Paving a New Way

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Fifteen years ago, a microbiologist in South America invented a new way to pave roads. It doesn’t require gravel or cement mixers, it can last for years without maintenance or repair, and it’s completely environmentally friendly.

Unable to capitalize on it himself, he is now partnering with Bellevue-based GreenStone International to bring the product, now rebranded GreenStone 1000, to market. One way the company has garnered exposure was teaming up with students, who developed a plan that won Seattle University’s business plan competition.

The GreenStone process involves a unique enzyme which, when mixed with soil and clay and compressed with a steamroller or similar vehicle, creates a waterproof substance as hard as concrete. Because very little excavation and other material are required, paving a GreenStone road costs anywhere from a third to half as much as an asphalt road, and the enzyme is completely organic and nontoxic.

“You can drink our road goo,” says Emily Marshall, one of the Seattle University graduates who is now working for the company.

Ping Chee, director of business development for GreenStone and one of the company’s co-founders, learned about the technology from an acquaintance five years ago. When he went to Brazil to look at some test roads, he found the surfaces showed almost no wear despite having been used as logging roads for 10 years.

Chee sees huge potential for the product, especially in the developing world where conventional building materials are expensive. GreenStone, by contrast, requires only pressure to solidify, resulting in a far cheaper and more efficient process.

GreenStone is now trying to raise capital and build a manufacturing facility. The company is now paving a test road in Auburn on a site owned by Icon Materials, a paving and site development firm that may be interested in distributing the product in the U.S.

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