Skip to main content

Improving road stabilisation techniques

Stabiliser/recycling machines are now well proven in road construction applications, giving a stable base layer on which to lay asphalt layers. A wide variety of technologies have been developed to help optimise this process and one proven road stabilisation product called Pavmax that has been used successfully in various markets including Latin America is now being made available worldwide. Introduced by NTI Holdings, Pavmax is a proprietary concentrated liquid, with a multi-enzymatic formulation that
October 3, 2014 Read time: 4 mins
Applying Pavmax is said to be easy as it can be mixed with water and sprayed on using a conventional bowser vehicle
Stabiliser/recycling machines are now well proven in road construction applications, giving a stable base layer on which to lay asphalt layers. A wide variety of technologies have been developed to help optimise this process and one proven road stabilisation product called Pavmax that has been used successfully in various markets including Latin America is now being made available worldwide.

Introduced by 8893 ELJ Technologies, Pavmax is a proprietary concentrated liquid, with a multi-enzymatic formulation that is intended to alter soil properties. Non-toxic and environmentally safe, the Pavmax product can offer effective road base stabilisation in an array of applications. According to the company, this allows improved methods for building or maintaining roads or highways, with the ability to cut costs by up to 40% compared with earlier generation road construction methods. A key feature of the product is that it is easy to apply, while it also does away with the need for any special equipment. As long as the compaction machines used for a job are used to the required specification, NTI Holdings says that any new or existing roads treated with Pavmax will feature a strong and highly durable base structure that requires less maintenance.
The product is said to lower the surface tension of water, promoting a fast and thorough dispersal of moisture. The company says that this action results in hydrated clay particles filling the voids throughout the solid, forming a tight, dense and permanent layer. By using Pavmax the company claims that required soil density can be achieved with less compaction effort, due to the increased lubricity of the soil particles. This product also helps reduce the quantity of water required during base layer preparation to achieve optimum moisture levels by up to 25%, a key issue on worksites at altitude or in remote areas where a convenient water source may not be readily available. Another cost-saving benefit is that the Pavmax product can reduce the need for hauling fresh aggregate to site, as the existing soil can become the road base as long as there are sufficient cohesive fines present. And for those applications where aggregates are required, lower cost dirty materials (with 15-20% cohesive fines passing a 200 screen) can be used as the dirty fines will help bond the structure together.
Both new and existing roads can be treated with Pavmax and the product is said to provide a durable structure that will require minimal maintenance. A wide array of applications can be achieved as Pavmax can be used on sites with ambient temperatures from near-freezing up to hot summer. It is highly versatile as it can be used in rainy climates or dry deserts, alongside dykes on mountains or underground. The firm says the product has been well-proven in an array of applications including runway construction, major highways, secondary roads, gravel roads, dirt roads, stabilising large (parking) areas and securing embankments and ditches. In the Brazilian city of Manaus, Pavmax was used to provide a stable base structure during the upgrade of various road links in the run up to the 2014 World Cup held earlier this year, as well as for the upcoming 2016 Olympics.

The Pavmax product is a water-based liquid enzyme in concentrate form that is said to be highly stable, environmentally safe and easy to handle as it is not a skin irritant, is non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic and biodegradable. The firm says however that it is necessary to avoid high temperatures and either high or low pH values when handling the product. As it is water-based, containers that have held the Pavmax product can be washed easily and then recycled for other uses if required.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Istanbul’s new airport benefits from Wirtgen Group machines
    November 22, 2017
    Construction of Istanbul’s new airport facility is benefiting from the use of a large fleet of machines from the Wirtgen Group. When it is complete, this will be the world’s largest airport and will be able to handle 150-200 million passengers/year as well as 6 million tonnes of freight/year. This will make the facility substantially larger than the world’s current largest airport, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which handles around 105 million passengers/year.
  • Peru’s Oyón -Ambo Highway presents challenges
    August 30, 2022
    Peru’s Oyón-Ambo highway project represents a landmark in construction for the country, while facing significant technical challenges – Paula Chapple, editor of Carreteras Pan-Americana (CPA), writes
  • Aggregates production innovations delivering efficiency
    August 1, 2017
    EvoQuip, the newest division of Terex Corporation, is launching a Cobra 230 impact crusher later this year, to sit alongside the Cobra 260. The 24tonne machine will offer a production capacity of 140-150tonnes/hour in asphalt and construction recycling. The Cobra 230 is 11.3m long and 2.46m wide, or 5.15m wide with a side conveyor. It features a quick set-up time and the machine can be moved onsite without having to stop the crusher. Keestrack says that its novel H4 tracked cone crusher is light and compact
  • Efficient aggregate production with new technology
    December 9, 2022
    New equipment is providing major benefits for aggregate production, offering superior product quality as well as increased throughput, while also being able to better meet sustainability targets for customers