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This Solution Acts Like a Sunscreen for the Streets, "Eats" the Smog Too

An extreme heatwave has hit the U.S. and Canada, shattering records as temperatures registered all-time high digits. In some areas, it is so hot that power cables have started melting, and the asphalt on roads has buckled, making it unsafe for travel. In an attempt to reduce the city heat, a company is testing a high-tech treatment that acts like sunscreen for the streets.
This solution provided by Pavement Technology Inc. acts like a sunscreen for the roads 7 photos
Photo: WCSC
This spray-on treatment can revitalize aging asphalt, improve its durability and flexibility, and protect it from the sunThis spray-on treatment can revitalize aging asphalt, improve its durability and flexibility, and protect it from the sunThis spray-on treatment can revitalize aging asphalt, improve its durability and flexibility, and protect it from the sunCracks in the asphalt caused by wearCracks in the asphalt caused by wearCracks in the asphalt caused by wear
This dangerous weather is wreaking havoc on people’s health and has already caused hundreds of deaths and wildfires, with numbers expected on the rise as it doesn’t show signs of stopping. While the climate issue might be a deeper problem that requires much more than a solution applied on the roads, it might temporarily help keep the scorching heat away.

Located in Ohio, U.S., Pavement Technology Inc. has dedicated its business to developing environmentally responsible asphalt and concrete preservation solutions to public works professionals. This time, the company has created a spray-on treatment called A.R.A.-1 Ti, which can revitalize aging asphalt, improve its durability and flexibility, and most importantly, protect it from the sun.

Applied on the streets, it initially sprays on yellowish, but as it dries out, it becomes clear. The treatment contains titanium dioxide, the same ingredient you can find in mineral sunscreens. The A.R.A.-1Ti emulsion can “literally eat the smog” from the cities. Titanium dioxide forms an electron barrier on top of the street which absorbes light, and when cars move on it, vehicle pollutants are oxidized.

While planting more green spaces and adopting new building materials for the roads may be a long-term answer, it also takes time. This pollution-reducing pavement treatment is a fast solution that combines maltene (the stuff the “glues” the asphalt together and gives it rigidity) replacement and photocatalytic tech to reduce pollutants and decrease the heat island effect related to traffic.

In 2019, the technology was used at the Orlando International Airport, and a Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) study found that the A.R.A.-1Ti reduced nitrogen oxide rates by almost 50 percent. Recently, South Carolina also started applying this new “sunscreen” on its roads in a pilot program that will analyze how the treatment works.

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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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