vorteile von polymermodifi zierten Bitumen bezüglich des Widerstands gegen Spurbildung

in Kombination mit Stripping.

Diskussion:

Gefragt wird, ob die im Vortrag besprochenen Prüfverfahren Null-Scherviskosität, Bending-Beam-

Rheometer und Kraftduktilität geeignet sind, die konventionellen Prüfungen, wie Fraaß-Brechpunkt

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AN

und andere abzulösen und ob diese neuen Prüfverfahren in zukünftige Bindemittelspezifi kationen

aufgenommen werden sollten?

Erwiderung R. Guericke:Nach den Ergebnissen des Arbit-Untersuchungsprogramms wäre z. B. die Null-Scherviskosität auf Basis

sehr niedriger Frequenzen (im Oszillations-Modus) ein geeigneter Kandidat für eine neue Generation

von Bitumenprüfungen zur Be-

urteilung der Bindemitteleigenschaften für hohe Temperaturen unter Nutzungsbedingungen (Widerstand

gegen Spurbildung). Zur Beurteilung der Bindmitteleigenschaften bei tiefen Temperaturen wurden mit

dem Bending-Beam-Rheometer (SHRP-Kriterien) sehr gute Ergebnisse gefunden für alle in diesem

Programm untersuchten 36 Bindemittel. Unsicher erscheint jedoch die Anwendbarkeit der BBR-

Prüfung für höher modifi zierte Bitumen.

10) Vortrag:D. S. Decker (USA): How is Superpave impacting the contractor? (Welche Auswirkungen hat Superpave auf den Bauunternehmer?)Die Reihe der mündlichen Vorträge in der Technischen Sitzung 1 wurde abgeschlossen mit einem

Überblick über den weiteren Fortschritt bei der Umsetzung der Superpave-Richtlinien (Superpave

= Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements) in die Straßenbaupraxis der Bundesstaaten in den

USA. Der amerikanische Asphaltstraßenverband (NAPA) hat mehrere Schriften veröffentlicht, in

der die Einführung von Superpave erläutert wird, darunter die Superpave Construction Guidelines und Contractor Perspective on Superpave Implementation. Diese Veröffentlichungen stellen den

aktualisierten Stand vorausgegangener Schriften dar.

Erforderlich wurden einige Änderungen im Vergleich zum ursprünglich vorgeschlagenen Superpave-

System, womit Unterschiede der regional zur Verfügung stehenden Baustoffe und gleichzeitig die

Erfahrungen der örtlichen Asphaltindustrie und der Straßenbauverwaltungen bezüglich Planung,

Rezeptierung und Ausführung von Asphaltstraßen berücksichtigt wurden. Die genannten ergänzenden

Empfehlungen und Richtlinien beziehen sich im einzelnen auf die Mineralstoffe, die Bindemittel,

auf Fragen des Gemischentwurfes bzw. der Gemischoptimierung, die Wiederverwendung von

Aufbruchasphalt, die Besonderheiten von SMA (mit der neuen amerikanischen Bezeichnung „GGS

- Gap Graded Superpave“!), Asphalteinbau in Verbindung mit der Kornverteilung der Mineralstoffe

(„restricted zone“) sowie der oberen Korngröße und der erreichbaren Verdichtung („tender zone“),auf

die Qualitätskontrolle und schließlich auf die Anwendung für den Bau von Asphaltstraßen für nicht

öffentliche (das heißt private) Auftraggeber. Der private Markt hat in den USA etwa einen Anteil

von 50 % an der gesamten Produktion von Heißasphaltmischgut. Hierbei geht es vor allem um die

Akzeptanz von Asphaltmischgut mit gröberem Korn als bisher üblich war. Insgesamt kommt die

Einführung des Superpave-Regelwerkes für heißgemischten Asphalt in den USA gut voran. In einigen

Teilen des Landes sind die Unternehmer auf Probleme gestoßen; inzwischen gibt es aber eine Vielzahl

von Superpave–Projekten, die erfolgreich gebaut wurden.

Diskussion:

Frage: Sind durch den Übergang von der herkömmlichen Praxis zum Superpave-System Veränderungen in

den Kosten bei der Bausausführung entstanden und wie können diese Kosten ausgeglichen werden?

Erwiderung D. Decker:Das hängt ab von der regional unterschiedlichen Ausgangssituation. In einigen US-Bundesstaaten war

bereits ein hoher Entwicklungsstand bezüglich Mix-Design und Ausführungstechnik vorhanden; hier war

der Übergang relativ einfach. In einigen Regionen sind aber die Kosten um etwa 10 bis 15 % angestiegen

nach Einführung der Superpave-Methoden und Bauweisen. Verglichen mit dem zu erwartenden Gewinn an

Haltbarkeit und Langzeitverhalten der Straßen sind diese Mehrkosten aber gering.

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INTRODUCTION

Elio Diani, Didier Jamois, Lothar Drüschner

1

TECHNICAL SESSION 2

DEVELOPMENTS IN BITUMINOUS PRODUCTSAND TECHNIQUES

Chairman: Elio DIANI (Enichem)Co-chairmen: Didier JAMOIS (TotalFinaElf)

Lothar DRUESCHNER (N.M.W.)

2

95 PAPERS WERE SELECTED FOR SESSION 2,COMING FROM THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES:

Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Norway, Switzerland, Turkey

Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic

Algeria, Canada, South Africa, United States

EUROPEAN UNION

REST OF WESTERN EUROPE

CENTRAL EUROPE

REST OF THE WORLD

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3

• MIX DESIGN and PAVING 23 papers• EMULSIONS and COLD-MIXING 17 “• BITUMEN MODIFICATION 16 “• TESTING 16 “• RECYCLING 12 “• NEW or IMPROVED PRODUCTS 9 “• NOISE REDUCTION 2 “

THE FOLLOWING GENERAL TOPICSARE COVERED:

4

AUTHOR COUNT. TITLE SMILES

HARDERS DASPHALT WEARING COURSES WITH A HIGH CHIPPING CONTENT: EXPERIENCES AND

COMPARATIVE STUDIES CONCERNING THE OPTIMISATION OF MIX FORMULATIONS

JAMOIS FDEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPT OF VERY HIGH MODULUS BITUMINOUS MACADAM FOR

PAVEMENT BASE COURSES

BOUTIN CDN THERMAL CRACKING OF ASPHALT PAVEMENT

THOM GB ASPHALT CRACKING AT ULTRA-SLOW STRAIN RATES

SMITH CDNCRACK PINNING IN ASPHALT MASTIC AND CONCRETE: THE EFFECT OF REST PERIODS

AND POLYMER MODIFIERS ON THE FATIGUE LIFE

LU S PROPERTIES OF BITUMENS MODIFIED WITH ELASTOMERS AND PLASTOMERS

LOEBER FAN ATTEMPT TO THE UNDERSTANDING ON THE MECHANISM OF FILM FORMATION OF

A BITUMINOUS EMULSION ON MINERAL SUBSTRATE

ECKMANN B PREDICTION OF EMULSION PROPERTIES FROM BINDER/EMULSIFIER CHARACTERISTICS

LESUEUR F PREDICTING THE IN-PLACE COMPACITY OF COLD MIXES

DURAND FFROM THE LABORATORY TO THE WORKSITE, AN INNOVATIVE SPREADING TEST BENCH

FOR BITUMEN EMULSION

PRESENTATIONS BY INVITED AUTHORS (1 or 2 smiles)

PRESENTATION BY INVITED SPEAKER

LOVEDAY, Colin PROGRESS ON THE EN FOR FACTORY PRODUCTION CONTROL OF BITUMINOUS MIXTURES

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5


MARTINEZ-BOZA

FRANCISCO JE RHEOLOGY AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF SYNTHETIC BINDERS

POTTI

JUAN JOSEE

STUDY OF BREAKING MECHANISMS & COHESION BUILT-UP ON BITUMINOUS EMULSIONS.

FIRSTS RESULTS FROM OPTEL PROJECT, TASK 7.

JENKINS, KIM NL FOAMED BITUMEN TREATMENT OF WARMED AGGREGATES

MALOT,

MICHELF PRECAUTIONS WHEN INTERPRETING RUTTING RESULTS FROM THE LPC TRAFFIC SIMULATOR

STEERNBERG,

KOENNL FUEL RESISTANCE OF ASPHALT PAVEMENTS

LESUEUR,

DIDIERF EMULSION AGGREGATES INTERACTIONS THROUGH WATER ANALYSIS

GALLENNE, MARIE-LINE

FAPPLICATION OF THE EUROPEAN STANDARD: FACTORY PRODUCTION CONTROL OF

ASPHALT MIX TO ROAD WORK FOLLOW UP IN FRANCE

BENEDETTO,

DI, H.F

THERMO-VISCOPLASTIC LAW FOR BITUMINOUS MIXES AND MODELLING OF THE THERMAL

STRESS RESTRAINED SPECIMEN TEST (TSRST).

HOPPEN,

HENKNL

FIELD EXPERIENCES WITH ELASTOMERIC GRANULE TO PRODUCE POLYMER MODIFIED

ASPHALT DIRECTLY IN ASPHALT PLANT MIXER BOX

ZOOROB,

SALAHGB

AIR PERMEABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTINUOUS AND GAP GRADED BITUMINOUSCOMPOSITES.

ZOOROB,

SALAHGB

LABORATORY DESIGN OF IMPROVED CONTINUOUSLY GRADED ASPHALTIC CONCRETE

CONTAINING RECYCLED PLASTIC AGGREGATES

SALTAN, M. TR A NEW BACKCALCULATION PROGRAM FOR FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS

SESSION 2 : RELEVANT PRESENTATIONS (1 SMILE)

6


TEUGELS,

WIMB IMMOBILISATION OF TARS CONTAINING RECYCLED ASPHALT WITH FOAM BITUMEN.

ZENG,

HUAYANGS OPTIMIZING ASPHALT PAVING AND COMPACTION

TELLE, R. N COMPACTION AND PROPERTIES OF COLD MIXES

ZOOROB,

SALAHGB

LABORATORY INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROPERTIES OF ASPHALTIC CONCRETE

MANUFACTURED WITH 10/20 PENETRATION GRADE BITUMEN.

GLET,WALTHER D FUNCTIONALITY AND CONNECTION OF COURSES IN ASPHALT ROAD CONSTRUCTIONS

SUNDAHL,

JESPERDK CHANGES IN PERFORMANCE OF HOT-MIX ASPHALT BY ADDING CASTING SAND

PEDEN,

ROBERTGB A CONSIDERATION OF SURFACE DRESSING ON TOWN STREETS.

GAWEL,IRENA

PL EFFECT OF BITUMEN BLOWING ON ITS CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND COLLOIDAL TYPE

DIJKINK,

HENKNL STEAM ASPHALT, A NEW ASPHALT PRODUCTION SYSTEM

PASETTO,

MARCOI POROUS ASPHALT CONCRETES WITH ADDED MICROFIBRES

PARMEGGIANI

, GIOVANNIZA NITROGEN ROLLING THIN FILM OVEN TEST.

SLUER,

BERWICHNL

CRUSHED STONE SKELETON MIXES IN LAYERS. A WEAPON IN THE BATTLE AGAINSTRUTTING?

SESSION 2 : RELEVANT PRESENTATIONS (1 smile)

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PROGRESS ON THE EN FOR FACTORY PRODUCTION CONTROL OF BITUMINOUS MIXTURES

Colin Loveday

Conformity and AttestationConformity and Attestation

ColinColin Loveday Loveday - Tarmac Group - Tarmac Group

In the work which is underway to develop European Standards for asphalt I have the honour to act as

convenor of an elite group of distinguished asphalt experts from many countries, from industry and from

the clients, known as TG 4 - ‘ Task Group Quality’.

This title refers not only to the excellence of its members, several of whom are in the room today, but

also to the fact that we are developing ‘Systems for the Evaluation of Conformity’ and ‘Systems for the

Evaluation of Conformity’

Slide 1

Slide 2

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•• Why ?Why ?

•• What ?What ?

•• Who ?Who ?

•• How ?How ?

↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

The fi rst of the standards we are developing: ‘ Factory Production Control’ is at an advanced stage

and is approaching the fi nal ‘Formal Vote’ stage of adoption as a European Standard, so the congress

organisers have asked me here to talk to you about it.

It is important to understand the context in which the European asphalt standards are being drafted and

I shall attempt to answer some basic questions:

Why do we need a Factory Production Control Standard?

What is the Factory Production Control Standard?

Who is responsible for Factory Production Control?

How is it expected to work?

The answer to the question ‘WHY’ can be found in the fact that the asphalt standards will be issued

under a Mandate from the European Commission and will be known as Harmonised Standards.

Slide 3

Slide 4

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↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

Regulated underRegulated under Construction ProductsConstruction Products

DirectiveDirective

Verification and certification of Verification and certification of

compliance with Essential Requirementscompliance with Essential Requirements

The answer to the question ‘WHY’ can be found in the fact that the asphalt standards will be issued

under a Mandate from the European Commission and will be known as Harmonised Standards.

The standards therefore have to incorporate defi ned procedures, known as: ‘Evaluation of Conformity’

and ‘Attestation of Conformity’ to be used to demonstrateand verify conformity with these regulated

requirements.

This represents a signifi cant change in many countries, certainly in the UK, where conformity assess-

ment has always been carried out in the context of the general contract system.

Slide 5

Slide 6

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Factory Production Control

Type Testing

Product Standards Test Methods

•• Defines constituentsDefines constituents

•• Defines target compositionDefines target composition

•• Verifies properties of target mixVerifies properties of target mix

So, TG 4 is preparing two new standards: ‘Type Testing’ and ‘Factory Production Control’, to be used

in conjunction with the product standards.

They are the means for demonstrating conformity with the product standards.

Type Testing is the procedure which a producer must use to demonstrate that the target mix composition

which he has chosen meets all of the requirements of the product standard.

It is very similar to what we now understand as a mix design verifi cation. The result of Type Testing

is a recipe, fully defi ned in terms of constituents and composition, which can be taken through to

production.

Slide 7

Slide 8

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The producer’s internal system for theThe producer’s internal system for the

control of productioncontrol of production

•• Controls constituent materialsControls constituent materials

•• Controls the processControls the process

•• Verifies conformity by asphalt analysisVerifies conformity by asphalt analysis

Manufacture of this defi ned mix is then controlled under ‘Factory Production Control’, which is

essentially the producer’s Quality Plan’.

There are three main elements of Factory Production Control:

Control of constituent materials.

Control of the process (temperature, drying, mixing etc.)

Plus verifi cation of conformity by analysis.

Importantly, all three are necessary components of the verifi cation of conformity.

Analysis alone is not enough.

Slide 9

Slide 10

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Bituminous mixtures - Part 21Bituminous mixtures - Part 21

Factory Production ControlFactory Production Control

•• OrganisationOrganisation

•• Constituent MaterialsConstituent Materials

•• Handling and StorageHandling and Storage

•• Inspection and Testing- processesInspection and Testing- processes

•• Inspection and Testing- materialsInspection and Testing- materials

•• Non conformityNon conformity

The requirements for Factory Production Control will be set out in part 21 of the asphalt standards.

It sets out the minimum core requirements for the following elements of a supplier Factory Production

Control or Quality System.

Organisation, In terms of competence, responsibility, audit and review.

Control of raw materials

Handling and storage- maintenance of temperature and avoidance of contamination.

Inspection and Test, not only of the products but also of the operation of the process.

The identifi cation of non conforming product and how it is dealt with.

Slide 11

Slide 12

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A Commission requirementA Commission requirement

•• Table 1- process controlTable 1- process control

•• Table 2- plant calibrationTable 2- plant calibration

•• Table 3- aggregatesTable 3- aggregates

•• Table 4- fillerTable 4- filler

•• Table 5- binderTable 5- binder

•• Table 6- additivesTable 6- additives

•• Table 7- reclaimed asphaltTable 7- reclaimed asphalt

•• Table 8- mixed asphaltTable 8- mixed asphalt

Additionally and importantly it contains minimum frequencies for inspection and test.

This was a key requirement of the commission in their guidance on the drafting of Harmonised

standards.

The standard contains eight tables of frequencies of inspection and test covering all important aspects.

In all cases there is provision in these to take into account the information available from suppliers of

raw materials from their own attestation and certifi cation procedures.

Slide 13

Slide 14

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•• Applied to target compositionApplied to target composition

•• Standard ‘D’ range of sieve sizesStandard ‘D’ range of sieve sizes

•• Individual resultIndividual result

•• Mean of four resultMean of four result

In the development of the standard perhaps the most diffi cult aspect in terms of reachingan agreement

was that of tolerances and test frequencies for the asphalt mixes.

There were clearly very different traditions in this activity across the member states and it took a lot of

time to come to understand each other problems and come up with a solution.

Tolerances are included in the Factory Production Control Standard rather than in the product

standards.

They are designed to be applies about the target mix compositions as defi ned in Type Testing.

We have attempted to standardise on the selection of sieves to give an even probability of conformity

across all products at a constant level of consistency.

Tolerances are given in two forms:

For individual test results.

Tighter tolerances for the means of four results.

Slide 15

Slide 16

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•• Minimum level forMinimum level for Harmonised Harmonised elements elements

•• Optional higher frequencies for contract useOptional higher frequencies for contract use

•• Variable frequency- reduce testing asVariable frequency- reduce testing as

compliance increasescompliance increases

Single ResultsNo. in last 32

Means of FourNo. in last 8

OperatingComplianceLevel

0-2 0 A

3-6 1 B

>6 >2 C

Three levels of test frequency are provided;

A minimum level applicable to the regulated Harmonised elements Two optional higher frequencies for

use in contract applications.

In all cases the frequencies are variable, with lower frequencies permitted where very high conformity

has been consistently demonstrated.

This is achieved by means of the ‘Operating Compliance Level’, which depends on the number of non

conforming results in the previous 32 analyses.

The more results out of specifi cation, the lower is the Operating Compliance Level.

Slide 17

Slide 18

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Operating ComplianceLevel

Minimum FrequencyTonnes/test

C 500

B 1000

A 2000

Operating ComplianceLevel

Minimum Frequencytonnes/test

C 150

B 300

A 600

This Operating Compliance Level can then be used to adjust the frequency of testing.

At Level Z, the basic minimum frequency is 1 per 500 tonnes, but if OCL B can be maintained this

relaxes to 1 per 1000 tonnes and if th near perfect OCL A can be achieved it can be further reduced to

1 per 2000 tonnes.

The same principle is applied at the higher ‘optional’ frequency levels.

Slide 19

Slide 20

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•• ‘Essential Requirements’ in Annex ZA.‘Essential Requirements’ in Annex ZA.

•• Annex ZA will call up Factory ProductionAnnex ZA will call up Factory Production

Control.Control.

•• Attestation system 2+ has been chosen.Attestation system 2+ has been chosen.

•• Notified Bodies will be responsible forNotified Bodies will be responsible for

approval and surveillance of producers’approval and surveillance of producers’

FPC.FPC.

I have Hopefully answered the questions ‘why?’ and ‘what?’.

I shall now address ‘how’ and ‘who?’

Each product standard will include an Annex ZA, setting out the way in which the Essential

Requirements are specifi ed. This will call up Factory Production Control.

Because the Commission has decide on ‘System 2+’ for Attestation of Conformity it will be necessary

for Notifi ed Bodies or Third Parties to monitor and supervise Factory Production Control.

Notifi ed Bodies are appointed by the member states and there is a sector Group of Notifi ed Bodies to

co-ordinate activity across the EU.

Slide 21

Slide 22

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Type Testing Producer

Operation of FPC Producer

Conformity Testing Producer

Initial approval of FPC Notified Body

Surveillance of FPC Notified Body

This table clarifi es the responsibilities- who is required to do what.

Type Testing, Operation of Factory Production Control, including the conformity testing is the total

responsibility of the producer.

The Notifi ed Body is responsibly initially for checking that the producers Quality System meets the

requirements of the Factory Production Control Standard and then for ongoing surveillance or audit.

They are not responsible for any testing of the product.

So, that is a very brief introduction to Factory Production Control.

We have been very careful in the way in which we have put all of the pieces together and are sure it will

be a workable system.

Slide 23

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REPORT OF SESSION 2 PREPARED BY LA REVUE GÉNÉRALE DES ROUTES

Opening by M. Chappat

General presentation of the session by E. Diani

Presented papers and discussions

Opening Mr. Chappat

The session will be co-chaired by three members of the Technical Committee:

• L. Drüschner who is a member of the Management of Norddeutsche Mischwerke GmbH in Berlin

where he acts as Technical Manager and Quality Assurance Manager. He is a member of the

Managing Board of the German Institute of Mixes, a member of EAPA Technical Committee and of

the German Asphalt Association.

• D. Jamois joined Total in 1989 in the sector of asphalts. He acts as Manager of Asphalt Applications

for Europe.

• E. Diani who is chairing this session has been working with ENI since he started working and acts

as Manager of the Center for Technological Characterization of Materials of the Elastomer Division

in Enichem.

General presentation of the session by E. Diani

More than 150 communications have been reviewed by the Technical Committee. 95 have been assigned

to Session 2. Practically all the EU countries and several Eastern and Central European countries are

represented in this session. Outside of Europe, we must mention South Africa, Algeria, Canada and the

United States. France has made the most considerable contribution by presenting 23 communications.

The subjects reviewed have been classifi ed as follows in their order of importance:

- formulation and application: 23

- emulsions and cold mixes: 17

- modifi ed asphalts: 16

- in-lab tests and modelling: 16

- recycling: 12

- new or improved products: 9

- noise reduction: 2.

The ten most representative communications have been selected on basis of a close examination by the

Scientifi c Committee according to scientifi c, techniques and innovative criteria. The choice was not

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easy owing to the very high scientifi c and cultural level of the communications.


Otto Harders (Germany)« Asphalt wearing courses with a high chipping content: experiences and comparative studies concerning

the optimization of mix formulations ».

O. Harders has gained throughout his career an outstanding knowledge of the use of polymers in road

construction. He has been working since 1974 in the research sector with Elf and is currently engaged

in the normalization of asphalt specifi cations in Germany and at the EU level.

Abstract of the presented paperThe development of freight traffi c in Europe, especially in transit countries, has led to considerable exposure of the thoroughfares. By developments in the fi eld of commercial vehicles wearing courses are increasingly stressed. Asphalt wearing courses with a high skip-graded chipping content have proved appropriate on highly traffi cked asphalt roads showing a permanent resistance against deformation. Typical representatives of this mix type are split mastic asphalt and porous asphalt wearing courses. The solutions developed in Germany and the neighbouring countries France, Switzerland and the Netherlands are compared to those in the United States. Concerning some examples from practice the differences and the similarities are tested and described. An essential item is the long-term performance. The most important parameters as binder content, voids fi lled with binder, thickness of tack coat are considered comparatively. The infl uence of quality and quantity of the binder is of importance especially with porous asphalt because of the impact of water and oxygen. As at the moment there are no reliable (safe) test procedures available referring to these issues special test methods as rutting test and Cantabro test are examined concerning the reliability of their statements. Because of the different effects of different loading types a single test procedure is not suited to fi nd general validity for the behaviour in practice. A comprehensive mix design is a fundamental condition for the durability of highly traffi cked wearing courses.

Q1. E. DianiHow are we to extrapolate in-lab tests to construction in the fi eld?

A. HardersThe tests are derived from the practice. The stabilities we have shown in draining asphalts have been

less sensitive and less exacting as regards the binder if we compare them to mixes with a void content

exceeding 25%.

Q2. Question from a Swiss delegateThere are various possibilities for stabilizing the binder with the aid of fi bers or special materials. How do these additives affect the binder ?

A. HardersThe sensitivity becomes much higher with the introduction of fi bers and whatever the application

temperature. But I cannot imagine how one could obtain a particular sensitivity by adding cellulose

fi bers. The mix composition and homogenization relative to the sensitivity to temperature, in fact, play

a quite positive part.

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D. Jamois (France)« Development of a concept of very high modulus bituminous macadam for pavement base courses »

Introduction: This work is the outcome of a fi ve-year research program. It was initiated by the oil

company TotalFinaElf and conducted in collaboration with the road contractor Appia and the Direction

des Routes in France represented by the LCPC and Setra.

The facts and objectives of the project, the concept of aggregates with a very high modulus (EMTE),

the test conducted on LCPC’s fatigue test track in Nantes, the road innovation chart and a few examples

of fi eld experiments will be reviewed in turn.

Abstract of the presented paperIn order to withstand the increasingly aggressive nature of heavy lorry traffi c, TOTALFINA has developed a new type of macadam with a high structural strength and using a very hard bitumen. It is intended for use in pavement base courses. The Technical data which were collected during trials conducted in collaboration with SCR-Beugnet in 1995 (now called APPIA) on the LCPC fatigue test track in Nantes (France) provided us with the mechanical information necessary in order to design the very high modulus macadam. Furthermore, it was found that such a concept allowed a substantial reduction in thickness and is also suited to the construction of rutting control structures. On the basis of these results, it was decided to continue Development and evaluation of the new macadam in the framework of a Road Innovation Charter which was signed with the French Roads Directorate (SETRA) in 1996.During the fi rst year after signing the charter two experimental worksites were set up in maritime climate zones. The review conducted after two years showed good performance (absence of damage) on the RN123 worksite near Chartres (new construction) and that the few distresses caused by the large defl ections on the RN177 site near Deauville (strengthening) had not become more severe. At this stage of the evaluation it should be remembered that in-situ the very high modulus macadam should have a level of compaction in excess of 96% and that in single layer strengthening the minimum thickness should be 10 cm.

Conclusion: It has been possible to establish the following criteria on basis of the follow-up conducted

during the past three years on these two sites:

- the EMTE mix must be at least 10 cm thick;

- in situ compactness levels must exceed 96%;

- a special asphalt content with 0/10 penetration must exceed 6.2 ppc.

In view of such positive results, the EMTE technique seems to be applicable to any type of site work

in an oceanic climatic zone requiring huge structural earthworks whether for new constructions or as

a pavement overlay. The fi nal stage of the road innovation chart will be the validation of the EMTE

concept in a mountainous continental climatic zone where the climatic variations are high.

Q1. Prof. Brown (University of Nottingham, UK)Could you tell us about the performance of the material on LCPC’s fatigue test track: did the pavement

show a rupture ? Was such a rupture due to rutting or to cracking ? Have the cracks been initiated on the

wearing courses or on the bottom courses ?

A. JamoisThis is a material strongly resistant to rutting: all the measurements made have shown that the ruts are

about 1 mm deep i.e. ten times less than with the other mixes. If I remember rightly, cracks have been

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observed that came from the layer top.

Q2. Y. Decoene (Screg Belgium)In which occasions do you recommend the use of sand-asphalt ? and for what purpose ?

A. JamoisThe main advantage of sand-asphalt is that it erases any surface irregularities such as an untreated coarse

gravel on pavement subgrade. In the case of new roads, such a layer is easier to apply, but it must also

be borne in mind that it has a certain cost since it implies an additional passage. It is advantageous in

that it avoids any subsurface cracking from the bottom courses and connected to the irregularities of the

coarse gravel in these courses. We would rather recommend sand-asphalt on new roads so as to obtain

a fl awless smoothness at course bottom.

G. Boutin (Canada)« Thermal cracking of asphalt pavement »« La fi ssuration thermique des enrobés bitumineux »

G. Boutin works with Sintra Inc., Montreal, as an R&D engineer.

This prediction model has been developed in Quebec within the framework of performance guarantee

projects granted to companies by the Ministry of Transport of Quebec. The indicator of the level of

service to be guaranteed is the cracking ratio. To better assess the risks inherent in their proposals, the

companies are trying to better understand thermal cracking problems. Modifi ed asphalts are not part of

the study.

Abstract of the presented paperThermal cracking of asphalt pavement is a common form of deterioration on Canadian roads. The cracks are weak zones where water seeps into and damages the road structure. The cracks are the starting point for other forms of deterioration as well. To improve the knowledge of this phenomenon, a research project was done based on data from different test sections built in Canada in the last 20 years. Temperature of asphalt pavement is a very infl uential criterion for thermal cracking. Therefore, a study of temperature in asphalt pavement based on air temperature was done and a prediction model was developed. The asphalt used in asphalt pavement is another major concern for thermal cracking. Asphalt binder temperature susceptibility criteria were also thoroughly studied. Other criteria identifi ed in the literature review were also analysed and used to the produce a prediction model of the rate of thermal cracking of asphalt pavement. This model has been adjusted to the results obtained from fi eld data.

Conclusion: the major factors that affect thermal cracking are the temperature, mix thickness, and

asphalt thermal susceptibility. Therefore the only way the designer has to delay thermal cracking is to

use thicker asphalt surfacings and asphalts thermally adapted to the geographic situation. Other factors

also affect the cracking severity, namely the aggregate characteristics, mix age, pavement width, asphalt

mix to foundation friction coeffi cient, and nature of infrastructure soil. The temperature at mix mid-

thickness should serve as a guide for the designers when choosing the asphalt.

Q1 Pr Arand (Germany)The validation of your model is currently on the way. This is why I feel encouraged to give you a few

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recommendations: if you simulate the temperatures in view of the climate, you should rather choose a

more reliable model. Ambient temperature, wind speed and relative humidity, in fact, are all factors that

modify the surface temperatures of the mix. In addition, there are rains that are unpredictable. During

the past few years, we have conducted successful pieces of work and I invite you to read the studies we

have published.

A. BoutinThe intended purpose of our research project was economic, which means providing tenderers with a

tool allowing them to assess the level of risk.

Q2. Question from the fl oorWhy did you choose the BBR index instead of the penetration index ?

A. BoutinWe have studied the value of several indicators allowing us to determine the asphalt thermal

susceptibility. We have opted for the BBR index as it squares with the reality of our testing sections. In

North America, PG standards have been adopted, and working with obsolete indices would be regarded

as a backward step. In addition, the new indices are more effi cient.

N. Thom« Asphalt cracking at ultra-slow strain rates »

N. Thom is a Professor with the University of Nottingham and acts as a consultant for a group of

engineers.

The work on which this exposé is based is the result of a number of research programs conducted in

Nottingham and also of in-the-fi eld work: we have examined the soil shifting and tried to know whether

it induces cracking. This is what we call the ultra-slow strain rates which last for days, weeks and even

months. Then, we have linked them to cracking under the most common conditions, namely the traffi c

load and thermal cycles.

We will deal in turn with

- the problems due to asphalt cracking,

- crack initiation and propagation,

- elastic and viscous strains under a small load and according to temperatures.

Abstract of the presented paperThere are several modes of pavement damage, which result in an asphalt surfacing cracking under a slowly applied strain, rather than the dynamic transient load associated with traffi c. These damage modes can dominate pavement performance. Thermal cracking is one such example, whether due to contraction within the asphalt itself or due to shrinkage of an underlying cracked cement bound material. Another example is damage caused during subsidence of a road due to uneven settlement. This paper describes three series of laboratory tests carried out on beam specimens at different temperatures and strain rates. The fi rst used beams in bending; the second and third in direct tension. In each case, the strain was measured in the asphalt and the strain at which a distinct crack appeared was noted. The data has been interpreted with reference to conventional fatigue cracking test data, relating the strain in the material to the number of load applications to failure. The general conclusion is reached that the mechanism of cracking under very slow strain rates is not fundamentally different from that applying

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rapid, transient loading, although the strains in the one case are predominantly viscous and in the other predominantly elastic.

Conclusion: It could be possible to describe a series of fatigue characteristics according to the load rate.

The temperature effect, in fact, seems to give a series of characteristics with different exponents. But

fundamental research work still is necessary to measure the viscous and semi-elastic effects upon the

development and the propagation of cracks even though a permanent strain exists at crack level.

Q1. DianiDid you use modifi ed asphalt when conducting the test ? If so, you are in presence of a truly elastic

response.

What do you think about the possibility of using time / temperature equivalent methods to work out the

data and make extrapolations from the master curves ?

A. ThomNo, we did not use modifi ed binders during these tests.

I am not so sure that they both are fully equivalent: regarding the effects as being equivalent is of interest

but the temperature has certain effects, which is not the case for the time. A more extensive exploration

work should be conducted in this domain.

B. Smith« Crack pinning in asphalt mastic and concrete: the effect of rest periods and polymer modifi ers on the fatigue life »

B. Smith works as a chemical engineer and is currently preparing a master degree. Its work is focused

on the sciences of materials.

B. Smith presents a mechanism for the reduction or closing of cracks in cast asphalt concretes, and he

describes the healing properties of such concretes. This system initially developed for use with ceramics

has been studied to complete our understanding of the improvement of the resistance to fracture of the

binders owing to the addition of fi llers. The purpose was to formulate more effi cient mixes.

Abstract of the presented paperThis paper examines the effects of fi nely dispersed fi llers on healing in asphalt binders and asphalt concrete mixes at relatively low temperatures. Two binder systems containing ground limestone fi llers of signifi cantly different gradations were used to study the effect of fi ller particle size on healing in the asphalt mastic. Healing was evaluated by measuring the recovery of stiffness in each specimen over a two hour rest period at 10 ºC following fatigue damage in a dynamic rheometer. The results indicate that the mastic specimens containing the coarse fi ller healed at a substantially fasterrate; averaging a recovery in stiffness of 81 % during the rest period. The average recovery in stiffness of the mastic specimens containing the fi ne fi ller was only 54 %. This difference can be explained by the manner in which the cracks heal in the different binder systems and provides evidence to support the theory of crack pinning in asphalt mastics. Experiments performed on asphalt concrete systems prepared with the two different ground limestone fi llers show that the particle size does not signifi cantly affect the healing behaviour of the mixes when tested in a constant stress mode. In a further study, constant-strain fatigue experiments were performed on a series of polymer-modifi ed asphalt mastics in order to compare the performance of interfacially-grafted systems with regular polymer-modifi ed

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bituminous mastics at 10 º C. Upon addition of small quantities of a reactive polymer modifi er the fatigue life of the mastics increased by as much as 40 % over that of regular polymer-modifi ed mastics. This observation confi rms the applicability of Evans theory on crack pinning to asphalt mastics and has wide ranging implications concerning the low-temperature fatigue performance of mastics and mixes.

Conclusion:

In the case of asphalt concretes which contain coarse fi llers, the microcracks are more exposed and

they can close more easily when the fracture surfaces have a higher exposed fi ller content and a smaller

asphalt content. Healing is not as good in asphalt concretes containing fi ne fi llers.

The interface bonding with asphalt concretes using polymer modifi ed binders signifi cantly increases the

life span under fatigue conditions.

Triaxial tests have proven that mixes that contain coarse fi llers have a resistance to deformation up to

60% higher owing to a better resistance to rutting.

Q1. Question from the fl oorFor the crack pinning mechanism to work, should the adhesion force be smaller than the binder

resistance proper ?

A. SmithFor this mechanism to work properly, there should be a very strong bonding between fi ller and asphalt.

Otherwise there would be no possibility of reducing the crack. But I do not know whether the fi ller

adhesive properties must be better than those of asphalt or not.

Q2. Question from the fl oorWhen the crack front is coming closer to the particles, does the crack open or not ?

A. SmithWhen the cracks are coming closer, the fi ller particles must necessarily be intact in the mix. In the case

of a transverse crack, the fi ller particles will be more exposed.

Q3. Question from the fl oorYou have mentioned a 1-to-5 rest-to-fi ller ratio in terms of time. Do you apply a fi ller for 1 second and

a rest of 5 seconds or is it more constant during the test ?

A. SmithFor instance, we have a pause at 40 Hz followed by fi ve equivalent rest periods and then another fi ller

and fi ve rest periods and so on.

Q4. Question from the fl oorCould you give us a few indications as to the technique that allowed you to transplant polymers into the

fi ller ?

A. SmithWe have used an amino-silane which, by reacting with the polymer, forms a chemical bond with it.

Amino-silane reacts with silica at the surface of particles. This is why there is a bonding between the

polymer and the silica.

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X. Lu« Properties of bitumens modifi ed with elastomers and plastomers »« Propriétés des liants modifi és aux élastomères et aux plastomères »

Abstract of the presented paperThe use of modifi ed binders intended to counteract pavement distress has been observed for a long time. In modifi cation of bitumens, different additives, as well as chemical reaction techniques, may be used. This paper presents a comprehensive laboratory study on various aspects (e.g. compatibility, storage stability, rheology, low-temperature properties, artifi cial ageing and physical hardening) of polymer modifi ed bitumens (PMBs). Five bitumens from four sources and six polymers (three elastomers and three plastomers) were used to prepare 36 PMBs. Artifi cial ageing of the binders was performed using Thin Film Oven Test (TFOT), Rolling Thin Film Oven Test (RTFOT and modifi ed RTFOT (MRTFOT). A number of methods were employed to characterise the binders before and after ageing. Those methods included dynamic mechanical analysis, creep test (bending beam rheometer), fl uorescence microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, chromatography, as well as conventional binder test methods. Bending beam rheometer was also used to study low temperature physical hardening of the binders. The results indicated that the compatibility and storage stability of PMBs were greatly dependent on polymer content, but also infl uenced by type of the polymer and nature of the bitumen. At a given polymer content, the modifi ed binders containing elastomers and plastomers differ widely in rheological properties. The differences were more pronounced at higher temperatures. The effect of ageing on chemistry and rheology of PMBs was strongly dependent on types of polymer. For aged modifi ed binders containing elastomers (SBS and SEBS), decreased complex modulus and increased phase angle were observed at high temperatures. For SBS modifi ed bitumens, the rheological changes may be attributed to degradation of the polymer. However, for SEBS modifi ed bitumens, mechanisms of ageing are unclear. In the case of plastomer (EVA and EBA) modifi ed binders, the rheological changes were similar to those observed for the base bitumens. These changes were caused mainly by oxidation of bitumen. The study also showed statistical correlation between TFOT, RTFOT and MRTFOT; however, no defi nite conclusion could be drawn on differences in the severity of these methods. As regards physical hardening, it was found that evaluation parameters, such as hardening index and shift factor, were strongly dependent on isothermal storage time and temperature. Unlike shift factor, hardening index did not always increase with decreasing storage temperature .At a given storage temperature, there was a statistical correlation between the two parameters. It was also shown that the degree and kinetics of physical hardening were bitumen dependent, and in most cases, the effect of polymer modifi cation was insignifi cant.

Q1 DianiYou have presented the vitreous transitions of bitumens modifi ed with SBS and hydrogenated SBS.

Most generally the TG of bitumens modifi ed with hydrogenated SBS is not lower than that of bitumens

modifi ed with SBS. This is due to the TG of the rubber phase in the polymers used. In the SBS, you

have a polybutadiene with a TG of -90°C and in the SBS it is a nearly statistical ethylene copolymer

with a TG of -50°C. Could your explain this result.

A. LuThe infl uence of the modifi cation is due to the TMM method used. We did not observe such a difference

in the TG between the SBS and the modifi ed binder. A negligible difference between the TGs has been

observed between the plastomers and the elastomers in modifi ed binders.

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Dr Loeber« An attempt to the understanding on the mechanism of fi lm formation of a bituminous emulsion on mineral substrate »

Dr Loeber has studied the earth sciences in Heidelberg (Germany) and at Paris VII University in Paris

followed in 1988 by a DESS of applied analytical microscopy at Paris XII University and, in 1992, by

a doctorate in the fi eld of drilling fl uids at the University of Orleans for the Institut Français du Pétrole

(IFP). Since 1994, her research work have been focused on bitumens, namely hot binders, modifi ed

bitumens and asphalt emulsions. Since 1997, she has been teaching at the University of Le Havre

(Normandy) in the fi eld of industrial colloids (asphalt, paint and clay) and is a self-employed research

worker and consultant since 1999.

IntroductionThe work has been conducted in collaboration with TotalFina, Appia, the Universities of Le Havre and

Rouen, and the CNRS. One of the objectives was to fi nd new ways allowing one to understand and

monitor the forming of a fi lm in an asphalt emulsion so as to improve the performances of cold road

techniques.

Abstract of the presented paperSurface tension measurements and microscopic observations were undertaken to understand the fi lm formation mechanism of some micrometer fi ne bitumen droplets in an aqueous phase. After evaporation, the formed bituminous fi lm showed a more hydrophilic behaviour compared to pure bitumen fi lms. By means of atomic force microscopy the fi lm thickness of adsorbed bitumen could be determined and residual surfactant could be localised. Obtained structural information was related to the contact angle measurements: the presence of surfactant in the interstices between bitumen domains could explain the change of the surface properties of the fi lm.

ConclusionWe can now follow up the formation of the asphalt fi lm using an atomic force microscope. We can thus

observe the change of the aspect of the surface of fi lm adsorbed while it is coalescing. The information

obtained using this method allow one to distinguish the fi lms formed from different asphalt or pure

binder emulsions. The possibility of also viewing the surfactant, its location and the confi guration it

adopts will help us better determine how it affects the fi lm homogeneity.

Q1 E. PoirierI would like to say that I admire the accuracy of the work and to make it clear that we will make

progress in the knowledge of the mechanisms as soon as we will be able to associate the microscopic

observations and the phenomenons on a larger scale.

Surfactants and emulsifi ers have structures that are strongly dependent upon the concentration and the

temperature. The objects you have observed form as you are conducting the tests. Could you comment

upon the monitoring of the temperatures throughout your tests and more especially what the observation

temperatures were ?

A. LoeberThe observation temperatures were room temperatures. On the contrary, for preparing our samples, we

have used a protocol with a constant temperature. It has not been possible to study the effect of the

temperature on the formation of the fi lm in detail.

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This might be a good occasion to direct the research toward this effect.

Q2. Question from a delegate of the Rumanian technical research centerWe are pleased to learn the mechanism for the formation of the asphalt emulsion fi lm. Practically

speaking, did you evaluate the impact of fi lm thickness upon the mix behaviour ? There must be

a critical thickness that depends on the temperatures, the quality and percentage of asphalt in the

emulsion, and an optimum thickness.

A. LoeberThe thickness can be measured using this method within the framework of a certain observation

protocol. In our case we did not use a granulate but a mineralogical substrate, mica i.e. a silicate; we

see some cracks on the most strongly adsorbed course, which is a convenient indicator to improve the

emulsion formulation.

Q. M. Potti (Spain)Did you try to follow up the contraction kinematics between the globules.

A. LoeberNo, we did not, and I have no information available in this domain.

Question from a German delegateI have developed a fi ve-scale model in relation to the separation of the asphalt phase from water in

asphalt emulsions, and I would very much appreciate to add my model to your own work: until now, I

have been unable to apply it to emulsion behaviour.

Bernard Eckmann« Prediction of emulsion properties from binder / emulsifi er characteristics »

B. Eckmann started working as a research engineer with Esso research center in Mont Saint Aignan,

France. In 1991, he joined Nyna Petroleum in Belgium. In August 2000; he joined Entreprise Jean

Lefebvre Technical Department in France.

IntroductionThe work I am presenting has been conducted between June 1996 and December 1999 by Nyna

laboratories as part of a European research program, OPTEL. The OPTEL project which is comprised of

11 tasks deals with the slow setting cationic asphalt emulsions for road construction and maintenance.

It has been fi nanced by th UE within the framework of a Brite Euram contract that was part of the

IVth research and development program (PCRD). The project aimed to develop a cold aggregate

technology, and the OPTEL Consortium has accordingly grouped together seven partners coming

from the industrial, administrative and research sectors. The presentation covers task 4 of the project,

namely asphalt emulsions and binder emulsifi cation. Didier Lesueur of the LCPC will deal with the

compactibility in the next communication (task 9 of the project).

Abstract of the presented paperThe study reported in this paper has been realised in the frame of the European “BRITE-EURAM ”Research Project OPTEL BE-1516: “Slow-setting cationic bituminous emulsions for construction and maintenance of roads ”. One particular task within this project was aimed at a better understanding

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on how emulsion properties such as particle size distribution, viscosity, breaking behaviour and storage stability are related to binder and emulsifi er properties. A major effort has been devoted to the measurement of interfacial tension via drop shape analysis and to the titration of residual emulsifi er. The strengths and weaknesses of these tests have been identifi ed and resulted in practical guidelines for their use. A number of laboratory emulsifi cation trials performed with various binders and emulsifi ers confi rmed the importance of particle size distribution and residual emulsifi er content for key emulsion properties such as the breaking index and storage stability. It could be shown that, under fi xed manufacturing conditions, particle size distribution seems indeed to be essentially governed by interfacial tension and binder viscosity. It seems however that the prediction of the residual amount of emulsifi er (from interfacial data and the total developed surface of the binder droplets) is not possible at this stage. This is likely to be due to the fact that a certain fraction of the emulsifi er may also get trapped inside the binder during the emulsifi cation process. Although the generated knowledge needs to be confi rmed on a wider set of products it can already be converted into more effi cient and meaningful protocols for the assessment of binders, surfactants and emulsions. It does also provide immediately applicable practical guidelines for the control of emulsion properties via particle size distribution and emulsifi er content.

Conclusion:

The experimental data obtained are somewhat dispersed owing to the nature of the products studied

and to the diffi culties encountered in the determination of the interface tension, the residual emulsifi er

content and the particle size range distribution. The results are to be taken very carefully.

Q1 E. PoirierThis scientifi c work is particularly worthy as it confi rms the trends mentioned earlier. The most

important point benefi cial to the community is that of the measurement of asphalt density vs. the

temperature. Could you explain which method was used, and do you believe that it should be further

processed to reach a better knowledge of the variation in the density vs. the temperature ?

A. EckmannWe have used a method which fi rst seemed rather simple but proved to be suffi cient in this context:

our work was based on a pictometric method. We have used a Bingham’s pictometer and followed a

two-step procedure: we have fi rst introduced an asphalt fraction, and added another liquid of which the

density was known at high temperature up to the mark. Should we wish to go beyond 80 or 90°C, we

would have to use other methods based on different principles.

Q2 PoirierDo you think that the emulsifi er manufacturers could use the work you are conducting on the size of

polar heads to formulate better suited chemicals ?

A. EckmannYes, I do. I think that what we have initiated in OPTEL follows a way that actually proves that, in spite

of all the operating diffi culties, it is possible to rationalize the analysis of emulsions and that we will

better understand what happens at interfaces and how the emulsifi er is distributed and how it is adsorbed

at the interface.

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Didier Lesueur« Predicting the in-place compaction of cold mixes »« Prédiction de la compacité en place des enrobés à froid »

Didier Lesueur has been awarded a doctorate at Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) in

Lyons, France, and has spent a post-doctorate year in the United States (Texas University College

Station). In 1998, he joined the « Matériaux de Chaussées » Division of the Laboratoire Central des

Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC) in Nantes.

IntroductionThis communication summarizes the results obtained by the LCPC on cold mix compacity. The study

is part of the OPTEL project (tasks 9 and 10).

In task 9, we have focused our research on the methods allowing the optimization of the water content

and of the residual binder content to formulate cold mixes. In task 10, we have used the LCPC’s fatigue

test of fall 1999 to analyze the behavior of such mixes.

Abstract of the presented paperCold mixes are obtained by blending mineral aggregates together with some added water and the bitumen emulsion. The presence of water changes the compacting behaviour and laboratory tools that were developed to simulate the compaction of hot mixes can not be directly used as such for cold mixes. Previous work by F.Moutier showed however that the Giratory Shear Compactor (PCG) equipped with a water-sucking device can reproduce the water-saturation phenomenon observed on sites. In this study, varying formulation parameters were changed in order to see how they affect the cold mix behaviour in the PCG. In addition, it was possible for some mixes to compare their PCG curve with their compacity measured on-site with the gamma-densimeter. As a conclusion, the in-place density of cold mixes is diffi cult to assess from laboratory testing, but reasonable estimates can be obtained from PCG.

ConclusionThe water drainage compacity seems to be a suitable indicator of in-lab compacity. However, the fi eld

densities do not square with the water drainage compacity. Preliminary studies conducted by the LCPC

show that the greater the rotation speed the smaller the drainage. In other respects, as the compacities

vary with the materials, the comparisons are all the more hard to make, and the content of the water used

to calculate the density has been fi nally measured for cold instead of hot mixes. The densities should

therefore be taken rather carefully.

In conclusion, one must still work to improve the prediction and to fi nd a great rotation speed that might

ideally be 30 rpm.

Q1 E. PoirierYou have told us that the water present in cold asphalts can have three origins: water naturally present

in the aggregate, water added to promote the dispersion of the emulsion, and water coming from the

emulsion proper.

In the fi rst works, the authors wondered whether these waters were to be handled in a different way or

not, and if their physical behaviour varied. What is your opinion?

A. LesueurWe have not specifi cally considered the impact the various origins of water have on the compacity proper

but F. Moutier had shown the difference between emulsion water and additional water. Contrariwise,

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we have displayed the difference in physico-chemical properties between additional water and water

naturally present in the aggregate. More especially, the latter has stayed in the aggregate for a longer

period of time, and ion exchanges might have reached a saturation level whereas additional water has

not had enough time left for reaching the equilibrium when brought into contact with the aggregate. We

consequently have considerable organoleptic differences between these two types of water.

Q2 from a German participantQuestion about the water content and the compacity.

A. LesueurIn France, we do not determine the total water content to obtain a satisfactory compacity but we

optimize the method on basis of aggregate asphalt coating.

Q3 from an Italian participantQuestion about the behavioral differences between cold and hot mixes.

A. LesueurIn view of the results of fatigue tests, we have seen that even though emulsion stabilized aggregates

were used, the propagation of fatigue cracks much varies between cold and hot asphalts. Within the

framework of fatigue tests, we have permanently fi lled emulsion stabilized aggregates and have only

observed small cracks which did not changed so much as to result in material losses. The durability of

cold and hot asphalts is quite different. We do not know the reason of such difference but we know that

the properties of emulsion stabilized aggregate vary as time goes. This is why the durability of this type

of material is relatively hard to determine at sizing stage. We are still working on it.

Q4 from a German participantHow long does it take for a 10-cm asphalt of this type to reach its full capacity?

A. LesueurThe answer depends entirely on the emulsion – aggregate couple. There is no ready-made answer. I

think this is a question of months but the drying process is a multi-stage one.

Graziella Durand“From the laboratory to the work site, an innovative spreading test bench for bitumen emulsion”

Graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, PH.SC. D., graduated from Pierre

et Marie Curie University in Paris, Graziella Durand is in charge of the binder laboratory with Colas

Group’s Research Center.

IntroductionI will now present an equipment allowing the development of a bitumen emulsion to be assisted from

in-lab design phase up to work site with a great reliability and practicality. It consists of a spreading

bench for bitumen emulsions: its description and operation form the subject of this presentation through

two experiments covering the application of a tack coat on the one hand and a surface treatment on the

other.

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Abstract of the presented paperThe development of new products or processes in road building does not end simply with laboratory tests and results. These fail to take many parameters into account, as it has recently been witnessed in the case of surface dressing. To overcome this problem a spreading test bench has been built to help laboratory scientists compare the on-site behaviour of different bitumen emulsions. The machine, moving on rails at a rate of between 1 and 6 km/h, is able to spread bitumen emulsion, additives and aggregate onto different kinds of substrate, with an experimental area covering 10 metres in length and 1.2 metres in width. Different weather conditions can be simulated on the apparatus. This apparatus, entirely monitored by a computer, is used for the optimisation of existing techniques and the development of new techniques involving bitumen emulsions. An example describes how this experimental apparatus could improve tack coat emulsion spraying processes: the breaking rate of the emulsion and the adhesion of the fi lm to the support are related to the type of bitumen, the type of the emulsifi er, and the state of the substrate.

ConclusionWe have validated the interest that had initially boosted the design of the spreading bench. More

particularly, we have seen that this equipment allowed us to test the products under conditions quite

close to those existing on site and to thus choose the best available formulation. Many parameters have

been investigated within a minimum time frame and the exploitation of the results of observations

is very useful to forecast the risks and determine the conditions for fi eld application. Last and most

importantly, the choices made following these tests have been checked and confi rmed in the fi eld.

The operation of such an equipment has therefore enabled us to develop new products and innovative

techniques.

Q. from an English participantHow do you measure the cohesion of the surface course and how do you assess the acceptability of the

wearing course relative to chipping?

A. DurandThis, in fact, is a very practical tool that is supposed to be very close to work site observation. In situ

observations are made by technicians familiar with work sites, and the tests that are fi rst of all visual are

conducted by skillful people. We have also tried to develop a cohesion test described in my presentation,

which in fact is a shear test during which a shear is impressed on the sample after application that allows

the percentage of aggregate adhering to the support to be determined. This gives an idea of how the

cohesion rises and the emulsion breaks out.

Marie-Francoise OssolaChief EditorRevue générale des routes

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RAPPORT DE LA SESSION 2 PRÉPARÉ PAR LA REVUE GÉNÉRALE DES ROUTES

Ouverture par M. Chappat

Présentation Générale de la session par E. Diani

Présentations et discussions

Ouverture M. Chappat

Cette session sera coprésidée par trois membres du comité technique :

• L. Drüschner qui est actuellement membre de la direction de l’entreprise Norddentsche Mischwerke

GmbH à Berlin, où il exerce les fonctions de directeur technique et directeur de l’assurance qualité.

Il est membre du bureau directeur de l’institut allemand des enrobés, membre du comité technique

de l’EAPA et de la German Asphalt Association…

• D. Jamois a rejoint Total en 1989, dans le métier des bitumes. Il exerce les responsabilités de

directeur des applications bitumineuses au niveau de l’Europe.

• E. Diani, qui préside cette session, travaille depuis le début de sa carrière à la société ENI et est

actuellement directeur du Center for technological characterization of materials of the elastomers

division d’Enichem.

Présentation Générale de la session par E. Diani

Plus de 150 communications ont été examinées par le comité technique ; quatre-vingt quinze ont été

assignées à la session 2. Presque tous les pays européens et plusieurs pays de l’Europe de l’Est et

de l’Europe centrale sont représentés dans cette session. Hors Europe, il faut signaler la présence de

l’Afrique du Sud, de l’Algérie, du Canada et des Etats-Unis.

La France a accompli l’effort le plus important en présentant 23 communications. Les sujets examinés

ont été classés, par ordre d’importance :

- formulation et mise en œuvre : 23

- émulsions et enrobés à froid : 17

- bitumes modifi és : 16

- essais de laboratoires et modélisation : 16

- recyclage : 12

- produits nouveaux ou améliorés : 9

- réduction du bruit : 2

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CHLa sélection des dix communications les plus représentatives a été effectuée sur la base d’un examen

rigoureux de la part du comité scientifi que, selon des critères scientifi ques, techniques et innovants. Le

choix a été diffi cile vu le niveau scientifi que et culturel très élevé des communications.

Présentations et discussions

Otto Harders (Allemagne)« Asphalt wearing courses with a high chipping content : experiences and comparative studies

concerning the optimisation of mix formulations. »

O. Harders a acquis, tout au long de sa carrière, une remarquable connaissance de l’utilisation des

polymères dans la construction routière. Depuis 1974 il travaille dans le secteur de la recherche chez Elf

et est engagé dans la normalisation des spécifi cations des bitumes en Allemagne et au niveau européen.

Abstract of the presented paperThe development of freight traffi c in Europe, especially in transit countries, has led to considerable exposure of the thoroughfares. By developments in the fi eld of commercial vehicles wearing courses are increasingly stressed. Asphalt wearing courses with a high skip-graded chipping content have proved appropriate on highly traffi cked asphalt roads showing a permanent resistance against deformation. Typical representatives of this mix type are split mastic asphalt and porous asphalt wearing courses. The solutions developed in Germany and the neighbouring countries France, Switzerland and the Netherlands are compared to those in the United States. Concerning some examples from practice the differences and the similarities are tested and described. An essential item is the long-term performance. The most important parameters as binder content, voids fi lled with binder, thickness of tack coat are considered comparatively. The infl uence of quality and quantity of the binder is of importance especially with porous asphalt because of the impact of water and oxygen. As at the moment there are no reliable (safe) test procedures available referring to these issues special test methods as rutting test and Cantabro test are examined concerning the reliability of their statements. Because of the different effects of different loading types a single test procedure is not suited to fi nd general validity for the behaviour in practice. A comprehensive mix design is a fundamental condition for the durability of highly traffi cked wearing courses.

Q1. E. DianiComment peut-on extrapoler sur la route ces essais de laboratoires ?

R. HardersLes essais sont issus de la pratique. Les stabilités que nous avons montrées dans les bitumes poreux

drainants ont été moins sensibles et avec une exigence plus basse au liant si on les compare à des

mélanges qui ont des teneurs en vides supérieures à 25%.

Q2 Question d’un délégué suisseIl existe plusieurs possibilités de stabiliser le liant avec des fi bres ou des matériaux spéciaux. Quelle est l’infl uence de ces additifs sur le liant ?

R. HardersAvec l’introduction de fi bres et quelle que soit la température d’application la sensibilité est

considérablement améliorée. Mais je ne peux imaginer que l’on puisse obtenir une stabilité spéciale par

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le biais de l’introduction de fi bres de cellulose. La composition et l’homogénéisation du mélange par

rapport à la sensibilité à la température jouent un effet très positif.

D. Jamois (France)« Development of a concept of very high modulus bituminous macadam for pavement base courses »

Introduction : Ce travail est le fruit d’un programme de recherches de cinq années. Il a été initié par la

société pétrolière TotalFinaElf et mené en collaboration avec l’entreprise routière Appia et la Direction

des routes en France, représentée par le LCPC et le Setra.

Seront successivement examinés les faits et objectifs du projet, le concept d’enrobé à module très élevé

(EMTE), l’essai sur le manège de fatigue du LCPC à Nantes, la charte de l’innovation routière et

quelques exemples d’expérimentation sur chantiers.

Abstract of the presented paperIn order to withstand the increasingly aggressive nature of heavy lorry traffi c, TOTALFINA has developed a new type of macadam with a high structural strength and using a very hard bitumen. It is intended for use in pavement base courses. The Technical data which were collected during trials conducted in collaboration with SCR-Beugnet in 1995 (now called APPIA) on the LCPC fatigue test track in Nantes (France) provided us with the mechanical information necessary in order to design the very high modulus macadam. Furthermore, it was found that such a concept allowed a substantial reduction in thickness and is also suited to the construction of rutting control structures. On the basis of these results, it was decided to continue Development and evaluation of the new macadam in the framework of a Road Innovation Charter which was signed with the French Roads Directorate (SETRA) in 1996.During the fi rst year after signing the charter two experimental worksites were set up in maritime climate zones. The review conducted after two years showed good performance (absence of damage) on the RN123 worksite near Chartres (new construction) and that the few distresses caused by the large defl ections on the RN177 site near Deauville (strengthening) had not become more severe. At this stage of the evaluation it should be remembered that in-situ the very high modulus macadam should have a level of compaction in excess of 96% and that in single layer strengthening the minimum thickness should be 10 cm.

Conclusion : A partir des suivis réalisés depuis trois ans sur ces deux chantiers, les critères suivants ont

pu être établis :

- une épaisseur minimale de 10 cm pour l’enrobé EMTE est nécessaire ;

- les niveaux de compacité en place doivent être supérieurs à 96% ;

- une teneur en bitume spécial de pénétration 0/10 doit être supérieure à 6,2ppc.

Sur la base de ces résultats positifs, la technique des EMTE semble applicable à tous types de chantiers

en zone climatique océanique nécessitant un apport structurel important, soit en construction neuve, soit

en renforcement de chaussées. La dernière étape de cette charte innovation routière sera la validation du

concept EMTE en zone climatique continentale montagneuse à fortes variations thermiques.

Q1 Prof Brown (Université de Nottingham UK)Pouvez-vous parler de la performance du matériau sur le manège LCPC : la chaussée a-t-elle fait

apparaître une rupture ? Cette rupture était-elle due à de l’orniérage ou de la fi ssuration ? Les fi ssures

ont-elles été initiées sur les couches de roulement ou sur les couches inférieures ?

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CHR JamoisC’est un matériau extrêmement résistant à l’orniérage : toutes les mesures qui ont été prises ont montré

des ornières de l’ordre du mm, c’est-à-dire 10 fois plus faibles qu’avec d’autres enrobés. De mémoire,

des fi ssures ont été observées provenant du haut des couches.

Q2 Y. Decoene (Screg Belgium)Quand conseillez-vous d’utiliser le sable enrobé ? et dans quel but ?

R JamoisL’intérêt du sable enrobé est essentiellement de gommer toutes les irrégularités de surface, par exemple

d’une grave non traitée sur les fonds de couche de chaussée. En construction neuve, c’est plus facile

d’appliquer une telle couche, mais il faut savoir aussi qu’elle a un certain coût puisqu’il y a un

passage supplémentaire à effectuer. L’intérêt est d’éviter la remontée des fi ssures provenant des couches

inférieures et liées aux irrégularités des graves de ces couches. Nous préconisons plutôt le sable enrobé

en construction neuve pour atteindre un uni parfait dans le bas de la couche.

G. Boutin (Canada)« Thermal cracking of asphalt pavement »« La fi ssuration thermique des enrobés bitumineux »

G. Boutin travaille chez Sintra Inc. à Montréal comme ingénieur de recherche et développement.

Ce modèle de prédiction a été développé au Québec dans le cadre de projets à garantie de performances

octroyés aux entreprises par le ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ). L’indicateur du niveau de

service à garantir est le taux de fi ssuration. Pour mieux évaluer les risques associés à leurs propositions,

les entreprises cherchent à mieux appréhender les problèmes de fi ssuration thermique. Les bitumes

modifi és n’ont pas fait l’objet de l’étude.

Abstract of the presented paperThermal cracking of asphalt pavement is a common form of deterioration on Canadian roads. The cracks are weak zones where water seeps into and damages the road structure. The cracks are the starting point for other forms of deterioration as well. To improve the knowledge of this phenomenon, a research project was done based on data from different test sections built in Canada in the last 20 years. Temperature of asphalt pavement is a very infl uential criterion for thermal cracking. Therefore, a study of temperature in asphalt pavement based on air temperature was done and a prediction model was developed. The asphalt used in asphalt pavement is another major concern for thermal cracking. Asphalt binder temperature susceptibility criteria were also thoroughly studied. Other criteria identifi ed in the literature review were also analysed and used to the produce a prediction model of the rate of thermal cracking of asphalt pavement. This model has been adjusted to the results obtained from fi eld data.

En conclusion : les principaux facteurs qui infl uencent la fi ssuration thermique sont la température,

l’épaisseur de l’enrobé et la susceptibilité thermique du bitume. Pour le concepteur, la seule façon de

retarder la fi ssuration thermique est donc d’utiliser des revêtements bitumineux plus épais et d’utiliser

des bitumes adaptés thermiquement à la situation géographique. D’autres facteurs infl uencent également

la sévérité de la fi ssuration, à savoir : les caractéristiques des granulats, l’âge de l’enrobé, la largeur de

la chaussée, le coeffi cient de friction entre l’enrobé bitumineux et la fondation ainsi que la nature du

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sol de l’infrastructure. La température à mi-épaisseur de l’enrobé devrait guider les concepteurs lors du

choix du bitume.

Q1 Pr Arand Germany Votre modèle est en phase de validation et cela m’encourage pour vous donner quelques recommandations

: si vous simulez les températures, compte tenu du climat, vous devrez choisir un modèle plus fi able. En

effet, les températures de surface des enrobés sont modifi ées par la température ambiante, par la vitesse

du vent et l’humidité relative. En outre, il y a des pluies qu’on ne peut pas prédire. Lors des dernières

années nous avons travaillé avec beaucoup de succès et je vous invite à lire les études que nous avons

publiées.

R. BoutinNotre projet de recherche a été mené dans un but économique, c’est-à-dire offrir à une entreprise

répondant à un appel d’offres de disposer d’un outil lui permettant d’évaluer son niveau de risque.

Q2 Question de la sallePourquoi avez-vous choisi l’indice BBR et non pas celui de pénétration lui-même ?

R. BoutinNous avons étudié la valeur de plusieurs indicateurs qui nous permettent de déterminer la susceptibilité

thermique du bitume. Nous avons décidé de prendre l’essai BBR puisqu’il correspond très bien à la

réalité de nos sections d’essais. En Amérique du Nord, les normes PG ont été adoptées et travailler avec

de vieux indices serait considéré comme un retour en arrière. En outre, les nouveaux indices sont plus

performants.

N. Thom« Asphalt cracking at ultra-slow strain rates »

N. Thom est Professeur à l’université de Nottingham et conseiller d’un groupe d’ingénieurs.

Le travail sur lequel cet exposé se base provient d’un certain nombre de programmes de recherche

menés à Nottingham et également de travaux pratiques : on a examiné les différents mouvements du

sol sur les chaussées et cherché à savoir s’ils induisaient de la fi ssuration. C’est ce que nous appelons

les taux de contraintes ultra-faibles qui durent des jours, des semaines, voire des mois. Nous les avons

ensuite reliés à la fi ssuration dans des conditions plus communes, à savoir la charge du trafi c et les

cycles thermiques.

Nous allons aborder successivement :

- les problèmes liés à la fi ssuration des bitumes,

- l’initiation et la propagation des fi ssures,

- les contraintes élastiques et visqueuses sous faible charge, et selon les températures.

Abstract of the presented paperThere are several modes of pavement damage, which result in an asphalt surfacing cracking under a slowly applied strain, rather than the dynamic transient load associated with traffi c. These damage modes can dominate pavement performance. Thermal cracking is one such example, whether due to contraction within the asphalt itself or due to shrinkage of an underlying cracked cement bound material. Another example is damage caused during subsidence of a road due to uneven settlement.

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CHpaper describes three series of laboratory tests carried out on beam specimens at different temperatures and strain rates. The fi rst used beams in bending; the second and third in direct tension. In each case, the strain was measured in the asphalt and the strain at which a distinct crack appeared was noted. The data has been interpreted with reference to conventional fatigue cracking test data, relating the strain in the material to the number of load applications to failure. The general conclusion is reached that the mechanism of cracking under very slow strain rates is not fundamentally different from that applying to rapid, transient loading, although the strains in the one case are predominantly viscous and in the other predominantly elastic.

En conclusion : Il pourrait être possible de décrire une série de caractéristiques de fatigue selon le taux

de charge. Il semble que l’effet de la température donne une série de caractéristiques avec différents

exposants. Mais de la recherche fondamentale demeure nécessaire pour mesurer les effets visqueux et

visco-élastiques sur le développement et la prolifération des fi ssures ceci même s’il existe une contrainte

permanente au niveau d’une fi ssure.

Q1 DianiAvez-vous utilisé dans ce test des bitumes modifi és ? Dans ce cas vous êtes en présence d’une vraie

réponse élastique.

Que pensez-vous de la possibilité d’utiliser des méthodes d’équivalence temps-température pour

élaborer ces données et faire des extrapolations à partir des courbes maîtresses ?

R. ThomNon nous n’avons pas essayé les liants modifi és dans ces tests.

Je ne suis pas convaincu que les deux soient totalement équivalents : il est utile de considérer les effets

comme étant équivalents, mais il y a certaines choses que fait la température et que le temps ne fait pas.

Il faudrait se livrer à plus de travail d’exploration à ce sujet.

B. Smith« Crack pinning in asphalt mastic and concrete : the effect of rest periods and polymer modifi ers on the fatigue life. »

B. Smith est ingénieur chimique et prépare actuellement un mastère. Il se concentre sur les sciences des

matériaux.

B. Smith présente un mécanisme de réduction ou de fermeture de fi ssures dans des bétons bitumineux

coulés et décrit les propriétés de « cicatrisation » de ces bétons. Ce dispositif, développé à l’origine

pour les céramiques, a été étudié pour compléter notre compréhension sur l’amélioration, par apport de

fi llers, de la tenue à la fracture des liants. L’objectif étant de formuler des mélanges plus performants.

Abstract of the presented paperThis paper examines the effects of fi nely dispersed fi llers on healing in asphalt binders and asphalt concrete mixes at relatively low temperatures. Two binder systems containing ground limestone fi llers of signifi cantly different gradations were used to study the effect of fi ller particle size on healing in the asphalt mastic. Healing was evaluated by measuring the recovery of stiffness in each specimen over a two hour rest period at 10 ºC following fatigue damage in a dynamic rheometer. The results indicate that the mastic specimens containing the coarse fi ller healed at a substantially fasterrate; averaging a recovery in stiffness of 81 % during the rest period. The average recovery in stiffness

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of the mastic specimens containing the fi ne fi ller was only 54 %. This difference can be explained by the manner in which the cracks heal in the different binder systems and provides evidence to support the theory of crack pinning in asphalt mastics. Experiments performed on asphalt concrete systems prepared with the two different ground limestone fi llers show that the particle size does not signifi cantly affect the healing behaviour of the mixes when tested in a constant stress mode. In a further study, constant-strain fatigue experiments were performed on a series of polymer-modifi ed asphalt mastics in order to compare the performance of interfacially-grafted systems with regular polymer-modifi ed bituminous mastics at 10º C. Upon addition of small quantities of a reactive polymer modifi er the fatigue life of the mastics increased by as much as 40 % over that of regular polymer-modifi ed mastics. This observation confi rms the applicability of Evans ’theory on crack pinning to asphalt mastics and has wide ranging implications concerning the low-temperature fatigue performance of mastics and mixes.

ConclusionDans les BB qui contiennent des fi llers grossiers, les microfi ssures sont plus exposées et leur fermeture

est plus facile lorsque les surfaces de fracture contiennent moins de fi llers exposés et plus de bitumes.

La cicatrisation est moindre dans les BB qui contiennent des fi llers fi ns.

La liaison interfaciale avec les BB utilisant des liants modifi és aux polymères augmente de façon très

importante la durée de vie en fatigue.

Selon les essais triaxiaux les mélanges contenant les fi llers grossiers font apparaître jusqu ‘à 60% de

plus de résistance à la déformation et de ce fait l’augmentation de la résistance à l’orniérage.

Q1 Question de la salle

Pour que le mécanisme de crack fi nning fonctionne la force d’adhésion doit-elle être inférieure à la

résistance du liant elle-même ?

R. SmithPour que ce mécanisme fonctionne il doit y avoir une très forte liaison entre le fi ller et le bitume, sinon

il n’y aurait pas de possibilité de réduire la fi ssure. Mais j’ignore si les propriétés adhésives du fi ller

doivent être plus ou moins importantes que celles du bitume.

Q2 Question de la salleLorsque le front de fi ssures approche les particules, la fi ssure s’ouvre-t-elle ou non ?

R. SmithLorsque les fi ssures approchent, il est nécessaire que les particules de fi ller soient intactes dans le

mélange. Si la fi ssure est transversale, les particules de fi ller seront plus exposées.

Q3 Question de la salleVous avez évoqué un rapport de repos à charge en matière de temps de 1 à 5 : appliquez-vous une charge

pendant 1 seconde et un repos de 5 secondes ou bien est-ce plus constant dans l’essai ?

R. SmithPar exemple nous avons une pause à 40 Hz suivie de cinq périodes de repos équivalent, puis une autre

recharge et cinq périodes de repos et ainsi de suite.

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CHQ4 Question de la sallePourriez- vous donner quelques indications sur la technique qui vous a permis de greffer les polymères

sur le fi ller ?

R. SmithNous avons utilisé un amino-silane qui, en réagissant avec le polymère, forme une liaison chimique avec

lui. L’amino-silane réagit avec la silice à la surface des particules. De ce fait il y a une liaison entre le

polymère et la silice.

X. Lu « Properties of bitumens modifi ed with elastomers and plastomers. »« Propriétés des liants modifi és aux elastomères et aux plastomères »

Abstract of the presented paperThe use of modifi ed binders intended to counteract pavement distress has been observed for a long time. In modifi cation of bitumens, different additives, as well as chemical reaction techniques, may be used. This paper presents a comprehensive laboratory study on various aspects (e.g. compatibility, storage stability, rheology, low-temperature properties, artifi cial ageing and physical hardening) of polymer modifi ed bitumens (PMBs). Five bitumens from four sources and six polymers (three elastomers and three plastomers) were used to prepare 36 PMBs. Artifi cial ageing of the binders was performed using Thin Film Oven Test (TFOT), Rolling Thin Film Oven Test (RTFOT and modifi ed RTFOT (MRTFOT). A number of methods were employed to characterise the binders before and after ageing. Those methods included dynamic mechanical analysis, creep test (bending beam rheometer), fl uorescence microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, chromatography, as well as conventional binder test methods. Bending beam rheometer was also used to study low temperature physical hardening of the binders. The results indicated that the compatibility and storage stability of PMBs were greatly dependent on polymer content, but also infl uenced by type of the polymer and nature of the bitumen. At a given polymer content, the modifi ed binders containing elastomers and plastomers differ widely in rheological properties. The differences were more pronounced at higher temperatures. The effect of ageing on chemistry and rheology of PMBs was strongly dependent on types of polymer. For aged modifi ed binders containing elastomers (SBS and SEBS), decreased complex modulus and increased phase angle were observed at high temperatures. For SBS modifi ed bitumens, the rheological changes may be attributed to degradation of the polymer. However, for SEBS modifi ed bitumens, mechanisms of ageing are unclear. In the case of plastomer (EVA and EBA) modifi ed binders, the rheological changes were similar to those observed for the base bitumens. These changes were caused mainly by oxidation of bitumen. The study also showed statistical correlation between TFOT, RTFOT and MRTFOT; however, no defi nite conclusion could be drawn on differences in the severity of these methods. As regards physical hardening, it was found that evaluation parameters, such as hardening index and shift factor, were strongly dependent on isothermal storage time and temperature. Unlike shift factor, hardening index did not always increase with decreasing storage temperature .At a given storage temperature, there was a statistical correlation between the two parameters. It was also shown that the degree and kinetics of physical hardening were bitumen dependent, and in most cases, the effect of polymer modifi cation was insignifi cant.

Q1 DianiVous avez présenté les transitions vitreuses des bitumes modifi és aux SBS et aux SBS hydrogénés. Il est

inhabituel que la TG des bitumes modifi és aux SBS hydrogénés soit plus basse que celle des bitumes

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modifi és aux SBS, et cela du fait de la TG de la phase caoutchouc des polymères utilisés. Dans le

SBS, vous avez une polybutadiène avec une TG de –90°C et dans le SBS, c’est un copolymère presque

statistique d’éthylène avec une TG de –50°C. Pouvez-vous expliquer ce résultat ?

R LuL’infl uence de la modifi cation vient de la méthode TMM utilisée. Nous n’avons pas observé cette

différence de TG entre le SBS et le liant modifi é. La différence, très négligeable, des TG a été constatée

entre les plastomères et les élastomères des liants modifi és.

Dr Loeber« An attempt to the understanding on the mechanism of fi lm formation of a bituminous emulsion on mineral substrate »

Dr Loeber a fait des études des sciences de la terre à Heidelberg (Allemagne) puis à l’Université

Paris VII de Paris, suivies en 1988 par un DESS de microscopie analytique appliquée à l’Université

Paris XII et en 1992 par un doctorat à l’Université d’Orléans sur « le domaine des fl uides de forage »

pour l’Institut français du pétrole (IFP). Depuis 1994, ses travaux de recherche se concentrent dans le

domaine des bitumes, à savoir les liants chauds, les bitumes modifi és et les émulsions de bitume. Elle

enseigne à l’Université du Havre (Normandie) depuis 1997, dans le domaine des colloïdes industriels

(bitume, peinture et argile) et est chercheur indépendant et consultant depuis 1999.

IntroductionCe travail a été effectué en collaboration entre TotalFina, Appia, les universités du Havre et de Rouen et

le CNRS. L’un des objectifs était de trouver de nouvelles voies permettant de comprendre et contrôler

la fi lmifi cation d’une émulsion de bitume, dans le but d’améliorer les performances des techniques

routières à froid.

Abstract of the presented paperSurface tension measurements and microscopic observations were undertaken to understand the fi lm formation mechanism of some micrometer fi ne bitumen droplets in an aqueous phase. After evaporation, the formed bituminous fi lm showed a more hydrophilic behaviour compared to pure bitumen fi lms. By means of atomic force microscopy the fi lm thickness of adsorbed bitumen could be determined and residual surfactant could be localised. Obtained structural information was related to the contact angle measurements: the presence of surfactant in the interstices between bitumen domains could explain the change of the surface properties of the fi lm.

ConclusionIl est désormais possible de suivre la formation du fi lm de bitume par microscopie à force atomique.

Ainsi nous pouvons observer le changement de l’aspect de la surface du fi lm adsorbé pendant sa

coalescence. Les informations obtenues par cette méthode permettent de distinguer les fi lms formés

à partir de différentes émulsions de bitume ou de liant pur. La possibilité de visualiser également le

tensioactif, son emplacement, la confi guration qu’il adopte, va nous aider à mieux déterminer son

infl uence sur l’homogénéité du fi lm.

Q1 J.-E. PoirierJe dis mon admiration devant la précision du travail et précise à l’assistance que nous progresserons dans

la connaissance des mécanismes dès lors que nous pourrons associer les observations microscopiques

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CHaux phénomènes à plus grande échelle.

Les tensioactifs, les émulsifi ants ont des structures qui dépendent fortement de la concentration et de la

température. Les objets que vous avez observés se forment au fur et à mesure de vos essais. Pouvez-vous

commenter le contrôle des températures tout au cours de vos essais et en particulier vos températures

d’observation ?

R LoeberLes températures d’observation étaient des températures ambiantes, par contre pour la préparation de

nos échantillons nous avons utilisé un protocole à température constante. L’infl uence de la température

sur la formation du fi lm n’a pas été étudiée en détail.

Cela pourrait être une bonne occasion de guider la recherche vers cet effet-là.

Q2 Question d’un délégué du centre technique de recherches roumainNous sommes ravis d’apprendre le mécanisme de formation de ce fi lm d’émulsion de bitume. Du point

de vue pratique, avez-vous évalué l’incidence de l’épaisseur du fi lm sur le comportement du mélange

? Il doit y avoir une épaisseur critique qui dépend des températures, de la qualité et du pourcentage de

bitume dans l’émulsion, ainsi qu’une épaisseur optimale.

R Loeber

La mesure de l’épaisseur peut être effectuée par cette méthode-là dans le cadre d’un certain protocole

d’observation. Dans notre cas, nous n’avons pas utilisé de granulats mais un substrat minéralogique, le

mica c’est-à-dire un silicate ; sur la couche la plus fortement adsorbée nous constatons des fi ssures, ce

qui constitue un bon indicateur pour améliorer la formulation de l’émulsion.

Q M. Potti EspagneAvez-vous essayé de suivre la cinétique de contraction entre les globules ?

R. LoeberNon, nous ne l’avons pas étudiée et je n’ai pas de renseignements dans ce domaine.

Question d’un délégué allemand J’ai développé un modèle à cinq échelles relatif à la séparation de la phase des bitumes et de l’eau dans

les émulsions de bitumes et j’aimerais beaucoup pouvoir ajouter votre modèle à mon travail : jusqu’à

présent, je n’ai pas pu l’appliquer au comportement des émulsions.

Bernard Eckmann« Prediction of emulsion properties from binder/emulsifi er characteristics »

B . Eckmann a démarré sa carrière comme ingénieur de recherche au centre de recherches Esso de

Mont-Saint-Aignan en France. En 1991, il intégre Nynas Petroleum en Belgique. Depuis août 2000, il

a rejoint le département technique de l’Entreprise Jean Lefebvre en France.

IntroductionLe travail que je présente a été mené de juin 1996 à décembre 1999 par les laboratoires Nynas dans

le cadre du programme de recherches européen, OPTEL. Le projet OPTEL, divisé en 11 tâches, traite

des émulsions bitumineuses cationiques à prise lente pour la construction et l’entretien des routes ;

il a été fi nancé par la Communauté européenne dans le cadre d’un contrat Brite Euram faisant partie

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du IVe Programme cadre de recherche et développement (PCRD). Le projet visait à développer une

technologie d’enrobés à froid et le consortium Optel a regroupé à cet effet sept partenaires différents

venant de l’industrie, de l’administration et de la recherche. La présentation porte sur la tâche 4 du

projet, à savoir les émulsions bitumineuses et l’émulsifi cation des liants.

Didier Lesueur du LCPC traitera, dans la communication suivante, de la compactibilité (tâche 9 du

projet).

Abstract of the presented paperThe study reported in this paper has been realised in the frame of the European “BRITE-EURAM ”Research Project OPTEL BE-1516: “Slow-setting cationic bituminous emulsions for construction and maintenance of roads ”. One particular task within this project was aimed at a better understanding on how emulsion properties such as particle size distribution, viscosity, breaking behaviour and storage stability are related to binder and emulsifi er properties. A major effort has been devoted to the measurement of interfacial tension via drop shape analysis and to the titration of residual emulsifi er. The strengths and weaknesses of these tests have been identifi ed and resulted in practical guidelines for their use. A number of laboratory emulsifi cation trials performed with various binders and emulsifi ers confi rmed the importance of particle size distribution and residual emulsifi er content for key emulsion properties such as the breaking index and storage stability. It could be shown that, under fi xed manufacturing conditions, particle size distribution seems indeed to be essentially governed by interfacial tension and binder viscosity. It seems however that the prediction of the residual amount of emulsifi er (from interfacial data and the total developed surface of the binder droplets) is not possible at this stage. This is likely to be due to the fact that a certain fraction of the emulsifi er may also get trapped inside the binder during the emulsifi cation process. Although the generated knowledge needs to be confi rmed on a wider set of products it can already be converted into more effi cient and meaningful protocols for the assessment of binders, surfactants and emulsions. It does also provide immediately applicable practical guidelines for the control of emulsion properties via particle size distribution and emulsifi er content.

ConclusionLes données expérimentales que nous avons obtenues souffrent d’une certaine dispersion, due à la

nature des produits étudiés et à la diffi culté rencontrée de déterminer la tension interfaciale, la teneur en

émulsifi ant résiduelle et la granulométrie des particules. Les résultats doivent être pris avec beaucoup

de prudence.

Q1 J.-E. PoirierCe travail scientifi que a le mérite de confi rmer des tendances déjà évoquées. Le point le plus important

et bénéfi que à l ‘ensemble de la communauté est celui de la mesure de la densité du bitume en fonction

de la température. Pourriez-vous nous expliquer quelle méthode a été employée et pensez-vous qu’il

faille encore la travailler pour atteindre une meilleur connaissance de la variation de la masse volumique

en fonction de la température?

R. EckmannNous avons employé une méthode qui, de prime abord, semble assez rustique mais qui s’est révélée

suffi sante dans ce contexte : nous nous sommes basés sur une méthode pictométrique. Nous avons

utilisé un pictomètre de Bingham et opéré par une procédure en deux étapes : on introduisait une

fraction de bitume et on complétait jusqu’à la marque avec un autre liquide de densité connue à

température élevée. Si l’on souhaite dépasser les 80°C ou 90°C, il serait nécessaire d’utiliser d’autres

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CHméthodes basées sur d’autres principes.

Q2 J.-E. PoirierPensez-vous que les producteurs d’émulsifi ants puissent utiliser le travail que vous faites sur la taille des

têtes polaires pour nous formuler des produits chimiques plus adaptés ?

R EckmannOui. Je crois que ce que nous avons abordé dans OPTEL va dans une direction qui montre

qu’effectivement, malgré toutes les diffi cultés opératoires, il y a moyen de rationaliser l’analyse des

émulsions et que lorsque nous comprendrons mieux ce qui se passe aux interfaces et comment se

répartit l’émulsifi ant et comment il est adsorbé à l’interface.

Didier Lesueur« Predicting the in-place compaction of cold mixes »« Prédiction de la compacité en place des enrobés à froid »

Didier Lesueur a obtenu en 1996 un doctorat à l’Institut national des Sciences appliquées (INSA) de

Lyon en France, suivi d’une année post-doctorale aux Etats-Unis (Texas University College Station).

Depuis 1998, il est chercheur au Laboratoire central des Ponts et chaussées de Nantes, dans la division

matériaux de chaussées.

IntroductionCette communication résume les résultats que le LCPC a obtenus sur la compacité des mélanges à froid.

L’étude s’inscrit dans le cadre du projet OPTEL (tâches 9 et 10).

Dans la tâche 9, nous avons centré nos recherches sur les méthodes permettant d’optimiser le contenu de

l’eau et la teneur en liants résiduels pour formuler les mélanges à froid. Dans la tâche 10, nous utilisons

le test de fatigue du LCPC de l’automne 1999 pour analyser le comportement de ces mélanges.

Abstract of the presented paperCold mixes are obtained by blending mineral aggregates together with some added water and the bitumen emulsion. The presence of water changes the compacting behaviour and laboratory tools that were developed to simulate the compaction of hot mixes can not be directly used as such for cold mixes. Previous work by F.Moutier showed however that the Giratory Shear Compactor (PCG) equipped with a water-sucking device can reproduce the water-saturation phenomenon observed on sites. In this study, varying formulation parameters were changed in order to see how they affect the cold mix behaviour in the PCG. In addition, it was possible for some mixes to compare their PCG curve with their compacity measured on-site with the gamma-densimeter. As a conclusion, the in-place density of cold mixes is diffi cult to assess from laboratory testing, but reasonable estimates can be obtained from PCG.

ConclusionLa compacité de drainage de l’eau semble être un bon indicateur de la compacité obtenue en laboratoire.

Néanmoins, les densités sur le terrain ne s’accordent pas bien à la compacité du drainage de l’eau. Les

études préalables LCPC montrent que si l’on augmente la vitesse de rotation, le drainage diminue. Par

ailleurs les compacités étant différentes selon les matériaux, les comparaisons sont d’autant diffi ciles et

fi nalement la teneur en eau utilisée pour calculer la densité a été mesurée pour les mélanges à froid et

non à chaud. Les densités doivent donc être prises avec une certaine prudence.

En conclusion, on doit continuer à travailler pour améliorer la prédiction et trouver une vitesse de

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rotation importante qui pourrait être idéalement de 30 tours par minute.

Q1 J.-E. PoirierVous avez précisé que l’eau contenue dans les enrobés à froid peut provenir de trois origines : eau

naturellement présente dans les granulats, l’eau d’ajout pour aider à la dispersion de l’émulsion et l’eau

de l’émulsion elle-même.

Dans les premiers travaux, les auteurs se sont demandé si ces eaux devaient être considérées de manière

différente ou non et si elles avaient un comportement physique différent. Quelle est votre opinion ?

R. LesueurNous n’avons pas regardé précisément l’infl uence des différentes origines de l’eau sur la compacité elle-

même mais F. Moutier avait montré la différence entre l’eau d’émulsion et l’eau d’ajout. Par contre,

nous avons révélé la différence des propriétés physico-chimiques entre l’eau d’ajout et l’eau naturelle

des granulats. En particulier l’eau naturelle des granulats est restée plus longtemps dans les granulats et

les échanges ioniques ont pu atteindre un niveau de saturation alors que l’eau d’apport n’a pas tout le

temps nécessaire à atteindre cet équilibre lors du contact avec les granulats. Nous avons donc de grosses

différences organoleptiques entre ces deux eaux.

Q2 Un allemand de la salleQuestion sur la teneur en eau et la compacité

R. LesueurEn France, nous ne déterminons pas la teneur totale en eau pour une bonne compacité, mais nous

optimisons la méthode sur la base de l’enrobage du granulat.

Q3 un Italien de la salleQuestion sur les différences de comportement entre les mélanges à froid et à chaud

R. LesueurAu vu des résultats des essais de fatigue, nous avons observé même avec des graves émulsion que

la propagation des fi ssures de fatigue est très différente entre les enrobés à froid et à chaud. Dans

le cadre de ces essais de fatigue nous avons chargé en permanence les graves émulsion et avons

seulement enregistré des microfi ssures qui n’évoluaient pas jusqu’à une perte du matériau. La durabilité

est très différente entre les enrobés à chaud et à froid. Nous en ignorons les raisons mais on sait

que les propriétés de la grave émulsion changent dans le temps, il est donc relativement diffi cile

lors du dimensionnement de déterminer la durabilité de ce type de matériau ; c’est pourquoi nous y

travaillons.

Q4 un allemand dans la salleCombien de temps est nécessaire pour qu’un enrobage de 10 cm de ce type puisse atteindre sa pleine

capacité

R. LesueurLa réponse dépend totalement du couple émulsion – granulat. Il n’y a pas de réponse toute faite ; je

pense qu’il s’agit d’une affaire de mois, mais il y a différentes étapes dans le processus du séchage.

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CHGraziella Durand« From the laboratory to the worksite, an innovative spreading test bench for bitumen emulsion »

Diplômée de l’Ecole nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris, docteur ès-sciences physiques, diplômée

de l’Université Pierre et Marie Curie de Paris, Graziella Durand est actuellement responsable du

laboratoire liants au Centre de recherche du groupe Colas.

IntroductionJe vais vous présenter un équipement qui permet d’assister le développement d’une émulsion de bitume

depuis la phase d’étude de laboratoire jusqu’au chantier, à la fois avec une grande fi abilité et un côté très

pratique. Il s’agit d’un banc de répandage pour émulsions de bitume : sa description et son exploitation,

au travers de deux expérimentations –l’une concernant une application de couche d’accrochage et

l’autre un enduit superfi ciel- font l’objet de cette communication.

Abstract of the presented paperThe development of new products or processes in road building does not end simply with laboratory tests and results. These fail to take many parameters into account, as it has recently been witnessed in the case of surface dressing. To overcome this problem a spreading test bench has been built to help laboratory scientists compare the on-site behaviour of different bitumen emulsions. The machine, moving on rails at a rate of between 1 and 6 km/h, is able to spread bitumen emulsion, additives and aggregate onto different kinds of substrate, with an experimental area covering 10 metres in length and 1.2 metres in width. Different weather conditions can be simulated on the apparatus. This apparatus, entirely monitored by a computer, is used for the optimisation of existing techniques and the development of new techniques involving bitumen emulsions. An example describes how this experimental apparatus could improve tack coat emulsion spraying processes: the breaking rate of the emulsion and the adhesion of the fi lm to the support are related to the type of bitumen, the type of the emulsifi er, and the state of the substrate.

ConclusionNous avons validé l’intérêt qui avait initialement motivé la conception de ce banc ce répandage, en

particulier il s’avère qu’avec cet équipement nous sommes en mesure de tester les produits dans des

conditions très proches de celles du chantier et de choisir ainsi la meilleure formulation. De nombreux

paramètres sont explorés en un minimum de temps et l’exploitation des résultats et des observations est

utile pour prévoir les risques et fi xer les conditions de mise en œuvre sur les chantiers. Enfi n, et le plus

important, les choix faits suite à ces essais ont été ensuite vérifi és et confi rmés sur le terrain.

L’exploitation de cet équipement a donc permis de développer de nouveaux produits et de nouvelles

techniques.

Q1 un Anglais de la salleComment mesurez-vous la cohésion de la couche superfi cielle et comment évaluez-vous l’acceptabilité

de la couche d’usure vis-à-vis du gravillonnage ?

R. DurandEn fait c’est un outil très pratique et qui se veut très proche de l’observation sur chantier. Les

observations in situ sont faites par des techniciens habitués aux chantiers et les tests sont en priorité

visuels et faits par des gens d’expérience. On a essayé aussi de développer un test de cohésion, décrit

dans ma présentation, un test de cisaillement en fait où l’on imprime un cisaillement sur l’échantillon

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après application qui permet de déterminer le pourcentage de granulats restés collés au support. Ceci

donne une idée de la montée en cohésion et de la rupture de l’émulsion.

Marie-Francoise OssolaRédacteur en chefRevue générale des routes

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INTRODUCTION

Health Safety and the Environment

Papers were invited to following Subjects:

- recycling

- risk assessment and safety in the workplace

- classification and labelling

- life cycle assessment

- noise reduction

- contribution to safe driving

- leaching

- road run off

- waste classification

Bodo Wichert

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20 Papers covering different aspects

- Noise 6 Papers

- Tar / PAH / fumes 5 Papers

- Environment protection 3 Papers

- Recycling 3 Papers

- Health and Safety 3 Papers

Author Theme

Glet A fast evidence of PAH in materials from

Bitumen

Mrs. Bowen Aqueous leaching of PACs from Bitumen

Koenders Innovative process in asphalt production

and application to obtain lower operating

temperatures.

Van der Zwan Thermal conversion of tar-containing

asphalt integrated into the asphalt

production process in combination with

energy recovery and the re-use of minerals

Presentation by invited AuthorsPresentation by invited Authors

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Authors Theme

Fore

Arp

Asphalt Paving Fume Research and

Development in USA

Tar / PAH / FumesTar / PAH / Fumes

Author Theme

Sanches Detergents to remove oil from porous

asphalt and the effects on it.

Environment ProtectionEnvironment Protection

Authors Theme

Ergün

S. Iyinam

A.F. Iyinam

Solve the friction problem by controlling

road surface texture.

Riley European Health, Safety and Environment

(HSE) Legislation, a threat to performance

or an opportunity to perform

Health and SafetyHealth and Safety

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Authors Theme

Raaberg

Schmidt

Bendtsen

Long term noise reduction of porous asphalt

pavements.

Renken Optimisation of porous asphalt surface

curse.

Marchand

Spiellemae-

cker

Monitoring and development of an acoustic

surface

NoiseNoise

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REPORT OF SESSION 3 PREPARED BY RASSEGNA DEL BITUME

The technical journal published by SITEB, Italy

Health, Safety and Environment - An Overview

General presentation of the session


ConclusionsThe papers selected for this section were 23, of which four were orally presented. About half of the

papers were concerning noise and asphalt fume testing (or, generally, research and actions to control

and improve worker environment): they were equally divided (6 and 6) between the two subjects. This

probably means that at the moment these are the main issues of concern.

The fi rst set of papers (fumes and related matter) were presented by a large representation of countries,

from USA to Australia, from Europe to Africa. It was confi rmed that fume exposures are normally

well below the current occupational exposure limits. With reference to the previous Eurasphalt &

Eurobitume Congress, in Australia some minor concerns still remain when using some kinds of SBS

modifi ed binders.

USA and especially Australia seem more organized than Europe in facing this kind of problems; also

the approach is different: epidemiological studies in Europe and direct measurements in USA and

Australia. However, many different and limited studies exist in various European countries which were

not presented at the Congress. It appears that the European legislative framework does not help (a paper

was devoted to this subject).

This area is further enlarged if we consider a number of papers (three) dedicated to coal tar. The

historical use of of coal tar in asphalt was common in some countries and affects the recycling process

in a number of nations. Besides methods to detect and evaluate the coal tar content in asphalt, an

interesting process for its integrated thermal conversion was presented.

The major concern about noise stems from the behaviour of the pavements with time; in fact, a number

of works try to establish correlations between noise absorption and time; it seems that in the medium

term (about 5 years) the behaviour of the road surfaces remains satisfactory. Maintenance seems very

important. The optimization of acoustic surfaces was also considered in same papers.

Considering other topics, two papers measure, respectively, the aqueous leaching of polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAH) from bitumen and the effect of the detergent solutions used for cleaning up oil on

porous asphalt. It is very important to know that the PAH concentrations in the leaching liquor is well

below the limits existing in several EEC-Countries (it is more than an order of magnitude lower than

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the current EC limits for potable water).

Energy saving is considered in two other papers: one of them explains how the Dutch asphalt industry

saves energy (11% less, compared to 1989); the other describes an innovative process to obtain lower

operating temperatures in asphalt production and application: dense graded wearing courses can be

produced at 100-120°C and laid at 80-90°C by using a binder composed by a soft bitumen and by an

emulsion (or foam) containing a hard bitumen.

Three papers deals with different types of recycling: hot in situ recycling of the asphalt is considered

by one, while the recycling of contaminated soil with asphalt technology is described by an other.

One paper is dedicated to tyre rubber recycling (crumb rubber-asphalt mixtures, dry process), probably

meaning that Europe is at the moment less interested in this matter compared to USA. However,

another paper in session IV considers similar application and reaches the same conclusions: during

digestion (transport and lay-down time) rubber crumbs partially modify the binder because signifi cant

absorption takes place and the residual rubber undergoes alterations in terms of its stiffness and

viscoelastic balance.

The correlations between friction problems and roads surface texture are studied by one paper from

Turkey.

Oral presentations by invited Authors

B. G. Koenders, C. Bowen, O. Larsen, D. Hardy, K. P. Wilms “Innovative process in asphalt production

and application to obtain lower operating temperatures”. (presented by Mr. Koenders from France)

The paper describes an innovative warm mixture process tested in the laboratory and evaluated in large-

scale fi eld trials with particular reference to the production and laying of dense graded wearing courses.

The key issue was to reduce the asphalt production temperature without compromising performance and

quality.

The bituminous binder is formed using two separate bitumen components: a soft bitumen grade and a

hard bitumen grade. The soft bitumen can be introduced at 100-120°C (“warm temperature”); the hard

bitumen is introduced in the form of either a foam or an emulsion.

In this way asphalt mix can be paved/compacted at about 80-90°C. Standard batch plants can be used

with only small modifi cations. Energy consumption and emissions are sensibly reduced.

DISCUSSION

Some concerns about curing time and cohesion are expressed from the fl oor; in fact, curing time for foamed asphalt is normally quite long. The answer points out that the interaction with warm (and not hot) aggregates allows to reach good properties in a short time.Adhesion improvers are added when the emulsion is used to prepare the asphalt mix; they are not necessary with the foamed asphalt.

Walther Glet “A fast evidence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in materials from road construction

for detection of coal tar” (presented by Walther Glet from Germany)

Bitumen contains on average a total of 20 to 30 mg/kg polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which

causes not more than 5 mg/kg EPA-PAH in asphalt. Therefore, the concentration of EPA-PAH in fumes

from hot asphalt is extremely low and not hazardous for asphalt workers. However, when recycled,

asphalt contains coal tar from former usage and the evaporation of PAH increases dramatically.

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For safety reasons, traces of coal tar have to be detected. Being volatile above the temperature of

100°C, PAH can be sublimed selectively and shown by their fl uorescence in UV-light. At 150°C PAH

concentrations of about 400 mg/kg in binder can be detected within less than 10 minutes. This method

allows to fi nd very small coal tar contamination and, therefore, it is fundamental for a clean asphalt

recycling.

DISCUSSION

Very specifi c questions on alternative methods for PAH determination are asked. Other more sensible procedures, besides gas spectrography, include a colorimetric method (85 mg/kg PAH detectable) and fi xed bed chromatography (30-50 mg/kg).

C. Bowen, P. De Groot, H.C. A. Brandt “Aqueous leaching of PAH from bitumen” (presented by C.

Bowen from Netherlands)

The main applications of bitumen are in asphalt roads, roofs and hydraulic applications, where there

is contact with water and, therefore, the potential for leaching of compounds into the environment.

Because Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present (though at low levels) in bitumen,

leaching tests have been performed to study the leaching behaviour of PAHs. The tests were carried

out on nine petroleum bitumens representative of commercially available products, and on a asphalt

made from one of the bitumens. Sixteen PAH were considered for the tests. The equilibrium PAH

concentrations in the leach water from bitumens were found to stay well below the surface water limits

that exist in several EEC-countries and also to be more than an order of magnitude lower than the

current EEC limits for potable water. Leach water was also analysed for substances other than PAHs,

such as metals; all were below the detection limit.

DISCUSSION

Current standards (EPA) do not consider the fact that not all PAHs are carcinogenic. Moreover, the

choice of a limited number of PAHs is not indicative of all bitumen PAH

s.

H. J. N. A. Bolk, J. Th. Van der Zwan “Thermal conversion of tar-containing asphalt integrated into the

asphalt production process in combination with energy recovery and re-use of minerals” (presented by

Mr. Van der Zwan from Netherlands)

Coal tar is present in about 25% of the Dutch road network. All coal tar containing asphalt has to be

removed, but its reuse will not be allowed anymore.

A new technology (not described by the speaker) has been developed to solve the problem: it consists

in a thermal conversion integrated into the asphalt production process. A demonstration installation has

been realised. However, implementation is a diffi cult process and technology is only one part in the total

problem of tar removal; return of investment is necessary such as clear Government politics and trust.

DISCUSSION

The cost of the new technology depends on various factors, especially on the possibility of using the process for a non limited period; in turn, this depends on the Government policies. The estimates for at least fi ve years of process use are between 25 and 35 euros per ton.

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CONCLUSIONS

The IARC presentation, together with ongoing research in USA, Australia and Europe have enhanced

our knowledge and understanding of the occupational and environmental health issues surrounding

bitumen; it allows us to think in a positive way for the future.

However, control of exposure to emissions has to be an issue for the future, such as good working

practices (e.g., good temperature control is a key factor in reducing emissions from bitumen).

Related to this issue is the subject of coal tar contamination which impacts signifi cantly on the

ability to recycle old asphalt. The presented papers show considerable advances in the identifi cation of

contaminated asphalts and in the removal (process) of tar from asphalt.

A number of papers emphasize the progress in understanding the origin of noise related to asphalt

pavement and in the design of suitable surface layers; the evolution of noise- reducing performance with

time is an other important issue.

Assessing and managing the environmental impact of bitumens and asphalt operations will continue to

be an important focus for activity. Work presented on noise, on bitumen fuming and leaching provides

valuable information on environmental releases and will help the industry and regulators to understand

better the key environmental issues.

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INTRODUCTION

Lothar Drüschner, Slovenko Henigman

Alternative Applicationand Novel Approaches for

Asphalt Mixes

Pavement constructions with asphaltare quiet normal.

But there are also different applicationsfor asphalt !

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Asphalt Mixes

Papers were invited to following subjects:

- Railways - Leisure

- Hydraulic - Landfill

- Airfields - Agriculture

- Industrial Flooring - Urban nonroad


Asphalt Mixes

- 11 papers were submitted for

session 4

- 3 papers have got two smiles „�� “

- 3 papers have got one smile „ ��“

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Asphalt Mixes

Ebru APAK:

Turkish Asphaltites: Source for Pitch

Precursors and Carbon RelatedMaterials


Asphalt Mixes

Vince AURILO:

The Application of ISO Elements for the

Certifikation of Testing Laboratories

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Asphalt Mixes

• ��

Pierre BENSE:

Light and Scintillation on the Road


Asphalt Mixes

• �

Ylva EDWARDS:

Requirements of Polymer ModifiedWearing Courses for Airfields

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Asphalt Mixes

• �

Richard ELLIOT:

Performance Testing of Mastic Asphaltfor Bridge Surfacing


Asphalt Mixes

• �

Peer HÖBEDA:

Testing of Durability of Asphalt Mixesfor Severe Winter Conditions

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Asphalt Mixes

Mahesh MOENIEAL:

The Combination-Layer: Experiences

at the ECT Containerterminal


Asphalt Mixes

Marie-Françoise MORIZUR:

Innovative Technology at the Service

of National Heritage

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Alternative Applicationand Novel approaches for

Asphalt Mixes

Toby SINGLETON:

Effect of Rubber-Bitumen Interaction

on the Mechanical Durability of ImpactAbsorbtion Asphalt

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INTRODUCTION

Lothar Drüschner

The aim of this session was to obtain contributions on applications in the fi elds of railbed ballast,

hydraulic engineering, airports and airfi elds, industrial areas, bridges, sport, recreation, landfi ll,

agricultural roads and public areas. This was intended to demonstrate new aspects, innovations and

novel applications of asphalt. The development of new markets and the expansion of existing ones

will be an important advance into the future. The general public reaction to the concept of asphalt

will probably be to link it with asphalt roads – a common assumption. All other uses are mostly

unknown; indeed these do represent only a fraction of total asphalt production when compared with

road construction. Yet the fi rst known uses of asphalt were in Mesopotamia, the area between the rivers

Euphrates and Tigris, some 10,000 years ago. The asphaltic materials then available were used for the

waterproofi ng of buildings, baskets and mats – an application which we would class under ‘alternative

uses’ today. Asphalt road construction, on the other hand, goes back only about 100 years – rather recent

when compared with the original use of the material for waterproofi ng purposes.

However, the public demand for mobility has quickly placed asphalt road construction into the

foreground. To return to the start of this session, bridges, industrial areas, railbeds and airports are also

transport facilities. They are, though, special facilities presenting a challenge to the fl exibility of asphalt

as a construction material. Asphalts for hydraulic engineering and for landfi ll lining complete the circle

back to the original waterproofi ng use of asphalt.

A total of eleven contributions had been received for Session 4. Each of these dealt with a different

subject, so that this session might also be designated “Asphalt – alternative uses, new methods and

miscellaneous applications”. For this reason it is not possible here to provide a summary showing

overall new knowledge and new trends. The fact that there are only eleven contributions to this session

makes one pause to think. Innovative thoughts or ideas for the use of asphalt are obviously neither

needed nor asked for at present. Even so, a vista has been opened into the future for alternative uses,

new technologies and new methods. This should become evident at the next Eurobitume/Eurasphalt

congress.

And now to the contributions. Three of the eleven papers were awarded two ☺ and another one ☺. Since

each contribution dealt with a special subject, it is not possible to group them. Contributions covered

railways, airports, container terminals, bridges, landfi ll, joint fi llers and special test methods. On the

other hand, with suffi cient time available, I can briefl y deal with all those papers not actually presented

by the authors, in alphabetical order of the authors’ names.

1 Ebru Apak

Apak describes the production of asphaltite fi bres. The asphaltite is pyrolised at 550ºC in a nitrogen

atmosphere. The residue is then the starting material for vacuum distillation under specifi c conditions.

The distillation end product is then described, giving various parameters. The fi bres, with an average

diameter of 15 µm, are then produced. The possible applications for these fi bres, though, are not given.

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2 Vince Aurilo

Aurilo’s paper provides a conceptional skeleton for the implementation of the standard ISO 9000 in the

laboratory testing relative to road construction work. The key to this investigation is the introduction of

quality management or parts thereof by various Canadian or US clients as the sole quality system in the

carrying out of contracts.

3 Ylva Edwards

The paper by Edwards highlights the specifi c parameters applying to asphalt surface courses on airports

and airfi elds. In the course of normal asphalt work, test sections were laid on various Swedish airfi elds.

The study evaluates a 0/16 dense asphalt concrete with three different polymer-modifi ed binders; each

corresponded to a PG 64-28 according to the Superpave specifi cation; a B85 road bitumen was the

control. Evaluation of the asphaltic concrete was carried out on laboratory specimens and cores from

the test sections. The dynamic creep test, the wheel tracking test and the indirect tensile test were used

to determine the stiffness modulus; tests for water susceptibility were also carried out. The results

obtained may provide a basis for describing suitable requirements.

4 Richard Elliott

Elliott presented performance-related investigations on mastic asphalt on the Jianyin Bridge across the

Yangtze river in China. The mastic asphalt was fi rst tested in the Nottingham Asphalt Tester and then

evaluated in a series of tests on the complete layer structure. These results were then used in a fi nite

element analysis to predict the performance of the mastic asphalt under temperature and alternate load

conditions. The analysis shows that it is more important to deal with the resistance to fatigue cracking,

rather than, for example, deformation resistance.

5 Peet Höbeda

Höbeda describes a new test method for the simulation of wintry conditions in northern climates. The

test method was developed on the basis of the observation that cores, taken during the winter and which

are thus saturated with de-icing salt, swell and disintegrate on being stored in water, due to the so-called

“osmotic softening”. For the tests, carried out equally on laboratory specimens and cores, the specimens

were fi rst stored in a saturated sodium chloride solution and then in distilled water for 48 hours each,

and then subjected to seven freeze-thaw cycles at -20˚C and +20˚C. The evaluation value is the modulus

of elasticity in the indirect tensile test.

6 Mahesh Moenielal

Moenielal presented an interesting solution for the paving of heavily loaded industrial areas, giving the

“Europe Combined Terminal” (ETC), the largest container terminal in Europe, as an example. The

surface course is a so-called “combination layer” consisting of an 8/11 porous asphalt, with its voids

fi lled with a cement mortar. The voids of this combination layer amounted to between 25 and 30%.

Underneath this layer there is a polymer-modifi ed asphalt which, in turn, is laid on a hydraulic bound

base. In order to develop the range of requirements, detailed laboratory investigations were carried out

fi rst and these were then integrated into the construction project.

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7 Marie-Françoise Morizur

Morizur presented a new synthetic joint fi ller. This compound, which is based on the stone sett

sealant adjacent to tram rails in Strasbourg, consists of a mineral fi ller, sand and a synthetic binder.

The compound is transparent, allowing it to be coloured by means of pigments, and exhibits a low

temperature susceptibility. Another advantage of this sealant – which need not be used solely for stone

sett fi lling – is a reported reduction of noise emissions.

8 Toby Singleton

Singleton’s paper describes the results of laboratory tests for the interaction between an SBS-modifi ed

bitumen and recycled rubber relative to the mechanical in-service performance of a special impact-

absorbing asphalt. The author shows, by means of an absorption test, that there exists a reaction

between the rubber and the bitumen at 155 and 180˚C. A wear test determined that the mechanical

durability is decreased through the interaction between bitumen and rubber which alters the rheological

characteristics of bitumen. The binder becomes stiffer and more brittle since the complex modulus and

the elastic recovery increases.

Two papers were presented by the authors themselves during that afternoon. The fi rst was by

9 Alessandro Buonanno – The use of bituminous mix sub-ballast in the Italian State Railways”

The use of asphalt in the construction of permanent way structures is a real innovation for the asphalt

industry, now introduced in Italy, as well as in Germany. It has a number of advantages. Buonanno

reported on these and the various factors and criteria relating to this type of construction.

The second paper in this session dealt with asphalt for domestic waste landfi lls

10 Wolfgang Arand

Asphalt is the ideal sealing material and is thus a natural for the sealing of landfi ll bottom areas. In

the case of single-material landfi lls, the potential for risk can be estimated and delimited fairly well.

In the case of domestic waste landfi lls, however, which take in waste not capable of strict defi nition,

there is a danger, for example, that aggressive substances may impair the sealing properties of asphalt

layers. In his investigation – “Asphalt as a material for the construction of landfi lls for domestic waste”

– Arand has shown that dense asphalt concrete can withstand erosion from solvents and is practically

proof against aggressive liquids. This work formed the basis in Germany for the general approval of

asphalt concrete for the sealing of domestic waste landfi lls.

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AN

INTRODUKTION

Lothar Drüschner

Die Session 4 trägt den Titel

„Alternative Anwendungen und neue Methoden für Asphalt“(„Alternative Applications and Novel Approches for Asphalt Mixes“).

Für diese Sitzung war es das Ziel, Beiträge für die Bereiche Feste Fahrbahn (mix sub-ballast),

Wasserbau, Flughäfen und Flugplätze, Industriefl ächen, Brücken, Sport und Erholung, Deponien,

ländliche Wege und kommunale Nebenfl ächen zu erhalten. Damit sollten neue Aspekte, Innovationen

und weitere Anwendungsbereiche für Asphalt aufgezeigt werden. Die Entwicklung neuer und der

Ausbau der vorhandenen Märkte wird für die Zukunft ein wichtiger Schritt sein. Eine Untersuchung

würde sehr wahrscheinlich ergeben, daß mit dem Begriff Asphalt hauptsächlich der Bau von Asphalt-

straßen verbunden ist. Es ist heute der Begriff für Asphalt gemeinhin. Alle anderen möglichen

Anwendungsbereiche, die in der Tat im Vergleich zu der Asphaltproduktion für den Straßenbau auch

nur einen Bruchteil ausmachen, sind im wesentlichen unbekannt. Dabei sind die ersten Anwendungen

für Asphalt aus Mesopotamien, dem Land zwischen Euphrat und Tigris, seit über 10000 Jahren bekannt.

Es wurden mit den damals vorhandenen asphaltähnlichen Massen, Häuser, Körbe und Matten abge-

dichtet. Wir würden es heute als eine alternative Anwendung einordnen. Der Asphaltstraßenbau ist

dagegen erst etwas über 100 Jahre alt und im Vergleich zum ursprünglichen Verwendungszweck des

Asphaltes als Dichtungsmaterial noch sehr jung.

Der Wunsch der Bevölkerung nach Mobilität hat den Asphaltstraßenbau innerhalb dieser kurzen Zeit

in den Vordergrund gestellt. So sind, um zu dem Ausgangspunkt dieser Sitzung zurückzukommen,

Brücken, Industriefl ächen, ländliche Wege und kommunale Nebenfl ächen und die Feste Fahrbahn

und Flughäfen ebenfalls Anlagen für den Verkehr. Es sind allerdings besondere Verkehrsfl ächen, die

auch die Anpassungsfähigkeit des Baustoffes Asphalt an jede geforderte Randbedingung unter Beweis

stellen. Die Asphalte für den Wasserbau und für Deponien schließen den Kreis zur ursprünglichen

Verwendung als Dichtungswerkstoff.

Für die Sitzung 4 wurden insgesamt 11 Beiträge eingesendet. Jeder dieser Beiträge behandelt im

Grundsatz ein anderes Thema, so daß diese Sitzung auch unter dem Motto „Asphalt: Alternative

Anwendungen, neue Methoden und Verschiedenes“ stehen könnte. Eine Zusammenfassung, die neue

Erkenntnisse, neue Strömungen oder neue Ansätze erkennen läßt, ist aus diesem Grunde an dieser

Stelle nicht möglich. Daß nur 11 Beiträge für diese Sitzung vorliegen, macht an dieser Stelle etwas

nachdenklich. Innovative Gedanken oder Ideen für die Asphaltanwendung sind offensichtlich zur Zeit

noch nicht notwendig oder gefordert. Dennoch sollte jetzt der Blick in die Zukunft für alternative

Anwendungen, für neue Techniken und für neue Methoden geöffnet sein. Der nächste Eurobitume und

Eurasphalt-Kongress wird es zeigen.

Wenden wir uns den Beiträgen zu:

Von den insgesamt 11 Beiträgen sind drei Beiträge mit zwei „smiles“ und drei Beiträge mit einem

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AN„smile“ bewertet worden. Jeder Beitrag behandelt ein spezielles Thema, so daß keine Themengruppen

gebildet werden können. Zu den Themen Eisenbahn, Flughafen, Containerterminal, Brücken, Deponien,

Fugenverguß und zu weiteren speziellen Prüfmethoden liegen Beiträge vor. Da mir aber andererseits

genügend Zeit zur Verfügung steht, kann ich hier auf alle Beiträge, die nicht von den Autoren vorgetragen

werden, kurz eingehen. Ich werde diese Beiträge in alphabetischer Reihenfolge der Autorennamen

vorstellen:

1. Ebru Apak:Apak beschreibt in seinem Beitrag die Herstellung von Fasern aus Asphaltit, der unter

Stickstoffathmosphäre bei 550 °C pyrolysiert wird. Der resultierende Rückstand ist dann das

Ausgangsprodukt für eine Vaccumdestillation bei defi nierten Randbedingungen. Das Endprodukt aus

dieser Destillation wird dann beschrieben durch verschiedene Kennwerte bevor dann Fasern mit einem

durchschnittlichen Durchmesser von 15 mm hergestellt werden. Die Anwendungsbereiche für diese

Fasern werden allerdings nicht mitgeteilt.

2. Vince Aurilo:Aurilo erstellt mit seinem Beitrag ein konzeptionelles Grundgerüst für die Umsetzung des Standards ISO

9000 für die begleitenden Laborprüfungen bei Straßenbaumaßnahmen. Auslöser für diese Untersuchung

ist die Einführung des Qualitätsmanagement oder Teile davon durch verschiedene kanadische und

US-amerikanische Auftraggeber als einziges Qualitätssystem bei der Abwicklung von Aufträgen.

3. Ylva Edwards:Edwards beleuchtet in dem Beitrag die spezifi schen Randbedingungen für Asphalt-Deck-schichten

auf Flughäfen und Flugplätzen. In einem Versuch wurden im Rahmen von normalen Asphaltarbeiten

Testabschnitte auf verschiedenen Flugplätzen in Schweden angelegt. Die Studie beurteilt einen dichten

Asphaltbeton 0/16 mit drei verschiedenen polymermodifi zierten Bindemitteln, jedes entsprach einem

PG 64-28 nach Superpave-Spezifi kation und mit einem Straßenbaubitumen B 85 als Referenz. Die

Beurteilung des Asphaltbetons erfolgte anhand von Proben aus dem Labor und an Bohrkern-Proben aus

den Testabschnitten. Es wurde der dynamischen Kriechtest (dynamic creep test), der Spurbildungstest

(wheel-tracking test), der Spaltzugversuch (indirect tensile test) zur Bestimmung des Steifi gkeitsmoduls

(stiffness modulus) und Prüfungen zur Wasserempfi ndlichkeit ausgeführt. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse

können eine Grundlage für die Beschreibung von Anforderungen bilden.

4. Richard Elliott:Elliot präsentiert anwendungsbezogene (performence related) Untersuchungen an Gußasphalt

(masticasphalt) anhand der Jianyin-Brücke über den Yangtze in China. Der Gußasphalt wurde

zunächst mit dem Nottingham Asphalt Tester optimiert und anschließend in einer Testserie am

kompletten Schichtenaufbau evaluiert. Diese Ergebnisse wurden dann in einer Finite-Elemente-Analyse

zur Verhaltensprognose des Gußasphaltes unter Temperatur- und Lastwechselbedingungen verwendet.

Die Analyse zeigt, daß es sehr viel kritischer ist den Widerstand gegen Ermüdungsrisse zu entwickeln

als beispielweise den Widerstand gegen Verformung.

5. Peet Höbeda:Höbeda beschreibt eine neue Testmethode zur Simulation von winterlichen Bedingungen für nordischen

Klimate. Die Testmethode wurde ausgehend von der Beobachtung, daß Bohrkerne, die in der

Winterzeit entnommen wurden und mit Tausalz gesättigt sind, bei der Wasserlagerung durch sogenannte

„osmotische Erweichung“ quellen und zerfallen, entwickelt. Für die Prüfung, die gleichermaßen

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AN

an Laborprobekörper und an Bohrkernen ausgeführt wurde, werden die Proben zunächst in einer

gesättigten Natriumchlorid-Lösung und dann in destilliertes Wasser jeweils 48 Stunden gelagert und

anschließend sieben Frost-Tau-Wechsel bei –20 °C und + 20 °C unterzogen. Als Bewertungsgröße ist

der Elastizitätsmodul aus dem Spaltzugversuch maßgebend.

6. Mahesh Moenielal:Moenielal stellt eine interessante Lösung für die Befestigung von hochbelasteten Industriefl ächen

am Beispiel des „Europe Combined Terminal“ (ETC), dem größten europäischen Containerterminal,

vor. Bei der Deckschicht handelt es sich um eine sogenannte „comination-layer“ aus einem Gerüst

Offenporiger Asphalt 8/11 (porous asphalt), dessen Hohlräume mit einem Zementmörtel verfüllt

werden. Die Hohlräume der „combination layer“ betrugen zwischen 25 bis 30 %. Unterhalb dieser

Schicht ist ein polymermodifi zierter Asphalt angeordnet, der wiederum auf einer hydraulisch

gebundenen Tragschicht aufgebaut wurde. Zur Entwicklung der Anforderungen wurden zunächst

detaillierte Laboruntersuchungen ausgeführt, die dann in die in das Bauvorhaben eingebracht wurden.

7. Marie-Francoise Morizur:Morizur stellt eine neue synthetische Fugenvergußmasse vor. Diese Vergußmasse, die auf den

Pfl asterverguß im Bereich von Straßenbahnschienen in Straßburg zurückgeht, wird aus einem

Mineralfüller, Sand und einem synthetischen Bindemittel formuliert. Die Vergußmasse ist transparent,

so daß sie mit Pigmenten eingefärbt werden kann und sie weist eine geringe Temperaturempfi ndlichkeit

auf. Als weiterer Vorteil dieser Vergußmasse, die nicht nur als Pfl asterverguß eingesetzt werden kann,

wird die Reduktion der Geräuschemission beschrieben.

8. Toby Singleton:Der Beitrag von Singleton beschreibt Ergebnisse von Laborprüfungen, die die Interaktion zwischen

einem SBS-modifi ziertes Bitumen und recyceltem Gummi auf das mechanische Gebrauchsverhalten

für einen speziellen stoßabsorbierenden Asphalt (Impact Absorbing Asphalt) untersuchen. Singleton

beschreibt grundlegend die Effekte und zeigt anhand eines Absorbtionstestes, daß eine Reaktion

zwischen dem Gummi und dem Bitumen bei 155 und 180 °C stattfi ndet. Durch einen Verschleißtest wird

festgestellt, daß die mechanische Dauerhaftigkeit durch die Interaktion Bitumen und Gummi verringert

wird. Ursächlich ist ebenfalls die Interaktion zwischen Bitumen und Gummi, die die rheologische

Charakteristik des Bitumens verändert. Das Bindemittel wird steifer und spröder, da der komplexe

Modul und die elastische Rückstellung zunimmt.

Zwei Beiträge werden an diesem Nachmittag von den Autoren selbst vorgetragen werden. Als ersten

Beitrag hören wir von

9. Alessandro Buonanno „The use of bituminous mix sub ballast in the Italian State Railways“.Die Verwendung von Asphalt für den Bau von Eisenbahntrassen ist für die Asphaltindustrie eine

wirkliche Neuerung. In Italien, aber auch in Deutschland, ist diese Bauweise eingeführt. Sie trägt eine

Vielzahl von Vorteilen in sich. Darüber und über die einzelnen Fakten und Kriterien dieser Bauweise

wird Mr. Buonanno jetzt berichten.

Der zweite Vortrag in dieser Sitzung beschäftigt sich mit Asphalt für Deponien für Haushaltsabfälle.

10. Wolfgang Arand:Asphalt ist ein ideales Abdichtungsmaterial, so daß es naheliegt, es zur Basisabdichtung für Deponien

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ANanzuwenden. Bei Monodeponien ist das Gefahrenpotential gut abzuschätzen und abzugrenzen. Bei

Deponien für Haushaltsmüll, die praktisch den nicht mehr defi nierbaren Restmüll aufnehmen, besteht

besipielsweise die Gefahr, daß aggressive Medien die Asphaltdichtung in ihrer Dichtungseigenschaft

beeinträchtigen. Arand hat mit seiner Untersuchung „Asphalt as material for the construction of landfi lls

for domestic wastes“ gezeigt, daß dichter Asphaltbeton gegenüber erosiven Angriffen von Lösemitteln

beständig und gegenüber aggressiven Flüssigkeiten praktisch dicht ist. Diese Arbeit war in Deutschland

ein Grundstein für die allgemeine Zulassung von Asphaltbeton für die Abdichtung von Haushalts-

deponien.

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THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL THINKING THROUGH LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

Timo Blomberg

Introduction

Environmental awareness has grown considerably during recent years.

Industry has been confronted with an ever-increasing demand for information about the management of

its environment.

The general public has concerns about a wide number of environmental issues such as the safety of

plant, transport and products, pollution, and global sustainability.

Public authorities increasingly demand information regarding the environmental impact of industrial

activities.

Society has the right to ask for this information and industry must plan for a future where there will be

an ever-increasing spotlight on environmental issues.

If the concerns and demands are not addressed then new plants and expansions will be blocked and new

products will be rejected. There will be growing regulation and environmental taxation. Insurance and

fi nancing costs will rise. And a poor environmental image will make it diffi cult to attract new people

into the industry.

Thus it is in the self-interest of industry to work for the environment. This is our license to operate.

For our industry to be successful in the future it must demonstrate that it understands the environmental

impact that it makes.

Life Cycle Assessment is considered to provide a sound methodology for describing environmental

impact.

The purpose of this paper is to describe this methodology and to report on the actions which EAPA and

Eurobitume have taken to provide a tool to fulfi l the following objectives:

- To allow our industry to provide relevant information about its environmental impact,

to promote best available technologies from an environmental point of view

- To communicate how the industry activity is sustainable in terms of the environment

What is Life Cycle Assessment?

Life cycle assessment [LCA] is a relatively new technique, which aims to account for the environmental

burdens created by a product or a service throughout its whole life cycle – “from cradle to crave”. The

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technique had its origin in the energy studies in the late 1960s and in the early 1970s. Today it is a

developed, standardised tool for environmental assessments.

LCA evaluates from the environmental point of view all the resources and inputs needed for the system

studied and all the outputs from the system, which are emissions to air, water and soil. LCA does not

address the economic or social aspects of a product. Life cycle assessment covers the whole product

system from raw material acquisition, transportation, material and product manufacture, product use and

maintenance and recycling to fi nal disposal.

LCA provides a new point of view towards a product system and it can totally change the market profi le

of the product. A very bad eco-profi le can even destroy a product. In the future environmental costs will

be more and more transferred to the product price. So it will be benefi cial to produce and buy products

with lower environmental costs.

LCA may be utilised for several purposes:

- To identify opportunities to improve the environmental aspects of a product and to fi nd out the weak

points in the product chain, where the changes are needed.

- For selection of relevant indicators of environmental performance.

- For product development for environmentally better products.

- For decision making in governmental organisations.

- For product comparisons and product selections.

- For development of specifi cations, regulations or purchase routines.

- For marketing

The European Union has selected LCA method as one of the “offi cial” methods for environmental

evaluation. Also the European standardisation organisation, CEN, has highlighted the importance of

the environmental aspects. CEN recognises that every product has impact on the environment during

all phases of its life and it has started a system, where each new product standard is attached with a

temporary environmental annex. For this annex life cycle assessment is a central tool.

LCA methodology and ISO 14 040 series

Standardisation of LCA methodology is under preparation. The fi rst two standards in the ISO 14 040

series have already been published and the two others are under debate. The standards are:

ISO 14 040 Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework.

ISO 14 041 Life cycle assessment – Goal and scope defi nition and inventory analysis.

ISO 14 042 Life cycle assessment – Life cycle impact assessment.

ISO 14 043 Life cycle assessment – Life cycle interpretation.

The LCA method can be divided into three basic steps: goal and scope defi nition, inventory analysis and

impact assessment as illustrated in fi gure 1.

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The methodology for the two fi rst steps is relatively well established while the third step of impact

assessment is more diffi cult and controversial.

Goal and scope defi nition and inventory analysis are usually referred to as the Life Cycle Inventory

or LCI. This part of study can be done separately without impact assessment. If the inventory part of

the study is not driven to the fi nal disposal, but to a certain stage of the product life cycle, for example

polymer pellets at the factory gate, the study is called as a partial life cycle inventory or eco-profi le. This

is what many of the producers prepare from their own product, because the product route is know and

managed by the producer to this point. The user of the product may further build on the eco-profi le and

calculate his own eco-profi le depending on his specifi c application.

The fi rst step in the LCA method is the goal and scope defi nition. The goal defi nition states clearly the

intended application of the study, the reasons for carrying out the study and the intended audience.

For the scope the following items should be clearly described:

- The product system to be studied.

- The functional unit.

- The product system boundaries.

- Allocation procedures, assumptions made and limitations.

- Data requirements.

The second step in the LCA method is the inventory analysis, which involves data collection and

calculation procedures to quantify inputs and outputs of the system. These inputs and outputs are the

use of natural resources e.g. raw materials, use of energy and emissions to air, water and soil.

The life cycle inventory must be clearly described and the system must be transparent

Figure 1. Life Cycle Assessment

framework according to ISO 14 040

INT

ER

PR

ET

AT

ION

Goal and scope

definition

Inventory

analysis

Impact assessment

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The third part of the life cycle assessment, impact assessment, is qualitative by nature. It is diffi cult

and the methodology is still under development. At this stage the process followed is to evaluate

the signifi cance of environmental impacts by associating inventory data with specifi c environmental

impacts and attempting to understand those impacts. But there are no generally accepted methods for

associating inventory data with specifi c environmental impacts. So this part of the process is generally

not included in environmental impact assessments.

Life cycle assessment studies are always iterative processes, where interpretation of the results is done

all the time. This may have an effect on the earlier parts of the study, which may be revised based on later

fi ndings. Findings in the interpretation phase may also lead to conclusions and recommendations to take

improvement actions. Directly the LCA process does not give any fi nal answers or improvement plans.

Normally the result of the LCA process is one of many factors affecting a fi nal purchasing decision like

technical performance, economic and social aspects.

Life cycle assessment studies made on asphalt pavement

There have been two LCA studies made on asphalt pavement, namely a Swedish IVL study from 1995

fi nanced by the Swedish Road Authorities and a Finnish VTT study from 1996 fi nanced by cement

industry. The Finnish study was a direct comparison between asphalt and concrete pavements. The

Swedish study included a comparison, but this was not the main point of the study. Both the studies

gave in principle similar results about the comparison although the scope and the assumptions were

different.

Table 1 Comparison of the scopes of the IVL- and VTT-studies on asphalt pavement

IVL-study VTT-study

Functional unit 1 km road 1 km road

Pavement width 13 m 8,5 m

Construction Asphalt 8 cm

Base course 1,5 m

Stabilised soil

Asphalt 24 cm

Base course 1,9-2,5 m

Traffic ADT 5 000

Not included

ADT 20 000

Included

Time period 40 years 50 years

Lighting Included Included

Construction work From virgin land to final

road

Base course and pavement

Operation Sanding & salting

Snow ploughing

Grass cutting

Ditch maintenance

Traffic sign cleaning

etc.

Salting

Maintenance Six operations/40 years Six operations/50 years

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The results from the comparison between asphalt road and concrete road are rather good for asphalt

(see below in fi gure 2). Asphalt construction showed lower fi gures in almost all the major emissions and

energy use. Street lighting has a large effect on the total energy consumption and this may effect on the

conclusions made from the different studies.

When comparing the impact of the pavement or the whole road construction with the impact of the

traffi c moving on the road during the whole time period, we can say that the traffi c makes 95…99 % or

even more of all the emissions and energy use. So if we can diminish traffi c emissions by a few percent

by having a better pavement we have made an environmental improvement.

Inventory Analysis for Bitumen the eco-profi le

Eurobitume started as one of the fi rst producer organisations in the oil sector to do life cycle assessment

studies. Bitumen producers saw clearly the increasing importance of environment for modern society.

Customers needed an environmental evaluation of bitumen for the calculations of their own products.

Also authorities and offi cial organisations started to ask for environmental data about the products.

Therefore Eurobitume started a project with all the bitumen producers to make an eco-profi le for a

typical European paving grade bitumen. The reasons for making an average profi le and not to have tens

of different profi les were several:

- To involve all the producers in the process and to teach the LCA methodology.

- To have the same methods and principles when making eco-profi les.

- To save resources, especially at the data collection stage.

- To prevent unsound competition with eco-profi les made with different principles.

The project took several years and it was a long learning process. One of the major diffi culties was to

get relevant data and when data is available to determine how accurate and representative it was.

Figure 3 illustrates the system boundaries for the project.

F ig u re 2 . R e su lts f ro m th e S w e d ish a n d F in n is h L C I s tu d ie s .

E n e rg y u se a n d e m iss io n s to a i r p e r 1 k m ro a d d u rin g th e c a lc u la tio n p e r io d .

0

5

1 0

1 5

2 0

2 5

3 0

E ne rg y , T J C O 2 , 1 0 0 t S O 2 , 1 0 0 k g

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

E n e rg y , T J C O 2 , 1 0 0 t S O 2 , 1 0 0 k g

IV L V T T

A sp h a lt ro a d C o n c r e te r o a d

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EAPA and Eurobitume joint study on asphalt LCI

EAPA and Eurobitume started a joint LCI study for an asphalt pavement in 1998. The project has been

performed by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute. The target of the study is:

- To develop a computer model for LCI calculations.

- To collect base data from the paving process for the companies for their own calculations.

During the project a computer model based on a Microsoft Excel calculation tool was developed. With

this new tool life cycle inventories of different road constructions and maintenance operations can

be calculated. The fl exibility of the system is very large and it covers typical main operations in the

European practise. The user can use his own specifi c base data when doing inventories.

The tool can be used easily by a LCA expert, because the system contains asphalt data needed. The

tool can also be used easily by an asphalt expert, because the system contains also a huge amount of

environmental data. The user may accept the typical data suggested or he may select a more suitable

data for his case from the data database or he may use his own data if that is available. The computer

tool will be ready and available for the EAPA and Eurobitume members at the end of this year.

Figure 3. Flow chart and system boundary for bitumen eco-profile study

Crude oil extraction

Transport

to Europe

Bitumen production

Electricity production

Bitumen storageComplex refinery

System boundary

Bitumen

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The model illustrated above in fi gure 4 contains three databases and calculation algorithms. Pavement

parameters contain the specifi cation of the studied pavement like pavement area, asphalt quantity,

maintenance operations during the calculation period. Process parameters contain energy uses and

emissions from different engines and recipes of asphalt, with this data process database is calculated. In

the process database there are energy uses and emissions from different operations per produced asphalt

ton or laid asphalt m2. Then LCI results are calculated and some graphics are automatically drawn to

help to demonstrate the result.

The calculation model includes environmental data from materials needed and from the following

asphalt operations:

- Asphalt mixing, hot and cold

- Transportation

- Adhesive layer application

- Asphalt laying

- Asphalt rolling

- Asphalt pavement milling

- Reshaping

- Sealing

- Remixing

- Reclaimed asphalt processing

Figure 4. LCI Model for Asphalt Pavement

Process database- unit loads/m2 orton asphalt fordifferent operations- emissions

Process data parameters- asphalt recipe- machinery data- energy uses-

LCI results

Pavement parameters- pavement dimensions- asphalt quantity- transportation data- maintenance strategy


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The new computer tool will help producers to study closer their own specifi c paving projects and it

makes possible to compare alternatives for a better environment.

Summary

The general public and public authorities increasingly express concerns and demand information

regarding the environmental impact of industrial activities.

Society has the right to ask for this information and industry must plan for a future where there will be

an ever-increasing spotlight on environmental issues.

The European Union has selected the Life Cycle Assessment methodology as one of the “offi cial”

methods for environmental evaluation

EAPA and Eurobitume have developed a new tool which will help industry to study closer specifi c

paving projects and make it possible to compare alternatives for a better environment.

Literature

Håkan Stripple, Livscycelanalys av väg, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Ltd, November

1995.

Tarja Häkkinen, Kari Mäkelä, Environmental adaption of concrete – environmental impact of concrete

and asphalt pavements, VTT Building Technology, 29.3.1996.

Eurobitume, Partial life cycle inventory or “eco-profi le” for paving grade bitumen, Report 99/007, May

1999.

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EURASPHALT & EUROBITUME CongressBarcelona 2000

Life Cycle Assessment:

Accounts the environmental loads created by aproduct or a service throughout its whole lifecycle

“from cradle to grave”

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Simplified eco-balance

Process

or

Product

system

Fuel

Electricity

Water

Raw materials

Airborne emissions

Water emissions

Waste

Products

Inputs Outputs

ISO 14 040LCA - Principles and framework

ISO 14 041LCA - Goal and scope definition

and inventory analysis

ISO 14 042LCA - Life cycle impact assessment

ISO 14 043LCA - Life cycle interpretation

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Life Cycle Assessment framework according to ISO 14 040

INT

ER

PR

ET

AT

ION

Goal and scope

definition

Inventory

analysis

Impact assessment

Comparison of the scopes of IVL- and VTT-studies

IVL-study VTT-study

Functional unit 1 km road 1 km road

Pavement width 13 m 8,5 m

Construction 8 cm asphalt

1,5 m base course

Stabilised soil

24 cm asphalt

~2 m base course

Traffic ADT 5 000

Not included

ADT 20 000

Included

Construction

work

From virgin land

to final road

Base course and

pavement

Maintenance 6 operations/40 y 6 operations/50 y

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Results from the Swedish and Finnish LCI studies.Energy use and emissions to air per 1 km road during the calculation period

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Energy, TJ CO2, 100 t SO2, 100kg

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Energy, TJ CO2, 100 t SO2, 100kg

IVL VTT

Asphalt road Concrete road

Flow chart and system boundary for bitumen eco-profile study

System boundary

Crude oil extraction

Transport

to Europe

Bitumen production

Electricity production

Bitumen storageComplex refinery Bitumen

ENGL

ISH2nd Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress Barcelona 2000

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LCI Model for

Asphalt Pavement

Process database- unit loads/m2 or tonasphalt for differentoperations- emissions

Process data parameters- asphalt recipe- machinery data- energy uses-

LCI results

Pavement parameters- pavement dimensions- asphalt quantity- transportation data- maintenance strategy


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REPORT ON PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

The use of bituminous mix sub-ballast in the Italian state railwayAlessandro Buonanno

Abstract of the presented paperThe asphalt mix sub-ballast in Italian Railways For almost 20 years the Italian Railways have built railway premises, both embankment and cutting, using a 12 cm bitumen mix sub-ballast to distribute load, protect embankment both from water seepage and penetration of ballast items, etc. Moreover, the sub-ballast layer help to:- prevent rain seepage beneath the embankment;- eliminate point load and thus the “breaking” of the embankment due to the penetration of the ballast

lithoid items undergoing live load;- prevent the migration of the material and thus the pollution of the railway ballast;- protect the upper part of the embankment from seasonal weather changes as well as from icing/de-

icing cycles;- distribute in the sub-layers the dead and live loads induced by the train set.Furthermore, the sub-ballast signifi cantly contributes to preserve track geometry in time especially in the most “critical points ” (such as switches, joints, and level crossings and in the section between concrete structures and embankment, etc.) where, as well known, live loads are more signifi cant. However, one should never neglect the fact that the sub-ballast, thanks to its containing action, curbs the tensile and thus the shearing stress of the embankment and therefore contributes to an enhanced durability of the embankment itself. The experience made so far shows that the bitumen mix sub-ballast can represent a structural element to mitigate vibrations transmitted through the body of the embankment and those surrounding it. In fact, measurements made on traditional lines, without sub-ballast, and compared with those carried out on bitumen mix sub-ballast showed the deadening ability of this layer. For all new lines, High-Speed lines included, the Italian Railways intend to use the bitumen mix sub-ballast. Now the Italian Railways carry out researches and test, in laboratory and in situ, for verify new bitumen mix to improve the sub-ballast performance particularly as to its bearing, durability and the mitigation of vibration transmitted through the soil in the surrounding area. In the Congress we will explain the fi rst results obtained to the in situ tests.

DiscussionQuestion on the improvements that can be expected from the research work in progress on the reduction

of vibrations.

Bituminous mix sub-ballast have been used satisfactory for more than twenty years in railway

infrastructures for conditions corresponding to the current Italian railway traffi c. The purpose is to

develop a new mix design in the future, which will improve the reduction of vibrations transmitted

through the ballast. The fi rst experience is positive.

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Question from Prof. S. Brown Nottingham University UK§

Rubber granules tend to absorb certain light fractions of bitumen, which results in a change of the

rheological properties of the binder that may cause undue hardening or brittleness of the mixture. Did

you have any problem of this kind with the asphalt rubber mix used in your project ?

The use of asphalt rubber mix is a new project. The practical effect of the bitumen absorption on rubber

will be a part of the study. The work is still in progress.

Asphalt as material for the construction of landfi lls for domestic wastesProf. Wolfgang Arand

Abstract of the presented paperIn Germany the deposition of domestic wastes is regulated by legal rules. Landfi lls must have lining systems at their base. By means of special tests could be shown that lining systems with asphalt concrete as material are resistant to hydraulic abrasion by solvents as well as to convective and diffusive permeability by aggressive fl uids if they fulfi l certain requirements on their composition and own void contents up to 3,0 v-%. Doubling of the thickness of the asphalt-sealing layer quintuples the induction time until the fi rst egress of solvent and reduces the diffusion rate with a factor of 1/5.

DiscussionQuestion on the reason for using mastic asphalt for this test, as this kind of material is usually not applied

in basic sealing of landfi lls.

The project aimed to show the dependency between induction time and the thickness of the asphalt-

sealing layer. This assessment required the use of different thick asphalt layers: starting with 10 mm

thickness up to 160 mm. A mastic asphalt layer was used for that purpose, because it is not possible to

build 10 mm thin layers using asphalt concrete with a maximum grain size of 11 mm.

Question on the advantages of asphalt mixes compared to the other sealing techniques used for landfi ll.

The different systems for sealing have been well known in hydraulic constructions for decades. Asphalt

mixes allow steep slopes, where they can still be compacted in a reliable way. These steep slopes give

a larger volume available for the content of the dump, which is an advantage. It is also possible to walk

and have work traffi c on the lining; and in case of water leak it can be repaired without damaging the

other parts of the construction.

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ixtu

res

Des

ign

by In

dire

ct T

ensi

le T

est

18M

iro R

ecas

ens,

Rod

rigo

E&

E-0

252

1Q

ualit

y S

peci

ficat

ions

for

Bitu

min

ous

Mix

ture

s us

ing

the

Indi

rect

Ten

sile

Tes

t

19R

icht

er, E

lkE

&E

-029

22

Com

pact

Asp

halt

for r

oads

in a

bet

ter c

ondi

tion.

20V

erha

ssel

t, A

.E

&E

-008

51

Long

-term

Age

ing

- Com

paris

on b

etw

een

PA

V a

nd R

CA

T A

gein

g T

ests

21W

alsh

, I.D

.E

&E

-007

81

The

Rap

id R

ecov

ery

Tes

t for

Pol

ymer

Mod

ified

Bitu

men

Em

ulsi

ons

and

othe

r bi

nder

s.

22D

esm

azes

, Chr

istin

eE

&E

-007

31

A p

roto

col f

or r

elia

ble

mea

sure

men

t of z

ero-

shea

r vi

scos

ity in

ord

er to

eva

luat

e th

e an

ti-ru

tting

per

form

ance

of b

inde

rs.

23K

oend

ers,

Bur

gard

E&

E-0

088

3In

nova

tive

proc

ess

in a

spha

lt pr

oduc

tion

and

appl

icat

ion

to o

btai

n lo

wer

ope

ratin

g te

mpe

ratu

res

24S

teer

nber

g, K

oen

E&

E-0

089

2F

uel R

esis

tanc

e of

Asp

halt

Pav

emen

ts

25M

oriz

ur, M

arie

-Fra

nçoi

seE

&E

-007

42

An

inno

vativ

e te

chni

que

to re

duce

air

pollu

tion

on a

spha

lt ro

ads

26Le

com

te, M

icha

el (

M.J

.F.G

.)E

&E

-009

41

Exa

min

atio

n of

the

capa

bilit

y of

Sup

erpa

ve te

sts

to p

redi

ct th

e lo

w-t

empe

ratu

re p

erfo

rman

ce o

f pol

ymer

-mod

ified

bin

der

27A

chim

asto

s, L

.E

&E

-010

32

Low

-Tem

pera

ture

beh

avio

ur o

f new

gen

erat

ion

of a

nti-r

uttin

g bi

nder

s.

28P

oirie

r, J

ean-

Eric

E&

E-0

165

1T

he P

hysi

cal P

rope

rtie

s of

an

Em

ulsi

on a

nd it

s D

ropl

et S

ize

Dis

trib

utio

n: th

e P

itfal

ls to

avo

id.

29B

olk,

Han

sE

&E

-022

23

The

rmal

con

vers

ion

of ta

r-co

ntai

ning

asp

halt

inte

grat

ed in

to th

e as

phal

t pro

duct

ion

proc

ess

in c

ombi

natio

n w

ith

ener

gy r

ecov

ery

and

the

re-u

se o

f min

eral

s.

30C

ios,

Ste

fan

E&

E-0

179

1T

he in

fluen

ce o

f the

tem

pera

ture

var

iatio

n on

the

conc

rete

pav

emen

t cov

ered

with

ver

y th

in a

spha

lt la

yer (

VT

AL)

.

31W

oods

ide,

Ala

nE

&E

-020

31

Stra

ins

in A

spha

lt S

ampl

es S

ubje

cted

to a

Sta

ndar

d W

heel

-Tra

ckin

g T

est.

32W

oods

ide,

Ala

nE

&E

-020

12

Pol

ymer

mod

ified

cel

lulo

se p

elle

t fib

re in

bitu

min

ous

mix

ture

s.

33W

oods

ide,

Ala

nE

&E

-020

41

Max

imis

ing

the

soun

d ab

sorp

tion

of p

orou

s as

phal

t roa

d su

rface

s.

34W

egan

, Vib

eke

E&

E-0

105

1M

icro

stru

ctur

e of

Pol

ymer

Mod

ified

Bin

ders

in B

itum

inou

s M

ixtu

res

35N

iels

en, C

arst

en B

reda

hlE

&E

-004

51

Est

imat

ion

of P

erm

anen

t Def

orm

atio

n in

Dan

ish

Mot

orw

ay P

avem

ents

36R

aabe

rg, J

ørn

E&

E-0

107

1E

xam

inat

ion

of R

uttin

g an

d W

eath

erin

g C

hara

cter

istic

s of

var

ious

Dan

ish

Roa

d C

lass

es

37R

oos,

Har

ryE

&E

-029

53

Dut

ch a

spha

lt in

dust

ry s

afes

on

ener

gy.

Book3 03-05-2001, 12:28373

38B

assa

ni, M

arco

E&

E-0

238

1D

evel

opm

ents

in th

e R

atio

nal M

ix D

esig

n of

Bitu

min

ous

Mix

ture

s: th

e E

ffect

s of

Agg

rega

tes

as M

odel

ed b

y th

e V

oids

Me

39T

elle

, R.

E&

E-0

048

2C

ompa

ctio

n an

d pr

oper

ties

of c

old

mix

es

40M

yre,

Jos

tein

E&

E-0

049

2M

ix d

esig

n fo

r co

ld m

ixes

41Q

uara

nta,

Gaé

tana

E&

E-0

173

1Li

fe C

ycle

Ass

essm

ent o

f a r

etre

ated

roa

dway

.

42La

uritz

en, B

jorn

B.

E&

E-0

218

2S

impl

e m

odifi

catio

n te

chni

que

impr

oves

com

pact

ion

and

rut r

esis

tanc

e of

hot

mix

asp

halt.

43M

olen

aar,

Jaap

E&

E-0

090

1A

spec

ts o

f con

stitu

tive

mod

ellin

g of

asp

halt

44M

oriz

ur, M

arie

-Fra

nçoi

seE

&E

-007

64

Inno

vativ

e T

echn

olog

y at

the

Ser

vice

of N

atio

nal H

erita

ge

45G

ueric

ke, R

olf

E&

E-0

171

1R

esul

ts o

f AR

BIT

Tes

t Pro

gram

me

1998

/99

invo

lvin

g 36

unm

odifi

ed a

nd m

odifi

ed b

itum

inou

s bi

nder

s on

the

Ger

man

m

46C

oni,

Mau

roE

&E

-004

21

The

Str

uctu

ral P

erfo

rman

ce o

f roa

d pa

vem

ents

mad

e w

ith m

odifi

ed b

itum

inou

s co

nglo

mer

ate

47S

luer

, Ber

wic

hE

&E

-022

32

Cru

shed

sto

ne s

kele

ton

mix

es in

laye

rs. A

wea

pon

in th

e ba

ttle

agai

nst r

uttin

g?

48S

oene

n, H

ilde

E&

E-0

209

1F

atig

ue T

estin

g of

Bitu

min

ous

Bin

ders

49T

euge

ls, W

imE

&E

-003

21

The

Bla

ck d

iagr

am, o

nly

a rh

eolo

gica

l dat

a pr

esen

tatio

n?

50T

euge

ls, W

imE

&E

-003

71

Per

form

ance

of b

itum

inou

s bi

nder

s ap

plie

d in

an

SM

A a

nd b

inde

rlaye

r.

51E

ckm

ann,

B.

E&

E-0

210

1U

ni-a

xial

Dyn

amic

Cre

ep T

estin

g of

an

SM

A

52H

esp,

Sim

onE

&E

-002

61

Low

Tem

pera

ture

Fra

ctur

e T

est f

or P

olym

er-M

odifi

ed B

inde

rs: E

ffect

of P

olym

er S

truc

ture

, C

ompa

tibili

ty a

nd b

itum

en s

ourc

e in

Sty

rene

-But

adie

ne S

yste

ms

53S

mith

, Ben

jam

in J

.E

&E

-003

92

Cra

ck P

inni

ng in

Asp

halt

Mas

tic a

nd C

oncr

ete:

The

Effe

ct o

f Res

t Per

iods

and

Pol

ymer

Mod

ifier

s on

the

Fat

igue

Life

54B

ell,

Der

ekE

&E

-018

31

A N

ovel

Rhe

omet

er F

or B

itum

ens

55D

ongr

e, R

ajE

&E

-012

71

Impl

icat

ions

of t

he n

ew lo

w te

mpe

ratu

re s

peci

ficat

ion

on P

G G

radi

ng a

nd T

estin

g of

Asp

halt

56C

arsw

ell,

Jim

E&

E-0

161

1P

redi

ctio

n of

Rut

ting

Res

ista

nce

in H

ot R

olle

d A

spha

lt us

ing

Rhe

olog

ical

Par

amet

ers

57C

arsw

ell,

Jim

E&

E-0

162

1T

he C

lass

ifica

tion

of B

itum

ens

and

Pol

ymer

Mod

ified

Bitu

men

s W

ithin

the

SH

RP

Per

form

ance

Gra

ding

Sys

tem

58M

uzum

dar,

Ash

okE

&E

-020

01

Asp

halt

Sup

plie

r's P

ersp

ectiv

e of

Sup

erpa

ve A

spha

lt.

59F

ore,

R. G

ary

E&

E-0

284

3A

spha

lt P

avin

g F

ume

Res

earc

h an

d D

evel

opm

ent i

n th

e U

nite

d S

tate

s

60Je

nkin

s, K

imE

&E

-006

32

Foa

med

Bitu

men

Tre

atm

ent o

f War

med

Agg

rega

tes

61S

anch

es, F

rans

E&

E-0

075

3D

eter

gens

to re

mov

e oi

l fro

m P

orou

s A

spha

lt an

d th

e E

ffect

s on

it.

62S

zwab

ik, B

ogum

ilE

&E

-005

91

Effe

ctiv

e m

etho

d of

det

erm

inin

g dy

nam

ic c

hara

cter

istic

s of

roa

d pa

vem

ent f

rictio

n.

63R

odrí

guez

-Val

verd

e, M

.A.

E&

E-0

142

1N

ovel

tech

niqu

e fo

r agg

rega

tres

and

bitu

men

wet

ting

stud

ies

base

d on

AD

SA

64E

rling

sson

, Sig

urdu

rE

&E

-028

81

Stif

fnes

s an

d fa

tigue

of a

spha

lt co

ncre

te e

stim

ated

with

the

indi

rect

tens

ile te

st.

65Li

tzka

, Joh

ann

E&

E-0

082

1E

xper

ienc

es w

ith P

erfo

rman

ce R

elat

ed B

inde

r T

ests

in A

ustr

ia:

66G

awel

, Ire

naE

&E

-013

42

Effe

ct o

f bitu

men

blo

win

g on

its

chem

ical

com

posi

tion

and

collo

idal

type

67Z

ieliñ

ski,

Janu

szE

&E

-000

22

Inve

stig

atio

ns o

n bi

tum

en-p

olym

er c

ompo

sitio

ns a

s in

sula

ting-

seal

mat

eria

ls

68O

thm

an, A

hmed

A.

E&

E-0

281

1T

he E

valu

atio

n of

Pav

emen

t in

Des

ert R

egio

n in

Lib

ya

69Ju

dyck

i, Jo

zef

E&

E-0

118

1F

ield

and

labo

rato

ry te

stin

g of

rutti

ng in

asp

halt

pave

men

ts in

Pol

and.

70P

oirie

r, J

.E

&E

-014

61

Tes

t Met

hod

for

the

Det

erm

inat

ion

of th

e C

ompa

ctab

ility

of D

ense

Col

d M

ixes

71C

happ

at, M

iche

lE

&E

-028

21

App

reci

atio

n by

rheo

logi

cal a

nd te

nsile

test

met

hods

of t

he im

pact

of a

gein

g of

pol

ymer

mod

ified

bin

ders

to

war

ds lo

w te

mpe

ratu

re b

ehav

iour

72B

ocho

ve,v

an, G

erbe

rt G

.E

&E

-022

91

Por

ous

asph

alt (

two-

laye

red)

- o

ptim

isin

g an

d te

stin

g

73D

ijkin

k, H

enk

E&

E-0

143

2S

team

asp

halt,

a n

ew a

spha

lt pr

oduc

tion

syst

em

74R

adu,

And

rei

E&

E-0

178

1P

erfo

rman

ce te

stin

g sp

ecifi

catio

n fo

r bi

tum

inou

s bi

nder

s in

Rom

ania

- fi

ve y

ears

of e

xper

ienc

e.

75M

oeni

elal

, M.

E&

E-2

704

The

com

bina

tion-

laye

r: e

xper

ienc

es a

t the

EC

T C

onta

iner

term

inal

76R

owe,

G.

E&

E-0

112

1T

he E

ffect

of D

esig

n P

aram

eter

s on

the

Com

puta

tion

of T

herm

al S

tres

s an

d C

ritic

al C

rack

ing

Tem

pera

ture

ENGL

ISH2nd Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress Barcelona 2000

Book3 03-05-2001, 12:28374

Book III - 375 eurasp

halt eurobitume

c o n g r e s s

77R

owe,

G.

E&

E-0

081

1Im

prov

ed T

echn

ique

s to

eva

luat

e T

he F

atig

ue R

esis

tanc

e of

Asp

halti

c M

ixtu

res

78H

oppe

n, H

.E

&E

-026

82

Fie

ld E

xper

ienc

es w

ith E

last

omer

ic G

ranu

le to

pro

duce

Pol

ymer

Mod

ified

Asp

halt

dire

ctly

in A

spha

lt pl

ant m

ixer

box

.

79S

u, Z

hao

E&

E-0

211

2S

trate

gic

Mai

nten

ance

by

Sea

ling:

App

licat

ion

of P

enta

ck a

nd it

s E

ffect

on

Asp

halt

Pro

perti

es

80R

ooije

n, v

anE

&E

-028

72

Firs

t ful

l sca

le a

pplic

atio

n of

tarf

ree

jetfu

el r

esis

tant

bitu

men

81A

rand

, W.

E&

E-0

069

1N

ew Id

eas

on th

e R

esis

tanc

e of

Asp

halt

to F

atig

ue

82H

obed

a, P

.E

&E

-028

94

Tes

ting

the

dura

bilit

y of

asp

halt

mix

es fo

r se

vere

win

ter

cond

ition

s.

83A

irey,

G.

E&

E-0

080

1S

ensi

tivity

Ana

lysi

s of

Dyn

amic

She

ar R

heom

eter

. Sam

ple

Pre

para

tion

Met

hods

.

84H

ugne

r, M

E&

E-0

290

1A

ltern

ativ

e M

ater

ials

in B

itum

inou

s P

avem

ents

85W

elln

er, F

.E

&E

-026

31

Ref

lexi

ons

on th

e de

velo

pmen

t of r

uttin

gs in

asp

halt

laye

rs

86R

oman

escu

, C.

E&

E-0

184

1C

ompl

ex m

odul

us a

nd p

hase

ang

le -

mai

n pa

ram

eter

s to

cha

ract

eriz

e an

asp

halt

mix

ture

from

rhe

olog

ical

poi

nt o

f vie

w

87V

an d

er H

eide

E&

E-0

225

1T

he s

elec

tion

of th

e op

timum

mod

ified

bin

der f

or a

hea

vy d

uty

pave

men

t

88Le

feuv

re, Y

ann

E&

E-0

154

1A

spha

lt m

ater

ial f

atig

ue te

st u

nder

cyc

lic lo

adin

g:: A

n In

terp

reta

tion

base

d on

a v

isco

elas

tic

89H

amm

oum

, F.

E&

E-0

149

1D

evel

opm

ent o

f a m

etho

dolo

gy to

follo

w e

volu

tion

of te

xtur

e un

der r

epet

itive

load

ing.

90B

occi

, M.

E&

E-0

116

1A

Fou

rier

Tra

nsfo

rm In

frar

ed S

pect

osco

py S

tudy

of M

odifi

ed B

itum

inou

s B

inde

rs.

91Lo

eber

, L.

E&

E-0

254

2A

n at

tem

pt to

the

unde

rsta

ndin

g on

the

mec

hani

sm o

f film

form

atio

n of

a b

itum

inou

s em

uslio

n on

min

eral

sub

stra

te.


ENGL

ISH

Book3 03-05-2001, 12:28375

Book III - 377 eurasp

halt eurobitume

c o n g r e s s

SPEAKERS CORNER

You will fi nd below the name of the speakers and the paper and/or poster they referred to.

• A. Verhasselt, Poster No. 20, Paper No. 0085, session 1

Title:”Long-term Ageing – Comparison between PAV and RCAT Ageing Tests”

• M. Moenielal, Poster No. 75, Paper No. 0270, session 4

Title: “The combination-layer: experiences at the ECT Container Terminal”

• R. Dongre, Paper No. 0109 (Lapalu paper), session 1

Title: “ Low-Temperature Rheological and Fracture Properties Of Polymer-Modifi ed Bitumens”

• R. Farrelly, Video on Worker Safety

• D. Goos, Poster No. 11, Paper No. 0038, seesion 2

Title: “Immobilisation of tars containing recycled asphalt with foam Bitumen”.

• D. Bell, Poster No. 54, Paper No. 0183, session 1

Title: “A Novel Rheometer for Bitumens”.

• F. Peréz Jiménez, Poster No. 17, Paper No. 0250, session 1

Title: “Binder Specifi cations based on variation of the Cohesión with Temperature, Moisture and

Ageing. UCL Method”.

• F. Peréz Jiménez, Poster No. 16, Paper No. 0253, session 1

Title: “Fatigue Performance Study of Bituminous Mixtures by Tensile BTD Test”.

• L. Ekstrom. Poster No. 2, Paper No. 0269 (A. Riley), session 3

Title: “European Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Legislation – A Threat to Performance or an

Opportunity to Perform”.

• H. Hoppen, Poster No. 78, Paper No. 0268, Session 2

Title: “Field Experiences with Elastomeric Granule to produce Polymer Modifi ed Asphalt directly in

Asphalt plant mixer box”.

• Z. Su, Poster No. 79, Paper 0211, Session 2

Title: “ Strategic Maintenance by Sealing: Application of Pentack

And its Effect on Asphalt Properties”.

• B. Sluer, Poster No. 47, Paper No. 2, Session 2

Title: “Crushed stone skeleton mixes in layers. A weapon in the battle against rutting?”.


ENGL

ISH

Book3 03-05-2001, 12:28377

Technical Conclusions

Book III - 381

ENGL

ISH


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REVIEW OF TECHNICAL SESSION 3 - HEALTH SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

A.J. Riley

Those of you who attended Session 3, will like me have been impressed the range and quality of

research work carried out on the diverse range of HSE issues impacting our industry. Unfortunately only

a limited number of papers could be presented in open session, but I hope that many of you will have

had the opportunity to visit the poster session, which included a number of HSE presentations and will

also take time to consider the abstracts of papers which were not presented, a number of which were

highly praised by the scientifi c committee.

I would like to take this opportunity however to comment on some of the key HSE issues which face

our industry, both as producers and end users of bitumen and asphalt.

As I am sure you will agree, bitumen is a unique product with extremely complex chemical and physical

properties. As a construction material it is structurally strong, inert, and potentially 100% recyclable.

Throughout the product life cycle of bitumen there are many opportunities for interaction with

and impact on, man and the environment. A number of papers dealt with the issue of worker and

environmental exposure to emissions from bitumen and asphalt operations. Indeed we were privileged

to hear from Dr Paola Boffetta about the work being undertaken by IARC to investigate the health of

workers in the European asphalt industry. This, together with ongoing research in the USA, Australia

and Europe is enhancing our knowledge and understanding of the occupational and environmental

health issues surrounding bitumen. Results are encouraging but we must not be complacent. Control of

exposure to emissions from bitumen operations will always be important and we have seen that good

temperature control is a key factor in reducing emissions from bitumen.

A second issue is the subject of coal tar contamination, which was covered by a number of papers

at this meeting. The use of coal tar in the past impacts signifi cantly on the ability to recycle old

asphalt and restricts waste disposal options. We must therefore continue with efforts to remove coal

tar based material from the asphalt industry. Papers presented show the considerable advances made

in the identifi cation of contaminated asphalt and also new methods for it’s removal and destruction to

maximise recycling options.

Assessing and managing the environmental impact of bitumen and asphalt operations will continue to

be an important focus for activity. Work presented during Congress on bitumen fuming and leaching

provides valuable information on environmental releases from bitumen/asphalt operations and will help

the industry and regulators to understand better the key environmental issues.

The majority of the HSE issues relating to bitumen/asphalt have the potential to impact on the industry

globally, even though concerns may fi rst emerge in one country or region. It is clearly important

therefore that the bitumen producers and users work together closely to resolve any HSE concerns..

Regional industry organisations such as Eurobitume, EAPA, Asphalt Inst. and AAPA have developed

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expert groups to provide technical input on key issues. Regular sharing of information or joint funding

of research work, provides a cost, time and resource effective mechanism for dealing with issues of

common interest.

There are many benefi ts arising from the introduction of new HSE legislation, not least improvements

in worker and environmental protection. Legislation raises operating standards to a common level

across an industry group. Hence it is in our interest as an industry, to ensure that regulatory bodies

understand our operations and any HSE impacts these may have. With this objective, I would suggest our

industry representative bodies have an important and ongoing education role, to ensure that developing

legislation is based on legitimate HSE concerns and practical solutions.

Finally, as our industry develops and new issues, products and ways of working emerge, we all have a

responsibility to our companies, the industry, customers and society as a whole to consider carefully the

HSE implications of our actions. Our common objective should be no harm to man or the environment.

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ZUSAMMENFASSUNG ZUR TECHNISCHEN SITZUNG 3 -GESUNDHEIT, SICHERHEIT UND UMWELT

Jürgen Reifi g

Die Referate der eingeladenen Autoren und des eingeladenen Sprechers, die wir heute nachmittag zu

den Themen Gesundheit, Sicherheit und Umwelt gehört haben, zeigen die rasant wachsende Bedeutung

dieses Themenbereiches für die Industrie, besonders jedoch für einen Zweig der Baustoffi ndustrie, der

durch den Abbau der erforderlichen Rohstoffe in den Naturhaushalt eingreift und in den Augen vieler

Kritiker bei Herstellung und Verarbeitung seines Produktes Risiken für Mitarbeiter und Umwelt schafft.

Die mündlichen Referate konnten Ihnen nur einen kleinen Ausschnitt aus der breiten Themenpalette

geben, die die eingereichten Beiträge zu diesem Teil des Kongresses abdecken. Daß zwei der drei

eingeladenen Autoren zu der Problematik von teerhaltigen Ausbaumaterialien gesprochen haben, ist

sicherlich zum einen in der Thematik, im wesentlichen aber in dem innovativen Inhalt ihrer Beiträge

begründet. Dies sollte jedoch nicht dazu führen, daß wir die Teerproblematik als das Hauptthema

im Umweltbereich ansehen. Ich empfehle Ihnen deshalb eindringlich, sich im Tagungsband oder in

der CD-ROM auch über die anderen Beiträge zu informieren, die lediglich aus Zeitgründen hier in

Barcelona nicht mündlich vorgetragen werden konnten. In diesem Zusammenhang möchte ich sehr

gerne darauf hinweisen, daß jeder Beitrag es wert ist, gelesen zu werden. Die Auswahl der hier

mündlich vorzutragenden Referate war sehr schwierig, weil fast jeder eingereichte Beitrag es wert

gewesen wäre, von seinem Autor dem Kongreßauditorium präsentiert zu werden.

Die Beiträge, die aus Zeitgründen nicht vorgetragen werden konnten, behandeln u. a. Themen

wie Umweltschutzgesetzgebung, Möglichkeiten zur Verringerung des durch den Straßenverkehr

ausgelösten Lärms (in allen Umfragen bezeichnet die Bevölkerung den Verkehrslärm als am meisten

beeinträchtigende Art der Umweltverschmutzung), und Temperaturverminderung bei Mischen und

Einbau von Asphalt. Gerade die Verringerung der Misch- und Einbautemperatur zeigt die Interdependenz

verschiedener Bereiche: Die Reduzierung der Temperatur bewirkt nicht nur einen deutlich geringeren

CO2-Ausstoß, sondern senkt auch drastisch die Emission von Dämpfen und Aerosolen aus Bitumen bei

der Heißverarbeitung und spart Energie, was sowohl der Umwelt als auch durch geringere Kosten den

Unternehmen zugute kommt. Dies kann dann vielleicht dazu führen, daß die höheren Gestehungskosten

von verschiedenen technischen Wegen zur Temperaturreduzierung zumindest teilweise kompensiert

werden.

Ein Grundsatz muß bei allen Anstrengungen zur weiteren Verbesserung der Umweltverträglichkeit

unseres Produktes unangetastet bleiben: Das erreichte hohe Qualitätsniveau muß gewahrt und wenn

möglich verbessert werden.

Ich bin fest davon überzeugt, daß der Weg der Temperaturreduzierung der richtige ist, nicht nur die

unstrittig positiven Wirkungen zu erzielen, die die Temperaturverminderung mit sich bringt, sondern

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auch erfolgreich dazu beitragen wird, umweltpolititsche Diskussionen über Bitumen und Asphalt, denen

wir in allen europäischen Ländern und darüber hinaus ausgesetzt sind, erfolgreich zu bestehen.

Die eingegangenen Beiträge aus Australien und die Ansprache von Mike Acott am Mittwoch haben

gezeigt, daß auch in außereuropäischen Ländern wie Australien und den USA dieselben Themen

eine besondere Rolle spielen wie in Europa. Es ist sicherlich wichtig, daß wir wechselweise die

Entwicklungen auch auf anderen Kontinenten beobachten, um auf neue umweltpolitisch bedingte

Angriffe auf unsere Industrie vorbereitet zu sein und im Meinungsaustausch die besten Argumente für

unser Produkt zu fi nden.

Die ersten vorläufi gen Ergebnisse der europaweiten IARC-Studie, die Dr. Boffetta präsentiert hat, führen

bei einer vorsichtigen vorläufi gen Bewertung zu weiteren Fragen, die hier und heute in Barcelona noch

nicht beantwortet werden können. Die zuständigen Gremien von EAPA und Eurobitume werden sich

mit dem endgültigen Schlußbericht der IARC ausführlich befassen müssen. Angesichts der Bedeutung

der Studie für die Zukunft der europäischen Asphalt- und Bitumenindustrie werden letztlich die

Konsequenzen aus dem Schlußbericht von den Executive Committees von EAPA und Eurobitume

gezogen werden müssen. Hierfür wird aber eine intensive und, ich wage auch zu prophezeien, längere

Diskussion und Vorbereitung erforderlich sein.

Wenn ich zum Abschluß einen Wunsch äußern darf, dann diesen: Von diesem 2. gemeinsamen Eurasphalt

& Eurobitume Congress sollten im Bereich Gesundheit, Sicherheit und Umwelt zwei Signale ausgehen,

die alle Industrievertreter in Diskussionen mit Auftraggebern und Umweltbehörden verbreiten sollten:

1. Asphalt- und Bitumenindustrie fühlen sich verantwortlich für ihr Produkt und seine Auswirkungen

auf die Umwelt. Dies gilt sowohl für teerhaltige Ausbaumaterialien als auch für neugemischten

Asphalt.

2. Asphalt- und Bitumenindustrie fühlen sich verantwortlich für die Gesundheit und die Sicherheit

ihrer Mitarbeiter am Arbeitsplatz.

Wir unternehmen alle Anstrengungen, um jedes erkennbare Risiko für die Mitarbeiter auszuschließen

oder, wo dies nicht vollständig möglich ist, zu minimieren. Diese Haltung berechtigt uns aber auch dazu,

falls Asphalt und/oder Bitumen unqualifi ziert und ungerechtfertigt angegriffen wird, dies auch deutlich

zu sagen.

Gestatten Sie mir als Vertreter der Asphaltindustrie noch eine persönliche Bemerkung: Alle Diskussionen

im Bereich Gesundheit, Sicherheit und Umwelt betreffen das Bindemittel Bitumen. Die übrigen

Bestandteile des Asphaltes stehen zumindest in der breiteren Fachöffentlichkeit während des

Verarbeitungsprozesses nicht unter Kritik. Deshalb befürworte ich sehr stark – und ich glaube,

hiermit auch ohne Absprache für die gesamte Asphaltindustrie sprechen zu können – eine verstärkte

Zusammenarbeit von Asphalt- und Bitumenindustrie auf diesem Teilgebiet der Gesundheits- und

Umweltpolitik.

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FREN

CH

CONCLUSIONS TECHNIQUES DU CONGRÈS

M. Chappat

RAPPEL ; BILAN DES PAPIERS

250 de 28 pays – 3 groupes se détachent.

• France : 56 / Grande Bretagne : 23 / Pays-Bas : 20

• Allemagne : 18 / Espagne : 15 / Italie : 13 / Turquie : 13 / Roumanie : 12 / USA : 11

Pologne : 10 / Belgique : 09 / Suède : 09

• Autres avec 1 à 7 papiers

FELICITATIONS

Pour la qualité générale des contributions, pour le respect du règlement et pour l’effort de nouveauté..

DE STRASBOURG A BARCELONE

• Strasbourg : Voyons les conclusions du Congrès. Il était organisé suivant les grandes séries de

thèmes:

Innovation

Les tendances en matière d’innovation dans le domaine du revêtement routier pour améliorer les

performances, la portance, la sécurité, le bruit et le confort de l’usager :

- Progression de l’utilisation de liants modifi és dans l’enrobé et l’émulsion.

- Une meilleure sélection de liants, granulats et “ fi llers ”.

- Un meilleur dimensionnement.

- Progrès dans la formulation d’enrobé drainant : teneur en vide plus importante, bi-couche.

- Réduction de l’épaisseur des couches de surface.

- Développement de revêtements coloriés.

- Nouvelle application d’enrobé pour chemin de fer.

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HSE

- Niveau de fumées : aucune différence entre le bitume modifi é par polymère et le bitume traditionnel.

- Méthodes disponibles pour faire des échantillons et pour caractériser les émissions prélevées sur des

chantiers de revêtement : exposition en dessous des limites de la profession.

- Le recyclage d’anciens revêtements contenant de la houille.

- Matériaux bitumineux : écologique et recyclable.

- Le bitume : une contribution positive à l’environnement : Lutte anti-bruit, étanchéité pour déchets –

attention aux déchets toxiques.

Caractéristiques du bitume et des enrobés

- Progrès dans les connaissances des analyses techniques et la rhéologie pour mieux comprendre le

comportement des liants et l’amélioration apportée par les liants modifi és : à mettre en œuvre avant

d’établir de nouvelles spécifi cations.

- Besoin d’harmoniser les essais de performance en Europe pour permettre une mise en place de

normes pour les enrobés.

EAPA et EUROBITUME

- Une augmentation dans le nombre de projets communs : E & E congrès, étude IARC

• Barcelone : Quelles ont été les évolutions entre les deux congrès ? Voyons les grandes tendances et les

faits essentiels session par session.

Session 1 : essais et spécifi cations pour liants et mélanges

De cette session 1, on peut retenir de nouveaux essais intéressants. Depuis 4 ans, les thèmes d’intérêt

ont évolué :

- Le SHRP suscite moins d’engouement

- L’orniérage, la fatigue sont moins présents.

Par contre, on assiste à une accentuation des préoccupations pour le comportement à basse température

des bitumes, sur leur vieillissement.

On remarquera le défi cit de communications sur l’émulsion et sur les relations entre mesures de

laboratoires et comportement sur site.

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A propos des bitumes polymères, nous avons eu le plaisir d’entendre des réponses à des questions

soulevées à Strasbourg. Les essais SHRP sont insuffi sants pour les caractériser.

La tendance de certains travaux est plutôt de montrer un certain avantage, à toutes températures, des

bitumes à base d’élastomères (L. Champion-Lapalu).

Un essai a retenu notre attention c’est l’essai de gradient de viscosité à cisaillement nul (“ zero shear

viscosimetry ”) pour caractériser l’aptitude anti-orniérage du liant (Ch. Desmazes).

Finalement, les thèmes de travail présentés par A. Stawiarski pour Eurobitume refl ètent bien la tendance

des travaux de caractérisation.

Ils devront toutefois être accompagnés d’appréciation du comportement in situ.

Sont apparus aussi dans cette session des travaux qui se préoccupent de la composition du bitume et de

l’infl uence de ses constituants principaux (asphaltènes, maltènes, résines). Peut être faudra-t-il continuer

avec des analyses liées à la composition moléculaire des bitumes.

Su un plan plus général, nous retiendrons le haut niveau technique et scientifi que des contributions. Les

laboratoires et les équipes qui, dans les organismes publics ou privés, étudient les liants ont paru en

mesure de publier des études plus approfondies pour les mélanges granulaires.

Il y a là un challenge à relever.

Session 2 : développements dans les produits et techniques bitumineux

Il apparaît nettement quelques thèmes principaux :

- la réponse aux questions soulevées à Strasbourg concernant le goudron. Les efforts développés ces

dernières années permettent et permettront de mieux en mieux de recycler des chaussées incluant du

goudron sans risque pour l’environnement.

- il reste que le goudron n’est pas encore interdit partout en Europe. Il est urgent que l’autorité publique

prenne partout ses responsabilités.

- les enrobés à froid et le recyclage donnent lieu à des communications intéressantes. Les techniques

paraissent de mieux en mieux maîtrisées. Elles sont une réponse valable au souci de développement

durable. Mais, il y a encore à faire pour la compréhension et la prédiction des performances.

- l’idée d’enrobés tièdes est une idée originale supplémentaire allant dans ce sens.

- enfi n, la fi ssuration des chaussées à basse température comme celle des liants (session 1) suscite des

études de très haute qualité.

En guise d’humour, je remarque qu’à une époque où un des soucis de l’humanité est la réduction de

l’effet de serre, nos chercheurs se préoccupent de comportement à basse température.

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Cette plaisanterie ne doit pas les dissuader de poursuivre.

Session 3 : HSE

C’est dans cette session que l’on a vu les progrès les plus importants en termes de communication en

nombre et en qualité.

Les contributions présentées apportent des données et des éclairages intéressants.

Toutes les investigations montrent que les craintes sur la toxicité des produits bitumineux ne sont pas

fondées.

Il importe toutefois d’enrichir les bases de données par des mesures et des méthodes approfondies.

Session 4 : Innovation

Je dirais que le Comité Technique a été déçu par le petit nombre de contributions.

Cette situation ne refl ète pas la fertilité des équipes techniques pour innover ni les champs nouveaux

d’application du bitume (étanchéité, etc…)

Cette lacune relève plus d’un défaut de communication que d’un défaut de potentiel innovant.

CONCLUSIONS GENERALES / PERSPECTIVES

• Un des objectifs atteints est le haut niveau des contributions.

• Les techniques et procédés sont de mieux en mieux maîtrisés y compris drainants et bitumes

polymères.

• L’apparition de nouveaux essais de caractérisation ou de modélisation doivent servir les avancées de

la technique et pas seulement la normalisation. Il convient donc que l’élan se poursuive.

• Au travers des contributions est apparu un net besoin d’accentuer les travaux mettant en relations :

- Bitume et mélanges bitumineux

- Propriétés en laboratoire et propriétés in situ.

• Il y a lieu maintenant qu’une coopération plus serrée s’établisse entre applicateurs et producteurs.

Le cadre des travaux présentés par A. Stawiarski peut être une opportunité.

• Le besoin d’une assurance de qualité, de régularité de qualité doit encourager les travaux de

caractérisation des bitumes par leurs composants. Le besoin est grand de connaître mieux leur

histoire à la livraison ou d’être plus en mesure de l’apprécier.

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• Tous ces éléments devraient constituer un catalyseur de la recherche chez les constructeurs et les

applicateurs. Observons aussi que, souvent, le besoin économique conduit aux meilleures recherches

qui débouchent sur un résultat utilisable.

• Enfi n, tout au long des interventions a été mise au grand jour la prégnance permanente de la question

environnementale.

• Nous devons progresser dans notre contribution au développement durable.

• Nous devons travailler pour accumuler les preuves de nos progrès par des mesures, des analyses

incontestables et faire mieux connaître ce que nous faisons.

• Nous devons travailler à la mise au point de nouveaux produits et procédés répondant plus à ces

préoccupations. C’est peut être là, avec les questions de sécurité, un enjeu majeur pour le prochain

congrès.

Ce congrès a apporté la preuve de réels progrès de nos techniques. Les contributions ont été d’un très

haut niveau. Je tiens à remercier tous les auteurs, tous nos collègues du Comité Technique, tous les

examinateurs du Comité Scientifi que dont les effort couronnent de succès ce Congrès de très haute

tenue.

Des enjeux nouveaux apparaissent. Nul doute que nous sommes très bien armés pour les traiter et

relever les défi s.

M. CHAPPAT

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Conclusions by Dieter Schüler and Martin Carlson 22.09.2000

Sehr verehrte Damen und Herren,

liebe Bitumen- und Asphaltfreunde,

die Sonne scheint wieder in Barcelona und wir sehen das nicht nur draußen vor dem Kongreßgebäude,

sondern auch hier im Saal.

Ich wünsche allen, die noch hier im Auditorium sind, daß sie nach Beendigung unseres Kongresses noch

einiges von dieser erlebnisreichen Metropole und ihrer Umgebung sehen können; allen, die nicht hier

sind, wünsche ich, daß sie bei diesem herrlichen Wetter schöne Erlebnisse hatten.

Nun, ich will versuchen, das Wichtigste von unserer Eröffnungsveranstaltung – als es noch kräftig

geregnet hat – zusammenzufassen:

Meine Damen und Herren,

Martin Carlson hat am Mittwoch gesagt: „black is beautiful“, u. a. deshalb beautiful, weil Asphalt

verbindet, Menschen verbindet überall auf dem Globus. Es gibt weltweit und europaweit keinen

Baustoff, der derartig wichtig ist, um Menschen und Güter zusammenzubringen und zu transportieren.

Ein sehr eindrucksvolles Beispiel hierfür ist die Verkehrsentwicklung in Europa nach den gewaltigen

politischen Veränderungen in den 90er Jahren.

Bei der jetzt vorhandenen und für die Zukunft prognostizierten Entwicklung der Straßentransporte

gewinnt ein gutes Infrastrukturmanagement zunehmend an Bedeutung; die Beseitigung von Engpässen

wird hohe Priorität haben.

Die Erweiterung der europäischen Gemeinschaft wird gewaltige fi nanzielle Anstrengungen im Bereich

der Verkehrsträger erfordern, sie wird jedoch auch mutige und schnelle Zukunftsentscheidungen

notwendig machen, wie wir sie z. B. in Skandinavien mit der in diesem Jahr erfolgten Eröffnung der

Øresund-Brücke erlebt haben.

Dabei ist sich die Industrie bewußt, daß zukünftig Sicherheitsaspekte beim Aus- und Umbau der

Verkehrsadern zunehmende Bedeutung haben werden.

Eine weitere wichtige Erkenntnis unseres Kongresses ist, daß die vorläufi gen Ergebnisse der IARC-

Studie kein erhöhtes Krebsrisiko für unsere Bitumenarbeiter zeigen. Wir müssen die endgültigen

Ergebnisse abwarten. Vielleicht sind noch anschließende Untersuchungen notwendig.

Im Bereich des Umweltschutzes spielen nach wie vor die Vorteile der 100 %igen Recycling-fähigkeit

unserer Produkte eine herausragende Rolle.

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Meine Damen und Herren,

zur Bewältigung unserer europäischen Aufgaben brauchen wir Asphalt, zu dessen Herstellung Bitumen,

und somit ist eine sehr wichtige Aussage unserer Zusammenkunft, daß in der heute vorhersehbaren

Zukunft Bitumen in ausreichender Menge verfügbar sein wird. Doch das allein ist nicht ausreichend:

Nur durch qualitativ hochwertige Produkte und ständige Innovationen werden wir die Heraus-

forderungen meistern können – oder anders ausgedrückt: Nur ein qualitativ hochwertiger Asphalt wird

in der Lage sein, die Verkehrsbelastungen der wachsenden europäischen Gemeinschaft zu tragen.

Und diesen Asphalt werden wir schon bald nicht mehr in Peseten, Francs oder DM, sondern in Euro

verkaufen!

Zum Schluß – meine Damen und Herren – kommt das Wichtigste: Es sind die Menschen, die für

uns und mit uns arbeiten. Auch im 21. Jahrhundert wird der Mensch trotz gewaltiger technologischer

Entwicklungen das Wichtigste bleiben, aber die Lust an Leistung – wie Felix von Cube es genannt hat

– wird steigen müssen, wenn wir die schon vorhandenen und noch kommenden Herausforderungen

bestehen wollen.

Lust an Leistung oder Freude an der Arbeit bedingt Motivation und es ist nicht zuletzt eine Aufgabe

dieses Kongresses, zur Motivation von uns allen beizutragen.

Ich wünsche Ihnen bis zu unserer nächsten Zusammenkunft viel Freude und Erfolg bei Ihrer Arbeit.


•• Recognition of the importance of road transport and a wellRecognition of the importance of road transport and a well

maintained road infrastructuremaintained road infrastructure

•• Industry takes note of the increased focus on safetyIndustry takes note of the increased focus on safety

•• Removal of existing bottle necks in Europe is high priorityRemoval of existing bottle necks in Europe is high priority

•• EU expansion will requires high investments in infrastructureEU expansion will requires high investments in infrastructure

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GERM

AN


HSEHSE

The preliminary results of the IARC study do notThe preliminary results of the IARC study do not

indicate an increased risk of cancer for the bitumenindicate an increased risk of cancer for the bitumen

workers. Further studies may be needed.workers. Further studies may be needed.

EnvironmentEnvironment

The Life Cycle inventory demonstrates the benefits ofThe Life Cycle inventory demonstrates the benefits of

100 % 100 % recyclabilityrecyclability

2nd 2nd Eurasphalt Eurasphalt & & EurobitumeEurobitume Congress Congress

• Bitumen will be available in a foreseeable future

• Industry is able to provide the innovative technologies andproducts required to meet the future performance challenges

• People and their motivation is of highest importance to ourindustry

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2nd Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress Barcelona 2000

Documents

Transcript of 2nd Eurasphalt & Eurobitume Congress Barcelona 2000