RAP Study on Roads 2026: What Changes for Construction and Asphalt Companies

Key data

Road construction companies and asphalt mixture manufacturers have an ongoing study that could change the rules of the game in public road construction tenders in Spain. CEDEX has extended its agreement with Padecasa Obras y Servicios SA to continue analyzing whether pavements with recovered asphalt (RAP) perform as well as conventional ones. The extension, signed on March 31, 2026 and published in the BOE on April 13, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-8191), indicates that the study needs more time to obtain conclusive data on long-term durability.

It is not a regulation that requires changing anything today. But it is the prelude to changes that can indeed be mandatory tomorrow in the technical specifications of road tenders. Ignoring it now could mean arriving too late when the results are published.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution publishes the amendment extending the collaboration agreement between the Center for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works (CEDEX) and Padecasa Obras y Servicios SA. The purpose of the agreement is to develop a study to analyze and compare the durability of bituminous mixtures incorporating recovered asphalt (RAP) in road pavements versus conventional mixtures without recycled material.

The study has a clear technical objective: to determine whether pavements with RAP perform the same in the long term as traditional pavements. The extension is justified because the study requires more time than initially planned to obtain conclusive data on durability.

Economic and operational impact

This study does not generate direct costs for companies in the sector today. The economic impact will come when the results are published and translated into the technical specifications of road construction tenders. At that point, the impact can be twofold:

• Opportunity: If the study confirms that mixtures with RAP have durability equivalent to conventional ones, the use of recycled asphalt could be encouraged or even required in public works. Companies that already work with RAP or that invest now in capacity to produce mixtures with recycled material will be at a competitive advantage in tenders.
• Risk: If the results show doubts about RAP durability under certain conditions, the specifications could restrict or condition its use. Companies that have heavily bet on this material without their own validation data could find themselves in a complicated position.

The fact that the study has been extended indicates that current data are not sufficiently conclusive to make regulatory decisions. This gives companies room to prepare, but it also means that uncertainty is prolonged.

From an operational perspective, construction companies participating in road tenders must be alert to any updates to technical specifications that may result from the study's conclusions. Asphalt mixture manufacturers, for their part, must assess whether their production capacity with RAP is aligned with possible scenarios.

Who does it affect?

• Road construction companies: They are the most directly exposed. The technical specifications of their tenders may change based on the study results, affecting the materials they can or must use.
• Asphalt mixture manufacturers and suppliers: The study may condition the demand for mixtures with or without RAP. They must follow the study's progress to adjust their offer and production capacity.
• Public works organizations: Administrations and public entities that tender road works will have to adapt their technical specifications when the study results are conclusive.
• Consultants and technical advisors in the road sector: They must incorporate monitoring of this study in their risk and opportunity analyses for clients in the sector.
• Pavement recycling companies: The study result may boost or slow down the demand for RAP as raw material for asphalt mixtures.

Practical example

A medium-sized construction company that regularly participates in road conservation and rehabilitation tenders in Spain uses conventional asphalt mixtures in most of its works. Currently, some specifications already allow the use of mixtures with RAP, but do not require it.

If the CEDEX-Padecasa study concludes that mixtures with recovered asphalt have durability equivalent to conventional ones, it is foreseeable that the technical specifications of future tenders will incorporate the use of RAP as a requirement or as an evaluation criterion. In that scenario, this construction company would have to demonstrate capacity to produce or supply mixtures with RAP, or would be at a disadvantage compared to competitors who already do so.

Conversely, if the results show limitations in RAP durability, companies that have invested in equipment specific to recycled mixtures without their own validation data could see reduced demand for that product in public works.

The time to prepare is now, while the study is underway and before the results are translated into the specifications.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if you participate in road tenders: If your company competes for road construction, conservation or rehabilitation works, this study affects you directly. Add it to your regulatory monitoring radar.
2. Evaluate your current capacity with RAP: Analyze whether you have the capacity to produce or supply bituminous mixtures with recovered asphalt. Identify gaps against possible scenarios that the study may generate.
3. Follow CEDEX publications: CEDEX publishes its studies