Creativity
Mexican Student Invents Rubber Road Pavement That Fixes Itself When It Rains
Saves billions of dollars as well as time.
A young Mexican university student has added to the alternative choice for pavement one that regenerates itself every time it rains. Israel Antonio Briseño Carmona has invented a simple formula that allows the government and companies to save billions of dollars. It earned him the 2019 James Dyson Award for Mexico.
Antonio is a student from the Autonomous University of Coahuila in Torreón, Mexico and has invented this after observing the nature of Mexico as well as how road pavements are always damaging the environment.
He explains how his invention works to Expansión, “What happens is that when it rains, water filters down to the subbase [of the pavement], creating a fault, and when cars pass over it, it collapses. That’s why I wanted to turn the main material that deteriorates into one that can recover. This project [can allow] water to instead be a source of maintenance for our roads.”
Antonio has patented his invention under the name Paflec. He wishes to form a partnership with a construction company and wishes to earn 5% of the commission but so far, he hasn’t had a partner.
He plans to meet up with an engineer that will help him out in smelling out the issues out of his inventions. He also wants to test out his invention on a short strip of road to make that it works as how it should. He also plans to get a certification from ONNCCE for construction use and finally, approval from the authorities.
He also added that while there is self-regenerating pavement, none has the use of tire or water. Mind Unleased also reported that tires are one of the greatest sources of microplastics found in California’s water. Materials typically used are also often poor and harmful, while reusing tires is more sustainable in comparison.
