The LIFE HEATLAND project will reach an important milestone with the implementation of the new reflective agglomerate, an initiative that aims to minimise the urban heat island effect, the formation of smog and reduce energy consumption in the environment.
Following meetings between the consortium partners, consisting of the Construction Technology Centre (CTCON), which is coordinating the project, the construction company CHM Obras e Infraestructuras, which developed the new cold pavement in collaboration with CTCON, Murcia City Council, the Regional Federation of Construction Employers of Murcia (FRECOM) and the Slovenian Construction Cluster (CCS), the new asphalt will be implemented next week in six streets in Murcia.
The LIFE HEATLAND project is an initiative that seeks to minimise the urban heat island effect through the use of new pavements with a lower solar storage capacity than conventional ones and that seeks to reduce energy consumption in the implementation environment, by means of expected savings in the consumption of public lighting and air conditioning. This is expected to reduce the levels of atmospheric pollutants and smog formation.
This asphalt mix was tested a few months ago on several streets to see if the asphalt, which replaces bitumen with synthetic compounds, is similar to traditional bituminous mixes and can be used first on high-capacity roads in the city and then in other urban areas.
Thus, next week, from 3 to 7 February, work will begin on a surface area of 24,000 m2, comprising a total of seven streets: six will be paved with cold asphalt (C/ Monte Carmelo, C/ Sauce, C/ Carmen Conde, C/ Valle Inclán, Avenida Pío Baroja and C/ Pintor Almela Costa) and one (C/ Lope de Rueda) with traditional asphalt in order to be able to compare the data obtained.
These arteries will be closed to traffic on the days of the works in order to carry out the asphalting work. An information point with the presence of the project partners is scheduled to be set up on 7 February from 11.00 to 13.00 on Avenida Pío Baroja.
Financed by the European Commission
The LIFE HEATLAND Project (LIFE16 CCA/ES/000077) is co-financed by the European Union, has a global budget of 1,359,221 euros and will have a planned duration of 3 years.
