Polish firms create scented asphalt so construction crews can smell the flowers - literally

A construction site near a newly-opened portion of a ring road is seen in Warsaw. File picture: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

A construction site near a newly-opened portion of a ring road is seen in Warsaw. File picture: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Published Aug 25, 2021

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Polish construction firm Budimex and refiner Lotos have created a floral-scented asphalt in a bid to improve working conditions for road builders, Budimex said on Monday.

While vapours emitted by ordinary asphalt are not harmful to humans, the novel material will provide a more comfortable working environment for construction workers paving roads, Budimex said.

The new bitumen contains a mixture of natural and synthetic essential oils, most of which neutralise the typical smell of asphalt, while the remaining ones add a more pleasing scent to the compound.

"At times one could smell the scent of flowers, which made working more pleasant", Slawomir Szpak, a foreman for Budimex was quoted as saying in a press release.

Budimex said it will consider introducing the new compound on a wider scale.

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