The paper Alternative secondary raw materials for road construction, based on pulp and paper industry reject. PaperChain project is part of the European project PaperChain focused on replacing the cement or lime used to reinforce pavement with fly ash from the paper industry. The research has been carried out by researchers from the research group Construction Materials and Roads at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) in collaboration with ACCIONA Construcción and TECNALIA and compiles the findings on improving and stabilising the grounds that support roads. Cement and lime are important sources of CO₂ emissions and thus using fly ash instead significantly reduces the carbon footprint of road construction.

The World Road Association (PIARC) presented the prize on 6 October in Abu Dhabi as part of the 26th edition of the World Road Congress. The study, which won one of the eight prizes awarded, was awarded on Best Innovation prizes. It is co-authored by UPC researchers Hani Baloochi, Diego Aponte, Marilda Barra, Adriana Martínez and Rodrigo Miró. The study is also co-authored by Juan José Cepriá and Roberto Orejana, of ACCIONA Construcción’s Technology Centre, and Asier Oleaga, of TECNALIA.

Results of a case study in Zaragoza
The prize was awarded to one of the case studies of the PaperChain project carried out in Villamayor del Gállego (Zaragoza), in which one kilometre of a busy rural road was improved by reinforcing stabilised pavement with waste paper ash.

The Best Innovative prize was collected by Adriana Martínez, a researcher from the UPC’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Juan José Cepriá, of ACCIONA, on behalf of all the co-authors.

The World Road Congress is a centennial event that is held every four years and brings together the main actors in the road sector. Over 5,000 representatives from 120 countries attended this last edition.