Apr 13 2009
The World Bank Carbon Finance Unit convened a workshop on April 2 focused on reducing emissions from road projects. The event brought together representatives from the private sector, government officials, and staff from the Carbon Finance Unit. Following the workshop, attendees were given a tour of the Aggregate Industries' Bladensburg asphalt plant, which produces warm mix asphalt. The plant tour was a part of the World Bank's Transport Week Workshop on "reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road construction projects through the use of green pavement technologies."
Aggregate Industries, which hosted the tour, is a Rockville-based producer of aggregate and construction materials and was selected to participate in the event because of the Company's commitment to developing and deploying sustainable products and solutions in the building materials market.
Along with organizers from the Carbon Finance Unit at the World Bank, members from the National Asphalt Pavement Association and representatives from the World Bank's client country transport agencies, representing more than ten countries from around the world, attended the asphalt plant tour hosted by the plant manager, David Jones. During the tour, Jones explained the history, vision, products, and other significant facts about the plant to the visitors.
Aggregate Industries' Bladensburg asphalt plant was commissioned on April 9, 2008. When the decision to go forward with the project was made in 2006, the DC market presented a unique opportunity, whereby market growth and a consolidated competitive market provided favorable conditions for an investment of this nature. This strongly competitive location and materials advantage, raw materials supplied direct from the quarry by rail, allow Aggregate Industries to capture market growth and market share from its competitors. Currently, the Bladensburg asphalt plant possesses a warm mix asphalt capability for all base and surface pavements as specified by surrounding jurisdictions and the private sector, while approval for the public sector is pending.
As a committed provider of "green" building materials, Aggregate Industries manufactures warm mix asphalt. Manufacturing warm mix asphalt consumes less energy and results in lower carbon emissions. Warm mix also uses RAP (recycled asphalt product) to produce new product.
The Company leads the way in warm mix application in several markets, including the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the country. In Massachusetts, the Company successfully introduced warm mix asphalt for a paving commission at Logan Airport, completing the first runway to use the material. Since then, the use of warm mix has been added to the specifications for runway paving in the state. Aggregate Industries has been awarded a second paving contract to begin next month. In addition, the Company also successfully introduced the product to Mass Highway for the paving of I-93.
Aggregate Industries is actively promoting the use of the product in a number of major markets, as evidenced by its plant tour for World Bank officials. The Company is committed to greenhouse gas reduction and to minimizing emissions produced by the building materials industry. Aggregate Industries is a member of the EPA's Climate Leaders program and is the only national partner of the Cool Climate Concrete program. This program focuses on reducing emissions by providing offset payments to concrete companies that use higher percentages of recycled products, like fly ash and slag, in lieu of Portland cement in their mix designs. To learn more about Aggregate Industries and its green building products, please visit www.aggregate-us.com.