Low temperature asphalt
Lower Temperature Asphalts (LTA) have been in use on the trunk road network and Local Authority network for over 10 years. However, guidance on the application of LTA products is less readily available and is often perceived to lack standardisation, when compared to hot asphalt counterparts.
This guidance document has been commissioned by the Midland Highway Alliance (MHA) in partnership with the Midland Service Improvement Group (MSIG). It is founded on the current state of the industry, along with local authority experience of their use of Lower Temperature Asphalts (LTA).
This document aims to share learning between authorities and provides a framework for information capture to enable the performance of schemes to be monitored for future whole life cost assessment.
This document builds on UK industry guidance, experience and current specifications; it is not intended to replicate information, but rather to signpost key information sources.
The ‘hierarchy’ of information sources is broadly:
- Experience from MHA/MSIG group Authorities
- Local authority experience from outside the MHA/MSIG
- Other experiences, including Highways England, in addition to Best Practice from industry and overseas experience
In 2014, the MHA commissioned a survey of its authorities on the usage of LTA. Based on the feedback, a significant barrier to uptake of LTA materials has been a low level of understanding of LTA proprietary products.
This guidance has been prepared in response to the 2014 survey and includes examples of real schemes and case studies where LTA has been used. It aims to provide a baseline for understanding and to share learning across MSIG and MHA to ensure appropriate use of LTA throughout the participating authorities.
A case study, including information on the use of LTA is available to download here