Asphalt is the world's most recycled product. Effective use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAP) will be in the spotlight at a CalAPA Technical Committee meeting Aug. 5 in Santa Ana. All CalAPA members and agency representatives are invited to attend.

At a special Assembly hearing last month devoted to transportation and funding, Assemblyman Eric Linder inquired about the environmental impacts of smooth, well-maintained pavements vs. roads that are falling apart.

It turns out, a fair amount of research on the topic has been done of the years and continues to be done. The consensus is that the smoother the ride, the better the fuel economy, which means less fuel burned per mile and less greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) into the atmosphere. Ironically, given the recent hue and cry over whether to raise the state's gas tax, smoother roads have been shown to put more money back in the pockets of motorists.

Under the broad umbrella of "pavement-vehicle interaction (PVI), three factors are commonly considered when engineers look at the interactions between a pavement and a vehicle that affect "drivability:" roughness, texture and deflection. A review of the various studies indicates that there is a clear consensus as to the influence of roughness and texture -- the factors most associated with a rough ride.

As Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature look for common ground on road funding, Linder, R-Corona, who is a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, cast a spotlight at the July 9 Assembly hearing on the intersection between climate-change policies favored by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and other avowed environmentalists in the Legislature with moderate and good-government advocates who recognize the importance of good roads to the economy, goods-movement, jobs and California's quality of life.

With about 75 percent of the oil consumed in the United States

Assemblyman Eric Linder, R-Corona, meeting with asphalt industry representatives earlier this year at the Capitol.

devoted to vehicle fuel, the impact could be huge. And nowhere will the impact be more dramatic than in California, which has more vehicles traveling more miles than any other state, as well as the nation's strictest air-quality regulations.

The CalAPA-supported Asphalt Pavement Alliance has developed a series of fact sheets on the topic, which provide a good overview and cite recent studies and other data. Click HERE to download the fact sheet tailored to pavement designers.

A literature review conducted by the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University, "Effects of Pavement Properties on Vehicular Rolling Resistance: a Literature Review" can be found HERE.