The client, Bradford Council wanted to explore new, more sustainable road surfacing materials for this section of Otley Road in Eldwick, between Warren Lane and Spring Lane. After learning about Tarmac’s BBA HAPAS accredited ULTIPAVE R asphalt they saw the opportunity to install a durable, long lasting surface but also reduce the associated carbon emissions and environmental impact. ULTIPAVE R incorporates granulated rubber crumb from recycled end of use UK tyres to replace cellulose fibres normally used as a binder additive. This allows rubber from up to 750 end of life tyres to be recycled per km of highway. It also uses Tarmac’s ULTILOW warm mix asphalt technology as standard which generates lower carbon emissions during production; saving on average 3.5kg of CO2e per tonne compared to traditional asphalts. 

ULTIPAVE R is BBA HAPAS accredited as a Clause 942 thin surfacing system and contains high PSV aggregates for lasting texture and skid resistance. This would ensure a safe, durable road surface. Warm mix asphalts also offer proven gains in productivity, requiring less time to reach trafficking temperatures and allowing more work to be completed within a given operating window along with excellent workability, which would help surfacing teams to work efficiently and achieve the best possible finish. After plane out of the existing road surface, around 700 tonnes of ULTIPAVE R asphalt was supplied by Tarmac and laid by the Bradford Council’s contracting team, with support available from Tarmac’s Contracting’s Technical team. Using this innovative approach helped the client to deliver reductions in carbon dioxide emissions estimated at over 2.5 tonnes and recycle rubber from over 1000 tyres. 

This was the first site in West Yorkshire to use ULTIPAVE R and the scheme generated considerable interest, with local councillor Caroline Firth visiting the site and other local authorities also being invited to see it. Explaining the importance of the scheme to Bradford Council’s Climate Change Strategy Cllr. Firth commented: “We are aiming to be Net Zero Carbon by 2038. We need to innovate and use all of the technologies available to reduce our carbon emissions. We believe projects like this are going to help us reach our target”. The client was delighted with the outcome. After using Ultipave R on this site, there was a clear intent to choose sustainable materials like this for other schemes. Cllr. Alex Ross-Shaw, portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, said: “We have a duty to reduce waste and tackle climate change which is having a devastating effect on our planet. Using this innovative new product from Tarmac is a positive step in terms of decarbonising our operations. We will continue t work with suppliers and contractors to ensure that using materials like this becomes standard practice.”