Detailed and numerous real world case studies have clearly shown that ACE XP Polymer Fibers® can significantly decrease cracking in asphalt pavements. Yet MacRebur Southern California, a producer of asphalt containing recycled plastics, wondered if ACE XP could help them solve a long-standing problem.
Adding recycled plastics to asphalt mixes is an innovative way to help the environment by reducing the volume of waste plastics going to landfills or incineration. The right recycled plastics can also help extend and enhance the bitumen binder. Yet in past initiatives prior to the new sustainability focus, roads containing recycled plastics tended to crack more than control pavement sections.
Surface Tech initiated a pilot project with MacRebur Southern California to learn if using Surface Tech’s para-aramid overlay solution with the plastic-additive mix would solve this problem.
No changes to the mix were required, so dosing of the ACE XP Polymer Fiber® did not interfere with the plant’s production rate, and the ACE XP-reinforced mix went down smoothly.
A control sample, along with the ACE XP-reinforced plastic-additive asphalt is currently undergoing a battery of requisite and comparative tests in the lab. Stay tuned for a report on the results of this new-innovation pilot project.
For details on how you can test ACE XP Polymer Fibers ® on your next project, visit https://surface-tech.com/pilot-program-acexp/