ABSTRACT

Asphalt mix production depends on energy resources in two ways: (1) energy required to produce asphalt binders in oil refineries; and (2) carbon-based energy carriers that are used as industrial fuels in asphalt mixing plants [1]. Moreover, energy demand is increasing consistently, and can be expected to do so in the future. For example, The United States Energy Administration (USEA) predicted that by the year 2020, total energy consumption from petroleum, natural gas, coal, electricity and renewable energy will increase by 32%, 33%, 62%, 22%, 45%, and 26% respectively [2]. Meanwhile, asphalt production was the second most energy-intensive manufacturing industry in the United States [3]. Therefore, it is necessary to quench the asphalt mix production’s thirst for fossil fuels consumption with development of less energy-intensive construction technologies.