Energy

Energy content of products and techniques

Colas devises and develops products and techniques which reduce the energy consumption required for manufacture and application.

• Neophalte BT: a mastic asphalt developed by Smac and produced at temperatures almost 100° C lower than normal. In France, it now represents 50% of Smac’s mastic asphalt production.
• Environmentally-friendly, Energy Efficient or 3E asphalt mix: manufactured at temperatures of roughly 115°C, i.e., 40° C to 50° C less than conventional mixes, which means that the technique saves between 10% and 20% energy. Tested in France since the end of 2004 under the control of French government services, its results are in line with European and American standards. The product received a certificate of recognition for innovation awarded by the Roads Directorate of the French Ministry for Ecology and Sustainable Development in 2007.
• The Vegeroute product range: developed as a plant-based substitute for oil-based or petrochemical components, these products cut application and manufacturing temperatures and even reduce the quantities required:
  • Vegeflux: this new fluxing agent has the additional advantage of avoiding the evaporation of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) while improving bitumen properties;
    
  • Vegecol: this substitute for bitumen has won a series of awards from national and international organizations (in 2007, the Maurice Milne award from the PIARC, the national innovation award from the British Institute of Asphalt Technology). Manufactured from vegetable oils and resins, it is translucent and can be colored. Vegecol’s mechanical performance is as good as, or better than, that of bitumen. In 2007, more than 450 Vegecol projects were performed (compared to 350 in 2006, 60 in 2005, and 4 in 2004). Nearly 2,400 tons of Vegecol binder were applied (1,600 in 2006, 600 in 2005 and less than 60 in 2004). 250 tons were used outside of France (150 in 2006) for pilot sites (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Hungary, Martinique, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland);
  • Vegemark: this new road-marking product designed to improve road infrastructure safety is manufactured from oleaginous raw materials and allows traffic to be restored almost immediately after application (10 times faster than traditional products);
  • Ostrea: this hot-application road marking product, developed by a Group company, Prosign, with support from Ademe, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency, is derived from Vegemark. It uses recycled oyster shells instead of the traditional component of limestone, and optimizes energy consumption with a new type of boiler.
• Innovative roofing at Smac: 150,000 m2 of Tecflor green roofing was applied in 2007, and 5 photovoltaic roofing projects were launched for a total of nearly 5,000 m2.

EcologicieL

Colas was the first company to design and implement software of this type. Applying the principles of life-cycle analysis, this tool calculates energy content and the volume of greenhouse gases produced. It can thus compare alternative solutions, making it possible to offer comprehensive design variations to customers’ bid specifications.
Thanks to the EcologicieL software, the total greenhouse gas emissions on the Toulouse airport Airbus A380 runway reinforcement project were cut by two-thirds. Similarly, the interest of the “Active Joint” technique was established in the town of Beauvais, helping save 360 tons of greenhouse gas. EcologicieL is available for use in all the Group’s profit centers in France.
During the French Environmental Roundtables, the Group agreed to employ it when studying all design alternatives. It is currently being adapted for use in the main countries outside of France in which the Group operates. In particular, it was used for the Imperial War Museum aerodrome project in Duxford, England, where it helped achieve greenhouse gas emission savings of 40%.