The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), is a promotional body formed in 2000 through a partnership between MPA Asphalt and Eurobitume. AIA's promotional activity is very important on the sector agenda and has significantly raised the profile of the need for Government to invest in highways infrastructure, and particularly in its maintenance.
AIA publishes the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) Survey (more than 25 editions) and is a focal point for media contact on the issues which extend further than simply "potholes".
AIA, in further partnership with the Institute for Highways Engineers (IHE), collectively support the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Better Roads, taking the messages directly to Parliament and working with MPs etc. to identify potential solutions to potential Regulatory blockers.
MPA and its predecessor Associations have carried out collaborative research with its upstream bitumen supplies (Eurobitume UK Members) and downstream customer (Highways England) for several decades. The majority of the work has been carried out at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) and most reports will be available to download for FREE from its website. In recent years, the Collaborative Research programme has been carried out by AECOM, with outputs and reports found here.
This joint effort in deriving and delivering innovation across the sector has enabled, for example, the accelerated adoption of materials, specifications and best practice guidance for the UK market. By delivering research needs in collaboration, there is generally more chance that outcomes are acceptable, reasonable and practical for implementation.
Specific examples include:
The aim of the Best Practice Guide is to encourage everyone working in the asphalt industry to contribute to making pavements as durable as practical. To enable people to fulfil this aim, they need to know not only the actions they can take to enhance or damage durability, but also how their actions may impinge on the efforts of others.
Asphalt Pavement Embodied Carbon Tool (asPECT) provides a methodology to calculate the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions or ‘carbon footprint’ of asphalt used in highways.
The overall objective of this project is focused on ensuring that asphalt surfacings continue to deliver value for money and to maximise the benefits from innovation on the Strategic Road Network.
The impact of road traffic noise can have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents close to major road networks. One of the most effective measures for reducing the noise from road traffic, particularly on high-speed roads, is to ensure the use of a low noise road surface.
MPA is a founder-member of the European Asphalt Pavement Association. In a similar fashion to that in which MPA liaises on UK issues, so does EAPA with other European and global bodies. EAPA runs Committees and Task Forces to address relevant industry issues which transcend borders. These will result in guidance and position papers, technical reviews, briefings, workshops and seminars to disseminate information as appropriate. It has close advocacy contacts within the European Parliament and tracks Regulatory influences. EAPA also has close links with other sector Associations in Brussels, and of course the central Eurobitume office where together they co-organise the E&E Congress, every four years.
MPA is also involved in liaison and co-operation with other Client Organisations, such as ADEPT, LCRIG and DIO.
Collaboration with ADEPT produced a guide on "Service life of asphalt materials for the purposes of asset management", designed to assist asset managers unfamiliar, or without verifiable data, to make reasonable assumptions on the life of asphalt materials when developing Asset Management Plans and strategies.
MPA and AIA have been partners with HighwaysUK since its inception: ever-present (except when COVID struck staff) with a stand, and speaking on both the main and ‘satellite’ / Hub stages. MPA has also been represented on the Event Board helping to shape the overall content.
Highways UK is recognised as a ‘must attend’ for the highways and road infrastructure sector in the United Kingdom. It is the place for market knowledge, innovation and new business, for the entire value-chain.