Skip to main content

Asphalt paving innovation from Aggregate Industries

The firm developed this new surface course in a bid to match increasing traffic volumes on the UK’s road network. According to Aggregate Industries, this material can speed up road surfacing by more than 40%. There is a major need to repave many UK roads, with the country’s vehicle population having increased by 10 million in the last 10 years. This has triggered an increased need for infrastructure maintenance. But the time needed to carry out road repairs can cause major problems for motorists.
October 20, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
A low-temperature asphalt solution has cut paving time on a trial project in the UK

The firm developed this new surface course in a bid to match increasing traffic volumes on the UK’s road network. According to 2297 Aggregate Industries, this material can speed up road surfacing by more than 40%. There is a major need to repave many UK roads, with the country’s vehicle population having increased by 10 million in the last 10 years. This has triggered an increased need for infrastructure maintenance. But the time needed to carry out road repairs can cause major problems for motorists. The latest solution from Aggregate Industries is a low-temperature, 20mm, SuperFlex surface course that can be laid in a single layer at depths between 100mm and 130mm to achieve a minimum surface texture.

The SuperFlex surface material removes the need for two separate treatments, a binder course and surface course, delivering pavement treatment in one, saving money and time.

Aggregate Industries trialled the new SuperFlex in March 2017, resurfacing the A3 Kingston Bypass, one of the busiest roads in South London, as part of the London Highways Alliance Contract (LoHAC). The trial saw SuperFlex help reduce the time needed to complete the project by 55%.

Martin Freeman, Area Manager for the South East Contracting at Aggregate Industries said, “By using the new 20mm Superflex instead of a traditional course pavement treatment, the team delivered an astounding 43% time-saving. This allowed the contracting team to surface an average of 600tonnes/night – with an unprecedented 700tonnes surfaced on 15th March.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New developments are pushing the pace of progress in asphalt paving
    January 4, 2013
    New developments will broaden the asphalt paving market - Mike Woof reports. A new approach to materials could help address rising bitumen costs. Increased use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in road construction can cut a major chunk from paving costs, with an array of technologies now available. In the US, RAP is one of the most widely recycled materials and current techniques allow roads built with this material to perform well for all traffic conditions. Some European countries are also making widesp
  • Asphalt plant innovations from key firms
    June 12, 2017
    Asphalt plant builders continue to develop new technologies to meet different demands from clients. Marini says that in addition to developing new and more sophisticated asphalt plants, the firm is also meeting demands from customers looking to upgrade existing asphalt plants with the addition of new systems. These can be used to boost output and material quality, while also delivering new grades of mixes. At the same time, plant upgrades can reduce the environmental profile of a plant, while improving its
  • CRCP is first choice for Belgian highway
    November 28, 2012
    Dan Gilkes reports on a Belgian highway upgrade When the Ministry of Public Works in the Belgian State of Flanders decided to reconstruct and resurface 19km of the N49 Antwerp-Knokke Expressway, continuously reinforced concrete paving (CRCP) with an exposed aggregate surface was the natural material choice. Indeed exposed aggregate, with its high grip and low noise benefits, has been the first option for all motorway surfacing work in Belgium since the 1980s. However, the €15.65 million contract is not a li
  • Versatile pavement re-texturing machine
    February 6, 2012
    AN INNOVATIVE wet steel shotblasting machine developed by pavement re-texturing specialist Klaruw is now being tested in the UK.