The existing entrance road was outdated and needed to be replaced. However, with the advent of automatic access control, the entrance road no longer connected well with the actual entrance and it was decided not only to renew the road, but also to relocate it. In addition, it was decided to construct a completely separate bicycle path to increase the safety of cyclists.
In the call for tenders for the realization of the new entrance road, circularity, CO2 reduction and the saving of fossil raw materials were central. To meet this demand, a construction team was formed, consisting of Technology Base, NTP and Strukton. This construction team worked together on a sustainable and innovative design, applying the innovations listed below.
CO2-neutral Asphalt
An innovative and sustainable asphalt mixture was used for the top layer of the entrance road. This is the innovative bio-based asphalt mixture Grassphalt, in which the lignin (binding agent) is extracted from Elephant Grass. This sustainable asphalt mixture not only saves on the fossil raw material oil, but also reduces the CO2 in the atmosphere by storing absorbed CO2 in the asphalt for a long time.
Elephant grass is a fast-growing crop that absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as it grows. No (artificial) fertilizer is used to grow this crop, while it can be harvested annually. One hectare of Elephant Grass absorbs 4 times more CO2 than one hectare of trees.
By constructing low-temperature asphalt and asphalt with lignin from Elephant Grass, a sustainable and CO2-neutral asphalt construction has been achieved. Less natural gas is required during the production of this asphalt mixture, resulting in a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Sustainable concrete pavement bicycle path
A sustainable solution was also found for the new bicycle path with CompoCrete, a concrete pavement with a plastic composite. By applying a reinforced composite in combination with concrete, it is possible to reduce the construction thickness of the bicycle path.
Traditionally, bicycle paths are often constructed with a concrete thickness of 20 centimeters. By applying CompoCrete, this is reduced to a thickness of 14 centimeters. As a result, 30% less concrete was used for the bike path at the entrance to Technology Base, which also meant that fewer transport movements were needed to deliver concrete mortar. Less earthwork was also required, as the excavation for the concrete pavement is shallower.
