Green Construction at the Michigan Proving Grounds

In 2008, Ford rebuilt the test track at our Michigan Proving Grounds in Romeo, Michigan. This five-mile track is used by our new product development teams to test vehicle quality and handling under real-world driving conditions. The test track is a critical tool in the vehicle development process, but after 52 years of use, it was ready for an overhaul. We needed a way to rebuild the track as quickly and cost effectively as possible, but we also wanted to minimize environmental impacts. So, rather than hauling away tons of demolition debris from the old track and trucking in new materials, we reused nearly every bit of existing material and sent whatever could not be repurposed to a recycling center.

In order to do this, the old track was broken into pieces and transported to an onsite crusher, which processed the asphalt and concrete into recycled aggregate appropriately sized for road construction. The recycled aggregate was then transported back to the track, laid down in an 8-inch thick layer, compacted in place and covered with four layers of asphalt. The bottom two road layers use 40 percent recycled asphalt pavement, or RAP, which is the maximum amount allowable under Michigan Department of Transportation guidelines. The third road layer uses 25 percent RAP, and the final layer is a virgin mix for optimal quality control. In addition, we inspected and reused most of the original track's guardrail.

This recycling process saved 130,000 tons of asphalt and concrete, and miles of guardrail from going to a landfill. The unusable steel beams from the guardrails were sent to a recycling center, and the wood posts were mulched. Overall, approximately 200,000 cubic yards of material were kept out of the landfill, the equivalent of the materials in a 12-story building.

Recycling the old road materials onsite also saved Ford approximately $12 million. And, it provided a new vehicle testing feature for free. Ordinarily, all of the asphalt millings from the demolition process would have to be cleaned up and disposed at the end of the job. But for essentially no cost, we left those millings in place for use as a vehicle dynamics testing area, where we will test vehicle handling and responsiveness in extreme driving conditions.

In addition, the entire rebuilding process was extremely fast and efficient. The test track is critical to the vehicle development process, so it was essential that the track reconstruction be completed quickly. Because materials were recycled and promptly repurposed, construction was significantly shorter than if new materials had been trucked in each day. The entire rebuilding process was completed in only five months.

The new test track will provide a world-class surface that will help product developers continue to improve vehicle quality and handling. It is also a testament to the environmental and financial benefits of taking a green approach to construction.