Ensuring roads and other paved surfaces remain in good condition is crucial for protecting public safety and providing essential infrastructure. However, the traditional methods used to replace deteriorated asphalt can be costly, time consuming, and wasteful. These issues are magnified when you consider how many miles of road and parking lots need to be restored on a regular basis due to simple wear and tear. Removing and replacing pavement and it’s underlying aggregate base entirely used to be the only way to remediate worn-out roads, but today there is another option that is far more expedient, affordable, and ecofriendly — full depth reclamation (FDR).
UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF FDR
What is full depth reclamation? In simple terms, it involves reusing the existing asphalt road aggregate base material to create a stronger, more stable surface. There are four main steps to the process:
- Pulverizing the existing pavement — The asphalt is pulverized with a road reclaimer, converting it into a usable aggregate base that can be reused in-place to revitalize the road .
- Stabilizing the base — Additives are used to increase the strength and durability of the original materials that have been pulverized into a well blended aggregate base.
- Shaping the material — The reclaimed & now stabilized materials are shaped and compacted to create a smooth, stable surface for the restored roadway.
- Application of wearing course — Thin surface overlays like a micro-surface, chip seal, or thin HMA surface protects the restored pavement and gives it added stability.
There are three main techniques typically used for FDR projects, which vary based on the additives used to stabilize the base:
- Mechanical — Aggregate materials are mixed into the pulverized asphalt & aggregate base .
- Bituminous — This technique involves mixing liquid emulsions into the pulverized asphalt & aggregate base .
- Chemical — Lime, fly ash, or cement are utilized to strengthen and stabilize the existing pulverized asphalt & aggregate base materials.
THE BENEFITS OF FULL DEPTH RECLAMATION
The traditional remove-and-replace approach to road reconstruction was more or less the only one for a long time, but not necessarily because it offered many advantages. This process tended to be a drawn-out one, with projects requiring a week or longer to complete under most circumstances. It also called for hundreds — sometimes thousands — of truckloads of material to be hauled to and from the site, racking up significant fuel costs and contributing a lot of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Using FDR eliminates these issues, because the existing material is pulverized in place, remains on the ground, and is ready for stabilization immediately, there’s no need to transport large quantities of materials to and from the site. This also cuts down on the amount of time the project requires by an average of 55% in most cases. Not only does the process result in lower emissions from trucks, but also recycling the existing material means fewer resources are consumed. This makes FDR a more environmentally sustainable process overall. The resulting pavement also has greater durability, able to hold its structural integrity for a longer period of time.
CONTACT ROCK SOLID TODAY
Rock Solid Stabilization & Reclamation, Inc., is the leader in providing full depth reclamation services for contractors, developers, and governmental entities across the country. We’ve completed countless successful projects, such as this one in Orland Park, Illinois. To learn more about everything we have to offer, reach out and speak with one of our representatives today.