Implementación de mezclas tibias como una alternativa para las mezclas en caliente para la planta asfáltica del GAD Municipal de Azogues, evaluando el ciclo de vida de los efectos ambientales y económicos en producción

Abstract

The Municipal GAD of Azogues has a plant for the production of hot mix asphalt used for paving roads in the city, which requires large amounts of energy, natural and economic resources to produce hot mix asphalt, generating negative externalities of production that directly affect the biophysical environment and the economy of the institution. Given this, it is necessary to improve the production processes to balance the economic, environmental and social conditions of both the institution and the environment where the asphalt production plant is located. The present titling work focuses on making a pavement design and a warm asphalt mixture as an alternative to hot asphalt mixtures, evaluating the life cycle of the environmental and economic effects of production. An investigation was carried out about the design criteria for warm asphalt mixtures and the ZycoTherm additive for their preparation, data on the consumption of electricity, water, fuel and natural resources used in the asphalt plant were collected to determine the environmental and economic effects in production using the PaLATE application (Greenroads, 2011) in terms of CO2 emissions. Likewise, the optimal design of a hot asphalt mixture was carried out in order to evaluate it economically against the implementation of a warm asphalt mixture. The results indicate that the activities of production, construction and maintenance of the pavement using a warm asphalt mixture with a dosage of ZycoTherm between 0,1% - 0,15%, generate lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions than hot asphalt mixtures, such that, for a MAC-type mixture, energy consumption is 885,1 [GJ] and GHG emissions are 614,853 CO2e [kg], while for MAT-type mixtures, energy consumption is 878,4 [GJ] and GHG emissions is 588,615 CO2e [kg]. In addition, MAT allows lower mixing temperatures (from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius less) and also lower compaction temperatures (from 30 to 40 degrees Celsius less), its use has environmental benefits because it is soluble in water, it does not produce sedimentation, reduces odors, saves fuel in production and decreases emissions of CO2 into the environment and allows to obtain greater advantage in works that require transport lengths and that require longer waiting times in paving. On the other hand, the difference in projected costs between MAC and MAT mixtures varies up to 2,645% between 2023 and 2035 in favor of MAC-type mixtures, however, this difference may vary according to the increase or decrease in the market price of the additive. The implementation of MAT does not require special equipment or structures in the plant, it is only required to dose the additive by drip injection in the face line of the transport tank towards the asphalt storage tank.