Cold In-Plant Recycling with Foamed Bitumen for Road Rehabilitation: A Case Study on ER243 Road

This article evaluates the viability of cold-in-plant recycling with foamed bitumen for road rehabilitation through a case study on the ER243 road in Portugal, highlighting its alignment with European circular economy principles. The primary objective is to assess environmental benefits, construction efficiency, and the quality of this innovative recycling method as a sustainable alternative to traditional pavement reconstruction. Utilizing 100% of the existing pavement materials and incorporating new asphalt only in surface layers minimizes waste production, reduces material transport, and significantly cuts CO2 emissions. Despite initial challenges due to the lack of specifications and limited application experience in Portugal, the case study demonstrates substantial environmental advantages and potential for quality pavement construction. An estimated 66% reduction in CO2-eq emissions was observed compared to conventional reconstruction, emphasizing lower energy and resource consumption. Quality control tests during the project confirmed the recycled mixture's satisfactory performance, thus meeting specified limits and showing improvement over time. The findings support the development of expedited material specifications and design methods for cold recycled material layers, aiming to overcome design, construction quality control, and product lifespan assessment challenges, thereby promoting wider adoption of this technology.