Skip to main content

Retexturing crucial UK route

Contractor Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald has used Klaruw’s advanced longitudinal grooving system, GrooveTex, to retexture sections of concrete surface on the M20 in the UK. The GrooveTex system improves and restores surface skid resistance by creating micro longitudinal grooves using closely spaced diamond-tipped saw blades at a predetermined width and depth. While being based on proven diamond-grinding techniques, Klaruw’s system is said to be optimised to provide significant improvements.
July 21, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Klaruw’s new grooving system has been used in the UK to improve skid resistance and boost safety for drivers

Contractor 1530 Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald has used Klaruw’s advanced longitudinal grooving system, GrooveTex, to retexture sections of concrete surface on the M20 in the UK.
 The GrooveTex system improves and restores surface skid resistance by creating micro longitudinal grooves using closely spaced diamond-tipped saw blades at a predetermined width and depth.  While being based on proven diamond-grinding techniques, 2311 Klaruw’s system is said to be optimised to provide significant improvements.

Unlike traditional grinding systems, GrooveTex adjusts to and follows the profile of the surface. The surface levels after treatment remain the same as the surrounding surface, avoiding the need for removal and reinstatement of road markings, road studs or ironwork.

Productivity is also said to be higher, as the machine has a retexturing width of 2m, said to be the widest of any unit available at present. A full lane width can be treated in a single pass using two GrooveTex machines in echelon.  The benefits mean that the GrooveTex treatment is less costly than competing systems, according to Klaruw.

The technology has been tested successfully on the M20 and is likely to be used elsewhere in the UK, to boost safety for drivers. Unaffected by wet weather, Klaruw successfully completed the GrooveTex treatment within the specified timeframe and with minimal disruption to motorway users. The system also has the potential to reduce road/tyre noise levels generated by concrete.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Multiple milling machines removing surface
    April 24, 2019
    Milling subcontractor Pavement Recycling Systems removed thousands of tonnes of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) from a runway at Oakland International Airport in California recently. The firm used a fleet of six Wirtgen W 210i cold milling machines to remove the asphalt in less than 60 hours from Runway 12-30, along the shore of San Francisco Bay. In total, 47,000tons of asphalt were milled within a 60-hour time frame, nonstop day and night, plus a single-shift second phase a week later. The firm start
  • All-new road markings on world’s highways
    June 28, 2013
    Road marking manufacturers have many innovative new products either currently being used on major highways or set to be made available within the next couple of years. Guy Woodford reports. Daan Roosegaarde, an artist, and Hans Goris, a manager at Dutch construction and infrastructure firm Heijmans, are developing intriguing new products for the road markings market. One innovation involves painting road markings with glow-in-the-dark paint.
  • The concrete option
    July 31, 2012
    Concrete highway construction techniques and technology continues to evolve. Mike Woof reports The recent increases in oil costs are having a knock-on effect for the road construction sector, as asphalt prices have increased noticeably and faster than those for concrete. This has spurred renewed discussion over which construction technique now offers the best long term solution for road building. The debate between those in favour of concrete and those preferring asphalt for highway construction has been on
  • Balfour Beatty supported Road Workers’ Safety Forum wins Royal Award
    December 20, 2013
    The Road Workers' Safety Forum (RoWSaF), a cross-industry group led by the Highways Agency and supported by Balfour Beatty and its joint ventures, has been recognised at the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards for its innovative and collaborative approach to improving safety for road workers. The RoWSaF team collected the award from His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent at a ceremony at The Savoy in London.