Application of satellite imagery in estimating stockpiled reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) inventory: A Washington State case study

Abstract Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is generally advertised as the most recycled material in the US and it comprises, on average, about 20% of the nationwide asphalt mixture production by weight. This study describes an economical method to estimate the volume and weight of RAP stockpiles using Google Earth Pro software and publicly available information on a case study of Washington State. Aggregating this information over a geographic area can provide accurate RAP locations along with quantity information for entire regions or states and within a range of years. Findings in this study contrast partially with aggregated estimates on receipt/use survey data from National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) for Washington State during the past decade. Discussions on data reliability, inconsistencies with NAPA survey results, and alternative approaches to utilizing the oversupply of RAP will also be presented.