Innovative Dutch road surfacing purifies air

Tests carried out in 2009 in the Netherlands revealed that specific road surfaces can have a considerable impact on local air purity. Initial test results for a road surface consisting of air-purifying concrete showed that this material reduces the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere by 25-45 percent. As part of the project, around 1,000 square metres of road surface was covered with air-purifying concrete paving-stones and subjected to normal traffic conditions. For roads where an asphalt surface is preferred, the air-purifying concrete can be mixed with open asphalt, according to JosBrouwers, professor of building materials at Eindhoven University of Technology. The material used in the tests is made by Dutch firm, StruykVerwo Infra, is commercially available and can also be incorporated in self-cleaning and air-purifying walls for buildings.
Further information:

• w3.tue.nl