Environmental protection during production of the asphaltic concrete
The new construction of highways, reconstruction or upgrade of existing roads require the funds and using of the qualitative resources. The asphalt mixing plants produces asphaltic concrete, which uses in construction or reconstruction of highways. The asphaltic concrete is a compound of mineral substances such as sand, gravel, mineral flour and viscous compound – bitumen. The specific feature of bitumen is a viscosity, but bitumen can be viscous only in a heated state. That`s why, viscous compound should be warmed up and delivered in heated state. Under these conditions, the asphalt mixing plants operate only in the warm season under favourable weather conditions. The asphalt mixing plants effect on environment through the emissions of pollutant substances into the atmosphere, noise and vibration. In accordance to the State Sanitary Rules 173-96, the sizes of sanitary-hygienic zone of the asphalt plant to the close residential development is 1000 m. Most of all, the asphalt mixing plants allocated in industrial areas on long distance from residential buildings. If the manager of the asphalt plants uses technologies that can reduce the negative impact, then the sizes of the sanitary hygienic zone can be reduced.
In Ukraine many asphalt plants operates, many of them are stationary and mobile. The mobility of the asphalt mixing plants allows moving them to new place. Many of them operates under the Chinese technologies. All required equipment, machines and constructions are delivered from China and collected here. On the land plot, where there asphalt-mixing plant operated, is required to conduct remediation.
What else is special of asphalt plant under Chinese technology? Technologies implemented in these asphalt-mixing plants focus on prevention of environmental pollution. For example, in the process of asphaltic concrete production, gas is used instead of diesel fuel. It contributes to reduce the emissions of pollutant substances in atmospheric air. Finished asphaltic concrete is stored in special cisterns, between the walls of which installed electric heaters. Under such conditions, finished compound is stored in heated state and used electric energy for warming up. The advantages of exploitation of such asphalt plants are the maximum resource efficient production. It means that all finished asphaltic concrete is used for new construction, reconstruction or upgrading of highways. In fact, such asphalt mixing plants are of high powered, for example, the volume of produced asphaltic concrete is more than 300 tones per an hour. When its exploitation, such asphalt plant impacts on environment through the emissions of pollutant substances in atmospheric air and noise of the machinery operations. Taking into account the above, the sizes of sanitary-hygienic zone for such asphalt-mixing plants can be reduced. In addition, for reduction the sizes of sanitary-hygienic zone of asphalt plant, the sanitary-hygienic zone around the object should made green. However, for doing this, it is required to consider the closed and open spaces (planting of shrubs and trees) for distribution of pollutant substances in the air. With that, it is not recommended to make very dense planting of the sanitary-hygienic zone for effective ventilation of the industrial site and around it.
The complying of ecological legislation and sanitary-hygienic norms for asphalt-mixing plant is not only obtaining of the permission for the emissions of pollutant substances into atmospheric air and project design of reduction the sizes of sanitary-hygienic zone. In accordance to the current law of Ukraine №2059-19 «On environmental impact assessment», the planned activity related with production of the asphaltic concrete is a subject of environmental impact assessment (EIA). Environmental impact assessment is carried out for several stages including the development of the notification on planned activity and its publication in mass media, researches of impact on biodiversity and human health, development the report on EIA, public discussions and obtaining the statement (conclusion) on environmental impact assessment for realization of planed activity. The special feature of environmental impact assessment is a transparency and accessibility of information on the procedure of EIA for everyone through the Unified register of environmental impact assessment. Environmental impact assessment in form “ready-to-operate” guarantees to control all stages of procedure of EIA and be responsible for its carrying out.
The specialists of MCL, LLC are experienced of providing ecological services for asphalt plants. The experts of MCL, LLC carried out the environmental impact assessment in form “ready-to-operate” for asphalt-mixing plants and designed the projects of reduction the sizes of sanitary-hygienic zone of the asphalt plant. Thanks to successful partnership with scientific and research establishments and institutions of the national Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the specialists of MCL, LLC conduct a comprehensive analysis the impact of asphalt plant`s activity on environment and human health.