Morocco is testing a ‘sponge’ pavement that stays 16°F cooler by itself, aims at replacing black asphalt

Mo occo is testi g a 'spo ge' paveme t to eplace black asphalt o oads i Ma akech a d Agadi , ca u up to 16°F coole by itself

Rep ese tative
Image

Mo occo
is
testi g
a
‘spo ge’
paveme t
that
d ai s
wate
a d
cools
itself
th ough
evapo atio .
Fo
decades,
black
asphalt
has
olled
o
the
oads
but
pa ts
of
Ma akech
a d
Agadi
a e
epo tedly
becomi g
testi g
g ou ds
fo
this
ew
su face
that
is
deemed
to
be
e vi o me tally
bette .The
idea
will
ot
o ly
make
oads
feel
less
hot
du i g
summe s,
but
ca
also
educe
u off,
imp ove
d ai age,
filte
some
polluta ts
a d
cool
itself
th ough
evapo atio
whe
e ough
moistu e
is
available.
Mo occa
media
desc ibe
limited
expe ime ts
that
eplace
selected
a eas
of
co ve tio al
bitume
with
pe meable
paveme t,
allowi g
wate
to
pass
below
the
su face
i stead
of
se di g
eve y
d op
towa d
a
d ai ,
acco di g
to
a
epo t
by
eco ews.

Why
ot
black
asphalt?

The Mo occa expe ime t<b ><b >” msid=”133230398″ width=”” title=”Less heat adiati g f om oads a d pa ki g a eas ca make a walk, a bus stop o a eve i g meal outdoo s mo e comfo table du i g the summe heat eve yo e fea s.” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=”” esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133230398/the-mo occa -expe ime tb b .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></p>
<p>
Less<br />
heat<br />
adiati g<br />
f om<br />
oads<br />
a d<br />
pa ki g<br />
a eas<br />
ca<br />
make<br />
a<br />
walk,<br />
a<br />
bus<br />
stop<br />
o<br />
a<br />
eve i g<br />
meal<br />
outdoo s<br />
mo e<br />
comfo table<br />
du i g<br />
the<br />
summe<br />
heat<br />
eve yo e<br />
fea s.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p>The<br />
available<br />
epo ts<br />
desc ibe<br />
expe ime ts<br />
i volvi g<br />
some<br />
u ba<br />
su faces<br />
a d<br />
ot<br />
a<br />
atio wide<br />
emoval<br />
of<br />
black<br />
asphalt.<br />
The<br />
epo ted<br />
tests<br />
fit<br />
a<br />
b oade<br />
shift<br />
i<br />
Ma akech.<br />
Its<br />
“Ma akech<br />
Sustai able<br />
City”<br />
p og am,<br />
lau ched<br />
i<br />
2023,<br />
b i gs<br />
togethe<br />
Mo occo’s<br />
Mi ist y<br />
of<br />
E e gy<br />
T a sitio<br />
a d<br />
Sustai able<br />
Developme t,<br />
local<br />
autho ities,<br />
the<br />
U ited<br />
Natio s<br />
Developme t<br />
P og amme,<br />
a d<br />
the<br />
Global<br />
E vi o me t<br />
Facility<br />
to<br />
imp ove<br />
climate<br />
esilie ce,<br />
mobility,<br />
waste<br />
ma ageme t,<br />
biodive sity,<br />
a d<br />
e e gy<br />
efficie cy.The<br />
p og am<br />
has<br />
$9.5<br />
millio<br />
i<br />
Global<br />
E vi o me t<br />
Facility<br />
fu di g<br />
a d<br />
is<br />
expected<br />
to<br />
be efit<br />
mo e<br />
tha<br />
1<br />
millio<br />
people<br />
di ectly.<br />
The<br />
paveme t<br />
expe ime ts<br />
a e<br />
o e<br />
possible<br />
tool<br />
withi<br />
that<br />
wide<br />
age da,<br />
showi g<br />
how<br />
o di a y<br />
i f ast uctu e<br />
ca<br />
become<br />
pa t<br />
of<br />
climate<br />
adaptatio .The<br />
expe ime t<br />
will<br />
have<br />
the<br />
clea est<br />
be efit<br />
fo<br />
the<br />
d ive s<br />
whe<br />
the<br />
ai<br />
falls.<br />
Wate<br />
that<br />
d ai s<br />
th ough<br />
a<br />
p ope ly<br />
desig ed<br />
su face<br />
is<br />
less<br />
likely<br />
to<br />
emai<br />
i<br />
thick<br />
films,<br />
while<br />
the<br />
EPA<br />
says<br />
pe meable<br />
oadways<br />
ca<br />
educe<br />
sp ay<br />
a d<br />
imp ove<br />
t actio<br />
th ough<br />
bette<br />
d ai age.A<br />
coole<br />
u ba<br />
mic oclimate<br />
could<br />
also<br />
lowe<br />
the<br />
dema d<br />
placed<br />
o<br />
vehicle<br />
ai<br />
co ditio i g.<br />
That<br />
matte s<br />
fo<br />
gasoli e<br />
ca s<br />
a d<br />
elect ic<br />
vehicles,<br />
but<br />
the<br />
Mo occa<br />
epo ts<br />
co tai<br />
o<br />
measu ed<br />
EV<br />
a ge<br />
esults,<br />
a d<br />
a y<br />
gai<br />
would<br />
p obably<br />
be<br />
modest<br />
a d<br />
depe de t<br />
o<br />
weathe ,<br />
t affic,<br />
speed,<br />
a d<br />
time<br />
spe t<br />
o<br />
t eated<br />
st eets.The<br />
biggest<br />
payoff<br />
may<br />
be<br />
fo<br />
the<br />
u ba<br />
eighbou hood<br />
life.<br />
Less<br />
heat<br />
adiati g<br />
f om<br />
oads<br />
a d<br />
pa ki g<br />
a eas<br />
ca<br />
make<br />
a<br />
walk,<br />
a<br />
bus<br />
stop<br />
o<br />
a<br />
eve i g<br />
meal<br />
outdoo s<br />
mo e<br />
comfo table<br />
du i g<br />
the<br />
summe<br />
heat<br />
eve yo e<br />
fea s.Howeve ,<br />
pe meable<br />
paveme t<br />
ca<br />
ot<br />
be<br />
a<br />
eplaceme t<br />
fo<br />
eve y<br />
highway<br />
o<br />
busy<br />
ave ue.<br />
Fi e<br />
di t,<br />
ty e<br />
deb is,<br />
a d<br />
sedime t<br />
ca<br />
clog<br />
its<br />
po es,<br />
so<br />
pe iodic<br />
clea i g<br />
a d<br />
ca eful<br />
sto mwate<br />
desig<br />
a e<br />
esse tial<br />
if<br />
the<br />
su face<br />
is<br />
to<br />
keep<br />
d ai i g<br />
ove<br />
time.<br />
Heavy<br />
t affic,<br />
ext eme<br />
loads,<br />
a d<br />
polluted<br />
u off<br />
ca<br />
also<br />
make<br />
ce tai<br />
sites<br />
u suitable.<br />
That<br />
is<br />
why<br />
ma y<br />
cu e t<br />
applicatio s<br />
focus<br />
o<br />
sidewalks,<br />
plazas,<br />
pa ki g<br />
a eas,<br />
est<br />
a eas,<br />
a d<br />
lightly<br />
t avelled<br />
st eets<br />
athe<br />
tha<br />
p omisi g<br />
a<br />
total<br />
e d<br />
to<br />
co ve tio al<br />
asphalt.Pa ticula ly,<br />
i<br />
Ma akech,<br />
isi g<br />
tempe atu es<br />
a d<br />
i te sifyi g<br />
heat<br />
a e<br />
al eady<br />
st essi g<br />
the<br />
city’s<br />
i f ast uctu e<br />
with<br />
wate<br />
sca city.<br />
Whe<br />
sto ed<br />
moistu e<br />
disappea s,<br />
evapo ative<br />
cooli g<br />
fades<br />
too,<br />
so<br />
pla e s<br />
must<br />
bala ce<br />
the<br />
desi e<br />
fo<br />
coole<br />
st eets<br />
with<br />
the<br />
eed<br />
to<br />
use<br />
wate<br />
ca efully.</p>
<p><h2>
A<br />
step<br />
i<br />
the<br />
ight<br />
di ectio </h2>
</p>
<p>Ac oss<br />
the<br />
Medite a ea ,<br />
Spai<br />
tested<br />
a<br />
elated<br />
idea<br />
th ough<br />
the<br />
“LIFE<br />
HEATLAND”<br />
p oject.<br />
I stead<br />
of<br />
elyi g<br />
mai ly<br />
o<br />
wate<br />
i filt atio ,<br />
its<br />
light-colou ed<br />
paveme t<br />
was<br />
desig ed<br />
to<br />
eflect<br />
mo e<br />
sola<br />
e e gy<br />
tha<br />
co ve tio al<br />
asphalt<br />
a d<br />
sto e<br />
less<br />
heat.<br />
Mu cia<br />
officials<br />
i stalled<br />
the<br />
mate ial<br />
ac oss<br />
oughly<br />
258,000<br />
squa e<br />
feet<br />
of<br />
city<br />
st eets.<br />
At<br />
the<br />
time,<br />
the<br />
i stallatio<br />
was<br />
desig ed<br />
to<br />
educe<br />
oad-su face<br />
tempe atu es<br />
by<br />
about<br />
18°F<br />
a d<br />
ea by<br />
ai<br />
tempe atu es<br />
by<br />
oughly<br />
2.7°F,<br />
while<br />
se so s<br />
t acked<br />
heat,<br />
humidity,<br />
sola<br />
adiatio ,<br />
lighti g,<br />
a d<br />
oise.The<br />
compa iso<br />
matte s<br />
because<br />
“cool<br />
paveme t”<br />
is<br />
ot<br />
o e<br />
si gle<br />
p oduct.<br />
Some<br />
su faces<br />
eflect<br />
su light,<br />
some<br />
e cou age<br />
evapo atio ,<br />
a d<br />
some<br />
combi e<br />
seve al<br />
featu es.<br />
Cities<br />
must<br />
match<br />
the<br />
mate ial<br />
to<br />
ai fall,<br />
t affic,<br />
soil,<br />
mai te a ce<br />
capacity,<br />
a d<br />
wate<br />
availability.<br />
<a h ef=

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Morocco is testing a ‘sponge’ pavement that stays 16°F cooler by itself, aims at replacing black asphalt

Why ot black asphalt?

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Why
ot
black
asphalt?