New carbon-negative road surface could help us on road to net zero

The ‘next generation’ construction material was identified in a competition we ran which offered funding for projects that would help meet targets for net zero carbon in maintenance and construction.

Four firms received up to £80,000 each to make their vision a reality and now the first of those – Seaham-based company Low Carbon Materials (LCM) - has been able to trial their product on one of our roads for the first time.

With the support of both Skanska and Tarmac, the trial is taking place on the northbound carriageway of the M11 in Essex and has been incorporated into essential resurfacing and maintenance work between junctions 7-8 scheme.

A test strip of asphalt concrete binder course containing LCM’s carbon-negative aggregate has been laid alongside a control test strip containing 100% conventional aggregate. It is hoped the carbon-negative aggregate will make a significant impact on our carbon emissions with minimal change to standard procedures.

Dr Joanna White, our Roads Development Director, said:  

“Solutions like this could have a real impact on our road to net zero carbon so we are delighted that we have been able to accelerate the development of the product and get it on one of our roads for testing.

“Collaboration is the key to innovation so we are grateful for the support of our supply chain partners Skanska and Tarmac who have helped make that happen.

“Testing the aggregate in real conditions on a motorway, under close scrutiny, will be far more effective in proving the durability of the product and hopefully its success.”

We launched the Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation competition, in collaboration with Connected Places Catapult, last year. It is the latest competition funded through Designated Funds, ring-fenced funding used to invest in and support initiatives that deliver lasting benefits for road users, the environment and communities across England. 

Innovation showcase

The four successful projects from the Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation competition, along with three winning projects from another of our recent competitions, Innovating to Improve Customer Experiences of Roadworks, were featured at an innovation showcase event at The Barbican in London last month.

The event included a panel discussion with members of the supply chain that highlighted barriers to innovations deployment and hints on how overcome these barriers.

Speaking at the event, our Chief Executive Nick Harris told delegates why we’re committed to both accelerator programmes to tackle carbon emissions and improve customer experiences through roadworks.

“We have a fair few pressing needs: much of our road network dates from the 1960s and 70s and we have to look after it in the most sustainable way,” he said.

“We have extremely demanding net zero targets; a diverse customer base whose expectations are rapidly changing; and we must improve how we operate, maintain and modernise the network to help better connect the country, protect the environment and support the economy.

“Through these accelerator programmes, Connected Places Catapult has been fundamental to enabling us and our supply chain to connect with the best and brightest minds and get closer to meeting those pressing needs of ours.”

Our Executive Director for Safety, Engineering & Standards Mike Wilson added that the need for innovation “has never been greater: customers desire safer, more informed, more reliable journeys; and as a company we need answers to ageing infrastructure, climate change, and delivering on net zero carbon.”

Competition winners

The firms that made it through to the final stages of our innovation competitions and are continuing to develop their projects are:

Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation

• Low Carbon Materials (LCM), Seaham – to trial a new carbon-negative aggregate road surface

• PRG (Scotland) Limited, Hamilton – to produce a bitumen-like substance which would be useful for road construction and repairs

• Circular11 Ltd, Christchurch, Dorset – to provide highly durable, maintenance-free fencing material that turns mixed low-grade plastic into low-carbon infrastructure, and which will be collected and recycled at end-of-life

• Asset International Structures, Cwmbran – to develop smart fibre reinforced plastic bridge beams that incorporate a novel optical fibre, enabling structural performance monitoring in real time and over long term

Innovating to Improve Customer Experiences of Roadworks

• Cambridge-based Alchera Technologies which will use AI to improve roadwork planning by better understanding the impacts of different roadworks and road closures ensuring the best option for road users and reduced delays

• Robok, also based in Cambridge, will use AI-powered computer vision technology to analyse CCTV footage offering a better understanding of both road user and roadworker behaviour and helping to improve people’s experiences of roadworks

• WordNerds, of Gateshead, will provide new insights on people’s perception of roadworks using AI powered text-analytics which will help us make evidence-based improvements on planned works