News Roads & Paving Technology
Sustainable asphalt trials entering next phase on Quebec’s roads

QUEBEC CITY, QC – Following positive results from  field testing in Thunder Bay earlier this year, FPInnovations’ lignin-supplemented asphalt continues to impress, with infield testing in Quebec City moving into its next phase.

FPInnovations’ experimental asphalt mix uses lignin, a wood pulp byproduct, as a mixture addition aimed to reduce the carbon footprint of road construction. The project is funded by Natural Resources Canada, with the Quebec testing being conducted on behalf of the province’s Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité Durable (MTMD).

The first phase of testing in Quebec City involved using the lignin-based asphalt mixture on a stretch of Raymond Boulevard. Two years later, it has shown no additional weaknesses when compared to conventional mixtures. Now, the project is looking to add another testbed on Road 235 in the Ange-Gardien area.

Within Quebec, these trials have used mixtures ranging from 10 to 15 per cent lignin as a replacement for bitumen in asphalt mixtures and are being carried out by Eurovia, a subsidiary of VINCI Construction. Property and performance monitoring will be carried out on sections of road using this mix, in addition to a “control” section to evaluate performance over time.

Similar trials using FPInnovations’ experimental mix were performed in Thunder Bay by Pioneer Construction, with comparably positive results.