SEMARANG – The rapid development in road construction in recent years has contributed significantly to the increase in global emissions.
To address this issue, Fardzanela Suwarto, PhD, a Lecturer at Undip, conducted an innovative research entitled “Performance Modeling, Life Cycle Assessment, and Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Natural Rubber Latex Modified Asphalt Pavement.”
This research aims to evaluate the use of Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) as an alternative material in asphalt pavement, replacing petroleum-based synthetic materials.
NRL is a renewable material that offers a sustainable solution for the road infrastructure sector.
Previous studies have also shown that asphalt mixtures with NRL have superior properties to conventional ones.
Fardzanela used the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to measure the environmental impact and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) to assess its economic feasibility.
The results showed that NRL has advantages in terms of environmental impact and economic cost.
Fardzanela recently revealed, “NRL exhibits better elasticity, higher strength, and superior durability. Even over 20 years, NRL requires less maintenance than conventional models.”
In addition, the LCA analysis results show that NRL has the lowest Global Warming Potential (GWP) in the road maintenance phase.
The research results show that natural rubber latex has less environmental impact. Rubber latex can also be an economical choice in the long run.
NRL has the potential to be an essential innovation in sustainable infrastructure development.
As a leading research university, Undip continues to support various research that positively impact society and the environment. Innovations in utilizing renewable resources, such as those made by lecturers of the Civil Infrastructure Engineering and Architectural Design Study Program D4 of the Vocational School, are strategic steps towards a more environmentally friendly future of infrastructure development.