Asphalt concrete is a mixture mainly composed of mineral aggregates, asphalt binder, and additives. Aggregates and asphalt binder are typically heated at an asphalt plant, mixed according to precise formulas, and loaded into trucks for transport to paving sites.
GSA IRA LEC material requirements
GSA IRA limits for low embodied carbon asphalt
(EPD-reported GWPs, in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per metric ton — kgCO2e/t)
Top 20% limit |
Top 40% limit |
Better than average limit |
55.4 |
64.8 |
72.6 |
Compliance documentation
A product-specific Type III (third-party verified) EPD that: (i) is based on the PCR used to develop these limits: the National Asphalt Paving Association’s Product Category Rule for Asphalt Mixtures, (4/2022, version 2.0) [PDF]; and (ii) conforms with ISO 14025 and ISO 21930. Where feasible, EPDs must also rely on facility-specific data, including for the supply chain’s associated unit processes, such as asphalt binder production, rather than industry or manufacturer average data. If an EPD containing facility-specific data for the material’s most greenhouse-gas intensive processes is unavailable, an EPD without such data that meets Compliance Documentation criteria (i) and (ii) is sufficient.