29 January 2018| Milan, Italy

The Workshop is organized in Carpiano (near Milan, Italy) on 27 February within the framework of the Infrastructure Innovation Programme INFRAVATION to promote a more environmentally-friendly road sector.

In this context, the ALTERPAVE EU Project aims to promote circular economy  by demonstrating the technical and economic feasibility of replacing virgin aggregates and petroleum-based binders by alternative solutions (recycled materials and by-products).

Concretely, the workshop will discuss the following technical elements:

• Use of RAP, by-products and binder rejuvenating agents for the development of eco-friendly and cost-efficient asphalt mixes
• Promotion of the Circular Economy approach that helps to move towards a more resource-efficient economy
• Technical validation in laboratory, with ALF and through the construction of a real test track
• Assessment of recyclability and use of smart labelling solution
• Environmental and economic validation of the technology through a LCA and LCC
• Globally-oriented Supply Management Plan and GIS-based application

18 August 2015 | Brussels, Belgium

Turkey has long enjoyed a privileged geographic position at the crossroads of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle-East. With domestic and cross-border trade sharply on the rise, Turkey has embarked on an unprecedented effort to develop and modernize its transport infrastructure, with US$ 47 billion pledged in highway programs by 2023.

Enjoy an exceptional opportunity to connect and network with Ministers, road agency heads, transportation decision-makers and industry executives responsible for significant investments in road projects.

Benefit from complimentary certified training workshops during the event covering emerging topics in the region. All registered delegates attending these workshops will receive a professional certificate recognized by engineering societies worldwide.

More info available here.

Sustainable Roads Partner Session

The European Union Road Federation (ERF) is pleased to invite you to a special session organized in conjunction with the 1st IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress.

Decarbonisation of road sector is one of the political priorities for the European Union. Our sector is firmly committed to protect the environment while maximizing transport of goods and mobility of people by providing the best quality service to road users.

In this sense, development of innovative techniques, materials or certificates aiming at reducing CO2 emissions, energy consumption and the use of natural resources is also a top priority for the infrastructure industry.

The Session on Sustainable Roads will present different on-going initiatives in search of improving environmental performance of roads  during their lifetime.

11 March 2015 | Brussels, Belgium

The seminar, Promoting Sustainable Infrastructure in EU Regions, presented different initiatives by the road industry as it strives to contribute towards the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy.

The event was held at the Committee of the Regions on 3 March and gathered representatives from the industry, transport associations, institutional actors and, above all, European regions.  The seminar was organised within the framework of the New Jersey LIFE Project to investigate how the public and private sector can cooperate to achieve a more environmentally friendly and innovative road infrastructure.

The conference started with the presentation of the LIFE Programme which represents the only EU financial instrument fully dedicated to the environment. The new LIFE 2014-2020 will allocate more than EUR 3 billion towards a resource-efficient, low–carbon and climate-resilient economy protecting and improving the environment.

Subsequently, the event showcased successful public and private initiatives in the field of road research, amongst other: the real deployment of recycling of end-of-life tyres and plastics, the introduction of innovative materials for road pavements and promotion of electric mobility

The 2^nd part of the seminar focussed on the important role authorities can play to boost innovation through better tendering processes.  To this end, a  representative from the European Commission gave an overview of the main novelties included in the new Directive for Public Procurement, which seeks to modernise tendering practices by allowing authorities to include other criteria and elements than the ‘lowest price’.  This vision was complemented by a presentation by ERF Vice-President Rik Nuyttens who stressed the need for greater cooperation between industry and public authorities in order to develop common methods for assessment of the -lifecycle of products and services

The event was closed by Witold Stepien, member of the CoR, who underlined the importance of regions in promoting sustainable infrastructure, especially those who will be recipients of cohesion funds.  To this end, he encouraged a more systematic dialogue between local and regional authorities, on the one hand, and the road infrastructure sector on the other, in order to promote a more competitive and resource efficient transport system.

• Agenda