How bitumen emulsions can relieve maintenance pressures: TotalEnergies features in Highways magazine

TotalEnergies has been featured in the June 2023 issue of Highways magazine discussing why emulsion-based treatments are an important strand of a holistic asset management strategy, minimising interventions and delivering sustainability.

New developments in surface dressing binders – including  TotalEnergies’ Emulsis portfolio – create operational efficiencies in the application process and offer financial and environmental savings by reducing the need for ad-hoc maintenance and the frequency of deeper structural roadworks.

The Asphalt Industry Alliance’s 2023 ALARM report found this year that 11% of roads across the UK have been classified as red – meaning an overall poor condition – while the backlog to repair the roadways to an appropriate standard also increased by 11% to £14.02bn.

Despite investment in critical repairs, the blight of potholes on our roads is growing in tandem with increasing road usage, vehicle weight, and weather volatility. It is becoming increasingly clear that costly, disruptive remedial works alone are not a viable solution. Rather, a long-term view of asset maintenance strategies is required in order to futureproof our network.

Bitumen emulsions are an underutilised yet integral component of a sustainable, durable highway maintenance toolkit. Applied as part of a holistic asset management program, they can intercede the perpetual cycle of remedial pothole works while relieving pressure on UK road maintenance through material, resource, and environmental efficiencies.

As the summer surface dressing season gets underway, it is an opportunity for local councils and contractors alike to leverage the significant cost, carbon, and resource efficiencies that bitumen emulsions can offer while improving the durability of road surfaces and reducing disruption for road users.

Bitumen emulsions in surface dressings enhance and preserve traditional asphalt, relieving pressure on local authorities and maintenance teams budgets through production, transportation, and application efficiencies.

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