On the lighter side of construction, Budimex, a construction firm out of Poland, and Polish oil refiner Lotos, hit the headlines by introducing a new street construction product with one big design difference: the asphalt smells like flowers.
Asphalt fumes don’t usually endanger workers, but Budimex says they want to make that process more enjoyable for installers and, eventually, everyone who drives on treated roads.
The new bitumen contains a mixture of natural and synthetic essential oils; these oils deaden the existing smell of the asphalt and add a refreshing floral scent.
“At times, one could smell the scent of flowers, which made working more pleasant,” Slawomir Szpak, Budimex foreman, said in a press release.
The product is still in early use, but Bidumex hopes for global adoption of their floral scented asphalt.