Specialist asphalt supply for road upgrade

A major road in Norfolk has been improved following the installation of Tarmac’s largest ever supply of a specialist asphalt solution. This material grade has been designed to maintain roads where the underlying concrete has deteriorated
November 10, 2021 Read time: 2 mins
A special asphalt grade has been used to overlay deteriorating concrete on the A11 in the UK

The lean concrete base of an 8km section on both carriageways of the A11 near Thetford was identified as in need of repair. Tarmac was tasked with finding a long-lasting surface that would cut life cycle maintenance costs.

Working in partnership with National Highways and project consultants Atkins and following a whole-life cost analysis, Tarmac suggested the use of its fully recyclable ULTILAYER SAMI asphalt, a high-performance stress absorbing membrane interlayer. The team laid 80,000tonnes of material, including 7,000tonnes of ULTILAYER SAMI, the most Tarmac has ever supplied to a single project. In addition to being fully recyclable, this special asphalt is expected to increase the life of the pavement, resulting in lower maintenance requirements.

Phil Greenin, contracting framework delivery manager at Tarmac, said: “ULTILAYER SAMI is a proven technology that has been developed to tackle deteriorating concrete roads. Its previous applications on the strategic network, including on the M25, have demonstrated that its greater whole-life performance can extend pavement life, deliver longer resurfacing intervals and lower maintenance requirements.

Conventional asphalt grades used to overlay concrete often suffer from reflective cracking caused by thermal expansion in the underlying concrete and the effects of traffic loading. This leads to water ingress and failure that requires remedial work.

Designed to be laid onto concrete, the material is a finely-graded asphalt containing a heavily polymer modified binder (PMB), which provides a durable buffer to accommodate movement and prevent cracks appearing in the asphalt layers above. This was overlaid with a polymer modified binder course and surface course material to further increase the crack resistance of the carriageway.   

In addition to the new surface’s improved sustainability credentials, the Tarmac project team is ensuring that 100% of the old surface material will be recycled and is implementing a ‘carbon calculator’ to accurately identify where other emissions savings have been achieved.

Asphalt milling, paving & compaction Concrete milling, paving & compaction

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Germany builds its first major PPI autobahn project
    July 7, 2015
    Rebuilding of one of the oldest motorways in Germany is testing out the possibilities for public-private project road construction reports Adrian Greeman A freshly renovated section of the A8 Autobahn in southern Germany will be watched with some interest this summer as traffic begins driving along its rebuilt carriageway and additional third lanes. That is not because of any special road features, other than a distinctive reddish colour to its concrete surface, but because it is a first fullscale public
    Read More
  • Bitumen additives raise environmental questions
    February 14, 2012
    New products, including additives, are coming onto the market to help reduce the cost of producing bitumen. Patrick smith reports. According to Eng. Paolo Visconti of Iterchimica, environmental issues and the health and safety of operators of manufacturing plants and workers laying bituminous mixes have raised long debates on the possible harmfulness of fumes which are emitted when heating these mixes at the temperatures (160-180°C) required for their production. "If, on the one hand, the effects on operato
    Read More
  • Dual layer, hot to hot paving at German airport
    August 18, 2015
    An airport in Germany has seen the use of very innovative asphalt paving techniques, with the use of dual-layer, hot-to-hot working. The method was used to meet a very tight schedule for the runway rebuilding work, while also delivering the high quality required. Two InLine Pave trains from Vögele were used at Rostock-Laage Airport to lay a new surface and binder course. The operation was innovative as the process used both hot-to-hot, echelon paving as well as dual layer, hot-on-hot working. Using this
    Read More
  • Researchers trial 3D printing for both concrete and asphalt roads
    March 20, 2019
    Nearly a decade on from when Singapore’s Formula 1 (F1) track was first laid, Shell Bitumen’s high-performance binder, Shell Cariphalte, has been selected once more for resurfacing works. The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) sets stringent standards for the performance of its tracks, which are made even more challenging given Singapore’s climate. The road surface must remain constant, despite temperatures of up to 30oC and humidity levels above 70%. The 5km Marina Bay Street Circuit, wh
    Read More

Highlighted Content