COLD CENTRAL PLANT RECYCLING

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) policy on pavement recycling states, “Recycling of pavements can offer engineering, economic and environmental benefits. Recycled materials should get first consideration in materials selection.” A sensible way to use recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in the stockpiles that have been accumulating in many geographies is in cold central plant recycling (CCPR).

Road Science’s Recycle Plus® CCPR is an option for rehabilitating lower traffic volume roads when an abundance of RAP stockpiles are available and when cold-in-place recycling (CIR) may not be feasible. The Recycle Plus CCPR process involves off-site processing and mixing of the RAP with a predetermined proportion of specially formulated asphalt emulsion. The mixture is then transported to the jobsite and placed in a manner similar to conventional hot mix asphalt. Typically a thin surface treatment is applied to add durability to the recycled mix.

The advantages of the Recycle Plus CCPR process include better process control of recycled materials compared to CIR, significant structural improvements without changing the geometry of the existing pavement and the utilization of lower-cost recycled materials.

Generally, a road rehabilitated with Road Science’s Recycle Plus cold central plant recycling delivers a cost savings of 25-50% compared to conventional paving.