Analysis of the Possibilities for the Use of Warm Mix Asphalt in Latvia

Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) production technologies allow lowering of the production and paving temperature of the conventional Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) by at least 30°C without compromising the performance of asphalt. This promises various benefits over HMA, but the most significant is the reduction of the energy consumption, thus lowering the greenhouse gas emissions. Use of WMA also allows to extend the paving season, attain better compaction, provides longer haul distances and allows resuming the traffic in the site soon after construction. However, in order to reach widespread implementation of WMA, it is necessary to provide enough information to the decision makers on the benefits of this technology and ensure that the asphalt has the same or better mechanical characteristics and long-term performance as the HMA