Road surface cold-mixed cold-laid recycled carbon-reduced pavement material research

In recent years, the concept of sustainable circular economy has emerged due to the increasing awareness of environmental protection. In 2015, the United Nations proposed the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ and developed 17 sustainable development goals, with Goal 12 being ‘Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by promoting a green economy and significantly reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse’. In 2015, Taiwan passed the ‘Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act’ (referred to as the GHG Act), with the legislative purpose of addressing climate change and fulfilling environmental responsibilities. In 2022, the Ministry of Economic Affairs formulated the ‘2050 Net Zero Emissions Pathway Plan’ with four major strategies and two foundations (technology research and development and climate legislation) as the main focus. The four major strategies include industrial transformation, encouraging the manufacturing sector to focus on process improvement and energy conversion, and introducing carbon reduction technology in the construction sector to achieve a circular economy. As Taiwan’s road construction area continues to grow, a new pavement material called ‘Cold-mixed cold-laid recycled carbon-reduced pavement material’ has been developed. This innovative material reduces carbon dioxide emissions by eliminating the need for on-site fuel heating during construction. It saves energy and helps to reduce greenhouse effects, aligning with environmental protection goals.