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UEL student replaces bitumen with chip fat in first road building trial

Monday 26 October 2009

Helen Bailey

University of East London (UEL) research student, Helen Bailey, was on site to inspect the first road laid with Vegetex, the mixture she designed, which includes waste vegetable oil as a partial replacement for bitumen in asphalt.

Helen, who works as a research manager with Aggregate Industries, has come up with an innovation which can replace up to 20% of the bitumen content in asphalt mixes with waste chip fat. Bedfordshire Highways, trialled the new construction material in October on a residential road in Bedford. 145 tonnes of surface material was laid, 40 tonnes of which was the Vegetex mix.

Helen said: “Using chip fat is a great means of recycling, reducing the need for landfill for waste oil and reducing the CO2 emissions which take place in creating and working with bitumen.”

Earlier this year, Helen was presented with the prestigious Fiona and Nicholas Hawley Excellence in Environmental Engineering Award, by The Worshipful Company of Engineers.

UEL Professor Chitral Wijasekeera, Helen’s research supervisor said: “Helen really is an outstanding young researcher. I’d delighted to supervise her work and I take a keen interest in the outcome of these road building trial.”

Helen’s Vegetex project has recently been shortlisted for an Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Innovation Award (Sustainability category). The awards recognise the products, processes and technologies that lead the way in engineering innovation.

For more information about research in our School of Computing Information Technology and Engineering, visit: www.uel.ac.uk/cite

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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