On August 18th, a Chip Seal project took place in Gaston, Indiana. This project was completed by the Delaware County Highway Department. Chip seals are used to prevent water intrusion into a pavement and create a high friction surface for safety. Chip seal emulsions can be polymer modified to improve aggregate retention and provide for a quicker return to traffic.
This week, Thursday, August 25, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. EDT Women of Asphalt is hosting its very first August virtual wine mixer.
One of the organization’s goals is to give more women in the asphalt industry a place to feel connected, supported, and provide networking opportunities within the industry as they grow their careers.
This Asphalt Materials Inc. (AMI) project included the construction of two (2) winter tanks and three (3) polymer concentrate tanks at our Urbana, IL location. Additionally, we added an in-line blending system and truck loading station. AMI also leveraged Champaign Asphalt’s help with site grading and underground civil construction work.
Fog Seal Treatments can be a valuable aid to renew weathered asphalt surfaces while also improving the appearance of the surface.
A fog seal is a single application, typically light, of emulsified asphalt to an existing asphalt road surface. This type of maintenance treatment can be a valuable aid to renew weathered (oxidized) asphalt surfaces, improve the surface appearance, seal minor cracks and surface voids, and inhibit raveling.
On July 29th a fog seal project took place in Morgan County, Indiana. The pictures in this article are from that project.
Location: Warsaw, Indiana
2820 E. Durbin St. Warsaw, IN 46580
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 6:30am – 3:30pm
Office: 574-267-5076
History:
This plant was originally located in Columbia City and was owned by Bituminous Materials and moved to Warsaw in 1975. The Warsaw plant has been part of the AMI family since 2009.
Products:
We provide different emulsion products out of this facility including non-tracking and polymer modified.
Fun Facts:
Truck & Rail access
At AMI, our dedicated team of experts are ready and available to help meet all your construction and materials needs. We specialize in asphalt emulsions, polymer modified binders, cold mix, asphalt emulsion seal coat base, crack sealants and more. With our talented laboratory technicians and hard-working plant staff, creating the highest quality asphalt emulsion products is our number one priority. We provide the finest asphalt materials within our customer’s budgets, specifications and time frame without sacrificing quality. We keep you up to date on the latest practices and materials, so you don’t miss a beat when it comes to your roads.
Our products are customized to fit your needs. View our featured products by application below. Then get in touch with us. We are more than happy to answer any questions that arise for your next road project. https://asphalt-materials.com/products/
Our customers know they can rely on us for their superior road solutions. If you have general questions about products, customization, locations, etc. reach out to our Warsaw team today for your road repair and maintenance needs.
“This research helps to confirm the direction the department has taken with recent changes to longitudinal joint specifications.”
– Project Manager Dan Kopacz, WisDOT
How to Create Better Longitudinal Joints?
The longitudinal joint is the Achilles’ heel of every paved road. Road managers know the first part of the pavement to fail is the longitudinal joint. As the road’s most permeable part, this joint is susceptible to the elements, especially with their inherently lower density. Air and water work down through this unavoidable seam in the pavement causing the joint to deteriorate, crack, and pothole. And when the longitudinal joint fails, the rest of the road soon follows — triggering the need for even more maintenance and costly repairs.
Spring is finally here, and that means construction season is underway! As we all know, construction zones can be extremely dangerous places for both drivers and workers. That’s exactly why the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) hosts its annual National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), this year from April 11-15. The weeklong campaign is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of work zones and encourage drivers to use extra caution when driving through any.
Many states are looking for methods to improve longitudinal joint performance of their pavements, since these joints often fail before the rest of the surface. With the inherently lower density at the longitudinal joints we often see pavements fail by cracking, raveling, and potholing. Lower density is synonymous with higher air voids which leads to premature failure of pavements due to the intrusion of air and water. Studies have shown that longitudinal joints in pavements are often the weakest areas of a road. (1)
Several state DOTs (Department of Transportation) are now using a materials approach to seal the longitudinal joint region by filling these air voids with asphalt content from the bottom up.
The materials approach is referred to as VRAM(2), a Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane. VRAM is a highly polymer-modified asphalt cement that is placed at the location of a longitudinal joint before paving. As mix is paved over it, the VRAM melts and migrates up into voids in the low-density mix, making the mix impermeable to moisture while sealing the longitudinal joint itself.
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) test pavements were evaluated after 12 years and found to have longitudinal joints that exhibited significantly better performance than the control joint sections and were in similar or better condition than the rest of the pavement. Laboratory testing of cores showed decreased permeability and increased crack resistance of mix near joints with VRAM as compared with similar mix without VRAM. The life extension of the joint area is approximately 3–5 years, and the benefit is calculated to be three to five times the initial cost.
This project’s VRAM application began at 8:05pm with ProTack operating the 05-distributor shooting from the driver’s side. They started at address N3362 in the eastbound lane. Ambient temperature was 61F and existing pavement was 80F. ProTack applied a straight and consistent line throughout the project. VRAM width was measured with an average of 18 inches. (3)
The paving crew started at 11:40. Paving equipment consisted of a Volvo P7170B paver, Sakai SW850-II – 12-ton breakdown roller and a Volvo DD25B-5-ton finish roller. Width was 12 feet. Mix temp was 275F under the screed.
J-Band® is a VRAM product from Asphalt Materials, Inc. and was created in the labs of the Heritage Research Group.
J-Band has been helping roads last longer since 2002. VRAM has been used in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
Notes:
Keywords: Infrastructure, Void Reducing Asphalt Material, Longitudinal Joints, J-Band, binder specifications, pavements, design and rehabilitation of asphalt pavements, asphalt, construction, asphalt pavement construction and rehabilitation, materials, binders, Asphalt Materials, The Heritage Group, Milestone, HC&M, Heritage Research Labs.
During the 2016 construction season a new method of longitudinal joint construction was specified in Illinois. This new method is a materials approach and is referred to as VRAM(2), a Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane. Applying VRAM at the time of construction helps fill the pavement voids, thus reducing the permeability in this most critical area.
As part of their evaluation, DuPage County ensured that test cores were taken on different joint constructions, such as VRAM and joint heater. DCT, I-FIT, density, and asphalt binder grading tests were performed to compare the different joint construction methods. The report summarized that the addition of the VRAM contributes to a more durable joint by partially filling the joint and adjacent mat air voids. The joint will be much less permeable and less likely to allow water infiltration.
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