How has 2025 paved the way for construction this year?

The road ahead appears full of exciting possibilities for much of the construction industry thanks to a strengthening pipeline of new orders coupled with a willingness to embrace sustainable materials – particularly recycled asphalt.

Two sectors experiencing significant growth are private industrial and private commercial where new orders increased year on year 100.8% and 48.6% respectively in the period July to September 2025. Strong performance in these sectors – plus new public housing (+72.5%) – offset smaller increases in others, resulting in an overall increase in all new work of 29.3%. Source: Office for National Statistics and Barbour ABI.

But while UK businesses are welcoming new orders, others are questioning their effect as the global climate crisis deepens. Construction has a “disproportionately harmful impact” on the environment, claimed Mavi et al in 2021. Two-thirds of the world’s population, 6.5 billion people, are expected to be urban dwellers by 2030, compared with 751 million in 1950, according to the UN. The resulting construction boom in cities, means the need for sustainable development has never been more urgent.

Driving innovation on roads

A nine-year trial of recycled asphalt planings (RAP) found that it matched or even outperformed traditional asphalt materials on durability and longevity.

Transport for London (TfL) contractor FM Conway trialled a mix of 50% RAP on a pavement section of the A1 in 2016 and two lanes of the A1 Mill Hill road. A third lane was set with a standard mix as a control. Both mixes contained polymer modified bitumen and the RAP mix was sourced from the high-speed network.

Samples taken last year found that:

• Both mixes tested well for water sensitivity, water resistance and bonding with lower layers
• The 50% RAP mix had better rutting resistance
• The 50% RAP mix also performed better in stiffness

“This trial demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and gives a strong signal to the supply chain that we are seeking innovative solutions to reduce the embedded carbon in our major construction materials,” says Isabel Coman, TfL’s director of engineering and asset strategy.

Pushing boundaries

In September, National Highways updated the Manual of Contract Documents for Highways Works (MCHW), increasing the permitted amount of recycled materials in road surfaces from 10% to 20%. National Highways has also carried out 14 trials with higher RAP proportions over the past five years. In 2024 FM Conway laid a 92% RAP stretch of road in Westminster.

Other highway authorities set their own thresholds, but the majority follow the MCHW. Meanwhile, TfL has added a clause permitting unlimited RAP use if contractors can demonstrate that they are meeting standards of quality and performance.

However, high proportions of RAP require a more intensive manufacturing process, where heat and water content conditions may require specialist asphalt plant technology.

On the right track?

With UK contractors winning thousands of orders for new roads in 2025, the case for sustainable construction methods and materials is likely to gain traction.