Recycled Asphalt Shingles: Innovation toward Zero Waste and a Smaller Carbon Footprint

1. Recycled Asphalt Shingles: Innovation toward Zero Waste and a Smaller Carbon Footprint CRRA Annual Conference Zero Waste: Vision to Reality Michelle Caulfield, Cascadia August 4, 2009

2. King County LinkUp Program King County, WA Solid Waste Division Works to expand markets for selected recyclable and reusable materials through research, stakeholder engagement, and programs. 2009 focus on asphalt shingles, polystyrene, and mattresses.

3. Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) • Manufacturing Scrap (post-industrial) • Tear-Off (post-consumer)

4. Market Development Opportunity • Landfill diversion • 17,000 tons of asphalt shingle waste in King County each year • Only 1,000 tons are recycled • Valuable resource currently being disposed • Limited recycling markets • Road base • Fuel • Hot-mix asphalt-HMA

5. Leading High-Value Market is HMA • Rapidly Developing Market • National movement on specifications and BUDs to allow tear-off RAS in HMA • Producers already using RAP and RAS in HMA • Costs • Oil prices/asphalt supply–potential to save $3.50 – $7.50 per ton of HMA • Solid waste costs and tipping fees–potential to divert 5,000 tons annually in King County HMA photo • Push toward GREEN • Zero Waste/C&D focus • LEED-ND • GHG emissions–potential to reduce GHG by 1 million metric tons annually in King County

6. Paving Demonstration Project • Overview: Second year of effort to demonstrate use of tear-off RAS in HMA on a King County road. • Goal: Cost-effective product that meets specifications, performs over time, minimizes risk, and diverts significant tonnages from landfills. • Design Considerations: • Minimize risk • Performance over time • Health, environmental and safety standards • Recognition by industry and public agencies • Broad application of results

7. Two-mile stretch of SE 416th Street in South King County • Paving scheduled for September 2009 • King County Department of Transportation is the sponsor • Washington State Department of Transportation providing mix design and laboratory testing • 3% RAS and 15% RAP; 4 test sections; 2 control sections • Woodworth & Company has been selected as the paving contractor; will process the RAS as well

8. Strategies for Success Learned from elsewhere; involved technical experts with RAS experience Engaged diverse stakeholders upfrontin project design; kept them informed along the way Developed partnerships with leading road agencies Developed tight and rigorous material quality specifications and testing protocols Employed strategic and flexible approach to procurement Prioritized good project management, facilitation, and communication

9. The National Experience • Specification development • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) • Allows for tear-off RAS • Virgin binder replacement framework • Provides guidance for state DOT’s writing their own shingle specifications • Second generation of specifications–more sophisticated, more control over performance • Environmental issues and regulatory protocols • Asbestos - restrict supply and randomly sample/test • Speculative stockpiling • Standard aggregate handling issues • Education and technical assistance • Technical consultant • Sent King County stakeholders to past forums • Developed research summary memos

10. Stakeholder Engagement • Met with key public agencies at the outset to assess local interest; conducted localindustry research to verify capacity • Engaged some 100 representatives of shingle recyclers, paving contractors, transportation agencies, health departments, environmental regulatory agencies and solid waste agencies • 18-member project advisory group • Project design & direction • Road selection • Material specifications and testing protocols • In-kind and financial contributions • Ongoing communication through project update emails • Project website provides project history, documentation, updates

11. Transportation Agency Partners • Partnership with KCDOT has been critical to current and future success • Wasn’t easy, involved making the sell at all management levels • Managing risk, increasing engineering comfort level • Strong commitment to testing and evaluation over time – real ownership • Significant market development and diversion potential – some 100,000 tons of HMA used annually in overlay • WSDOT support and services have provided additional clout to the project • Helped to manage risk • Provides a path toward broader market development

12. Specifications and Testing Protocols • Ensure a high quality product that performs and meets health, safety and environmental standards • Stiffness, cracking – asphalt content • Extraneous materials • Asbestos • Other regulatory (stormwater, air quality, safety, solid waste handling) • Collaborative process with leading transportation and regulatory agencies • Involvement of private industry to ground requirements in reality • Product samples • Specification review • Outcome-oriented approach • Clear responsibilities for KCDOT, WSDOT and contractor

13. Procurement & Contracting • Material and processing research • RAS RFI/WSDOT report • Stakeholder meetings • Site visits to RAS processors and HMA producers • Flexible and adaptable procurement approach to meet partner needs • RAS procurement part of HMA contract • Stand alone demonstration project • Hybrid ITB and RFP process • Focus on bidder responsibility • Verification forms to screen for ability to meet tight standards • Focus on outcomes versus process

14. Next Steps • Paving and testing • Project documentation and reporting • Written report • Video • Local press • Trade journal articles • Construction & Demolition World • Better Roads • Workshops with stakeholders

15. More Information • King County LinkUp website • http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/LinkUp/index.asp • Shingles Recycling website • www.shinglerecycling.org • Upcoming events • Two upcoming webinars from National Asphalt Paving Association (8/26) • Forum in Chicago, November 5 and 6 • http://www.shinglerecycling.org/content/asphalt-shingle-forum-home • Kris Beatty , LinkUp Program Manager – King County Solid Waste Division • (206) 296-3740 • kris.beatty@kingcounty.gov • Michelle Caulfield • (206) 449-1106 • michelle@cascadiaconsulting.com