Martin Product Sales LLC
Central Plant Recycling
“Cold recycling can play a major role in the upgrade of secondary low-volume roads.” – Transportation Research Record N1106
Low Cost Paving with Recycled Materials
When an asphalt pavement or asphalt surface has reached the end of its life, it is usually milled off of the pavement before reconstruction. While the asphalt binder in these millings is normally age-hardened, the reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) can contain valuable road paving material. In some jurisdictions, RAP is stockpiled and even considered as a hazardous waste. In central plant recycling, the RAP is screened, crushed, sized and mixed with an asphalt rejuvenator. The recycled mix can be transported immediately to a job site, or it may be stockpiled for later use. The RAP can be freshly milled, or it may come from a stockpile. The plant can be a fixed plant or a portable plant. The recycled material can be replaced on the original pavement or transported to a different road.
Central plant recycled mix is an ideal low-cost paving material for improving low volume, previously unpaved roads, poor quality roads, or shoulders. It is also an ideal use for accumulated RAP stockpiles. However, the RAP stockpile should be not contaminated with unwanted materials, and the RAP tested for suitability. Additional aggregate or other additives may also be blended in to correct the gradation or improve the mix. Cold plant mixtures can be dense graded or open-graded. Cold-laid asphalt mixes may be used for surface, base or subbase courses. The structural capacity of recycled cold mix can be considered equal to that of conventional cold mix paving materials The asphalt rejuvenator used to recycle the RAP may be emulsified, cutback or a soft asphalt cement, and it may have rejuvenator oils, polymers or other additives; or it may be unmodified asphalt.
