When the three-day World of Asphalt trade show and conference kicks off Tuesday at America’s Center, more than 15,000 pavement professionals from across the U.S. will descend on downtown to check out the industry’s latest equipment, services, and technologies.
“And I’m sure they’re going to have some thoughts about the quality of downtown St. Louis streets,” says Lindsey Hermes, president and COO of BioSpan Technologies.
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The Washington, Missouri-based company manufactures pavement preservation products that can extend the lifespan of roads and make them safer for drivers—something the local demand for is clear, especially after this past winter.
Potholes are created when water seeps under pavement and freezes, expanding the road surface in the process. When the water thaws, it leaves gaps that ultimately weaken the pavement. The wear and tear of vehicular traffic makes things worse, and eventually holes form. Hermes says her company’s best-selling product, the asphalt sealant RePlay, can stop water from penetrating pavement in the first place, thereby extending the lifespan of roads, reducing maintenance costs, and preventing damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles. The molecules of the liquid solution are significantly smaller than water, allowing them to burrow deep into the matrix of the street surface.
Think of RePlay, which has already been used across 3 million lane miles of U.S. roadway, as a Botox injection for the streets.
“It’s rejuvenating what’s already there,” Hermes says, “activating the existing polymers, giving them new life, and helping the streets withstand surface traffic for another three to five years.”
More than $100 billion is spent each year in the U.S. on road maintenance, making it a significant financial burden for taxpayers. BioSpan’s solution not only helps alleviate those costs, but also promotes sustainability. The company uses oils from Missouri-grown soybeans, along with recycled materials, to create its RePlay sealant, giving it a net-negative carbon impact, Hermes says. “It’s 88 percent bio-based,” she says. “Right off the bat, it’s reducing carbon.”
Hermes’ father, Sheldon Chesky, launched the company more than 30 years ago, the result of a happy accident. A chemist by trade, Chesky was in his lab one day working on a formulation that ended up spilling on the floor. While cleaning, Chesky noticed the solution removed marks on the floor that had been there for a long time. That formulation eventually became an eco-friendly asphalt and tar remover that BioSpan continues to sell to this day.
“He’s the smartest guy I know and a true pioneer within pavement preservation,” Hermes says. “We’re used to preservation being oil-based—petroleum based. But we’re now seeing shifts in the industry around quality, availability, and price. That’s where we are providing a bio-based alternative that performs just as well as the traditional products. They are cost competitive, too, which means it’s going to translate into taxpayer savings.”
And maybe a few less headaches for drivers on city streets.
“Here in St. Louis, we’re used to driving over all those potholes,” Hermes says. “But when it comes to preventing them from even happening, we have the solution.”
What’s Next: During the World of Asphalt convention, Hermes will demonstrate how BioSpan’s products work. “We’re going to be filling a real pothole twice a day at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.,” she says. “We want to show that it’s not only efficient and cost effective, it’s environmentally friendly.”
