The Vale of Glamorgan Council has trialled a new sustainable repair system to mend damaged roads in the county.
Working with Roadmender Asphalt, the Council tested the Elastomac technique at Greave Close and Walston Road in Wenvoe.
The new system converts old tyres into an innovative road repair material which can lower the carbon footprint of patch repairs by 85 per cent.
This highly versatile alternative aligns with the Council’s Project Zero plans to become carbon neutral by 2030 in the wake of the on-going climate crisis.
Cllr Mark Wilson, Vale of Glamorgan Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood and Building Services, said: “Maintaining and repairing our roads in sustainable ways is vital in ensuring that our work has as little impact on the environment as possible.
“The Elastomac process replaces a fossil fuel – which previously acted as the gluing agent – with end-of-life tyres which would have otherwise been incinerated.
“It is encouraging to see the success of the trial in Wenvoe and brings the Council ever closer to reducing waste, lowering emissions and achieving carbon-neutral status by 2030.”
The non-invasive materials used in Elastomac reduce material movement and waste by 90 per cent, which lowers costs, and avoids unnecessary disruption.”
Elastomac can be used to mend a variety of surfaces including roads, car parks, bridges and other critical infrastructure across the Vale of Glamorgan.
Both trial sites in Wenvoe will be monitored each quarter with a view to rolling out more of this product in the near future.
This trial comes after the Council also recently tested a new greener resurfacing system on Barry’s Skomer Road.
Working with construction company Miles Macadam, a substance called Biopave was used, which is designed to significantly reduce the environmental impact of road resurfacing and maintenance.
Carbon is captured within the road surface meaning it can’t be released into the atmosphere and the use of recycled materials substantially lowers greenhouse gas emissions as these do not need to be quarried.
The durability of the Biopave system, which has a five-year warranty instead of one, also means roads require less frequent maintenance, decreasing the amount of materials used and money spent in the long run.
