FM Conway continue to push the boundaries

Company drives down carbon emissions using single-layer warm mix with 85% RAP content 

WORKING with Westminster City Council, FM Conway have once again pushed the boundaries of materials recycling in the highways industry by laying a warm-mix surface course containing 85% recycled materials.

FM Conway’s single-layer solution, SureLayer E, was laid on Third Avenue in the Queens Park district of Westminster, delivering an 85% recycled content comprising high-PSV recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recovered aggregate.

In total, 760 tonnes of material supplied by FM Conway’s Heathrow asphalt plant were laid in a single layer by the company’s surfacing division, reducing the number of lorry movements by 55% and allowing the highway to be reopened sooner.

An odour suppressant was also used for the first time in the manufacturing and installation of the material, which helped to deliver a reduction in odours for both operational staff and the wider public.

According to FM Conway, the use of SureLayer E in the overall scheme, including transport, has produced a 40% carbon saving over traditional hot-mix asphalt.

Mark Flint, the company’s head of technical, commented: ‘This has been a great collaborative scheme between FM Conway and Westminster City Council. Together we have maximized the amount of locally sourced recycled materials, as well as reducing the amount of vehicle movements through the use of single-layer technology.

‘This also resulted in less time spent on site, allowing us to hand back the street to Westminster and its residents in an efficient and timely manner. These activities have ensured that Westminster City Council’s sustainability and carbon-saving targets have been achieved.’

Phil Robson, head of operations for city highways at Westminster City Council, said: ‘The City Council has set a net-zero carbon target for 2030 and this innovation with high recycled content and lower-carbon production methods supports that goal while providing the durability we need to maintain our highways asset to the highest standards.’

FM Conway say this is the first time that more than 80% recycled material has been used in Westminster since a successful trial on Sutherland Avenue in June 2019 when one side of carriageway was resurfaced with 50% RAP material and the other was resurfaced with 80% recycled material. The site is undergoing continual performance monitoring, and both materials are said to be performing successfully.

These Westminster initiatives also build on FM Conway’s previous work with Transport for London. In 2017, the company laid its SurePave E asphalt surface course mix, containing 50% recycled material on the A40 in west London. This marked the first time that a surface course mix containing such a high proportion of recycled material had been used on a highly trafficked strategic road outside of trial conditions.