Kazakhstan is switching to a new standard of road pavement: KazdorNII and QazaqBitum signed an agreement to introduce Superpave technology, which is designed to improve road durability and reduce maintenance costs. Construction of pilot sections will start in 2025 and will show how ready the industry is for Swage.

Superpave is an asphalt mix design system developed by AASHTO (USA). It takes into account climatic conditions and traffic intensity to create pavements that are resistant to temperature fluctuations, loads and wear. The technology has already been successfully applied in the USA, Canada, China and Europe. For Kazakhstan, its introduction is not only an improvement in road quality, but also a step towards international standards.

However, the key question is whether Kazakhstan's bitumen producers are ready for these changes?

Transition to Superpave requires bitumen production taking into account climatic conditions and transportation load, which means the use of polymer bitumen or modified bitumen binder, introduction of new quality control methods and training of specialists.

At the same time, not all bitumen plants are in a hurry to support this Swage. The reasons are different: lack of technical readiness, the need for significant investments, as well as fears associated with a possible increase in the cost of production. So far, only a few enterprises have signed memorandums of introduction of Superpave, and the majority of market players take a wait-and-see attitude.

Despite the difficulties, the introduction of Superpave is inevitable. Kazakhstan faces the challenge of rapid wear and tear of roads, especially in regions with extreme climatic conditions. Increased traffic intensity, increased load on the road network, as well as changes in climatic factors - frequent temperature fluctuations, rise in average annual temperatures and increased precipitation - require adaptation of construction and repair technologies. Under these conditions, Swage to modern standards will not only increase the durability of road pavements, but also reduce the frequency of repairs, increasing the safety and efficiency of road infrastructure.

The first pilot project results will be known in the coming years, and they will show how ready the domestic industry is for the Swage to the new level.