Granite Construction Co. of Salt Lake City has been experimenting this past year with warm-mix asphalt in an effort to make asphalt paving more green, and ultimately more friendly to the environment.
According to Granite environmental manager Chris Faulhaber, warm-mix asphalt employs a process through which asphalt is produced, placed and compacted at lower temperatures than conventional hot-mix asphalt. Warm-mix asphalt is typically produced at temperatures that are 50 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, lower than those used for traditional hot-mix asphalt.