PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Accidents frequently occur on highways during slippery conditions, often due to insufficient asphalt roughness. To address this issue, a team of students from the Engineering Department at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) has developed an innovative solution: the production of durable, long-lasting asphalt layers. The primary objective is to enhance the durability and roughness of asphalt roads.
According to Bahrul Ilmi Mubarak, the team’s chairman, the inspiration for this idea stemmed from the urgent need to reduce emissions from asphalt materials, which are significant contributors to air pollution. By incorporating palm oil fiber waste and hot mud from Sidoarjo, East Java Province, into the asphalt mixture, the team aims to create more environmentally friendly asphalt layers.
As Palmoilmagazine.com quoted from the official page of ITS, the innovative approach also involved aerogel as the extraction output from the hot mud in Sidoarjo because it has the ability to absorb ferro (III) oxide (Fe2O3) from hot mud as asphalt pigment modification. Besides, adding mastic split with adaptive palm oil fiber would be about to escalate asphalt roughness and ability to absorb the water.
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Through the good cooperation with many parties, such as, Lapindo Brantas Inc, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), and PT Sinar Mas Agro, the team also hoped to implement their innovation in wider scale. The innovation would escalate not only the safety in the way but also be the potential mainstay asphalt for construction companies, such as, PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk.
The Team – Reswara 64 in ADHI Innovation for Construction 2024 got the third rank and showed that their innovation would have big potential. It is hoped the further and deeper research and development would become the better solution to develop safe and sustainable ways for the future. (T2)
