Asphalt Rejuvenator Company Owner Explains The Options For Asphalt Pavement Management

PRT Group owner Rodger Rowles has released an article titled, “Understanding Your Asphalt Pavement,” in the CAI Community Voice online magazine to explain the three basic options that managers have for an asphalt pavement. These are to: do nothing and wait for pavement to deteriorate until milling/paving becomes necessary; initiate a maintenance program of seal coating every 2 to 3 years; and make use of a penetrating rejuvenator. He explains that among the three options, the rejuevenator is the most cost effective in the long run.

Robert E. Boyer, Ph.D., P.E., Senior District Engineer at the Asphalt Institute, says, “Applying the rejuvenator at periodic intervals can restore the asphaltene-maltene balance in the asphalt binder; this is so essential to maintain a ductile, playable pavement. It will aid in replasticizing old asphalt and improve its durability. With the proven performance of asphalt rejuvenator to revive an aging pavement, the engineer now has an economical method to extend pavement life.”

Colonel Jeffrey L. Leptrone, USAF Director of Technical Support, says, “A penetrating rejuvenator of this type (P-632) leaves little to no residual material on the surface to wash off and may be reapplied as often as necessary, without the buildup on the surface of the pavement.”

Asphalt rejuvenation has been used on airport runways, by the US Army, by US Air Force, and on many civilian pavements at hospitals, schools, office buildings, shopping centers, and HOA associations, etc., for more than 40 years. According to Rodger Rowles, the use of a water-based seal coating leaves some residue on the surface of the pavement and this will become oxidized quickly and then be washed down the drain, which can have negative effects on the environment. In contrast, there is little to no residual material on the surface of the pavement with the penetrating rejuvenator.

Also, reapplication of a seal coating over the years will gradually result in hardened pavement and some small cracks will soon appear. These cracks will gradually become larger until an asphalt overlay will then be required. The Conditioning Pavement Rejuvenator, CPR™, from PRT Group, has been developed in order to replace the lost maltenes in the original asphalt pavement. This will restore the ductility, viscosity, and bitumen content of the pavement and substantially extend its life.

The CPR™ is an alternative to emulsion sealers. This asphalt rejuvenator only has to be reapplied every 4 to 6 years. In contrast, sealers will have to be reapplied ever 2 to 3 years. The rejuvenator will also be applied by computer controlled equipment for a more even and accurate application. And because it requires less frequent reapplication, it is less costly over the long term. Furthermore, there would be less disruption to people using the pavement.

The asphalt rejuvenator is most suitable for new overlays or pavements that have not been seal coated. It should be noted that it is not a surface coating but rather a penetrant. Thus, it will penetrate into the asphalt with the result that it rejuvenates the asphalt binder to enhance pavement condition and minimize cracks and future repairs. And because it is designed to penetrate into the asphalt, there is hardly any residue. On the other hand, a sealant is a surface coating and is therefore left on the surface until it is washed away and gets into the drains, causing environmental problems.

Several studies have revealed that an appropriately implementation of asphalt maintenance program is actually three times more cost effective than having no maintenance. For asphalt pavements that are just left alone without any maintenance, oxidation will gradually cause the asphalt binder to become hard and brittle, which will result into pavement deterioration and will then require complete removal of the old pavement and its replacement with a new one. According to Rodger Rowles, no maintenance is the most expensive option among the three.

Those who want to know more about the asphalt pavement rejuvenation technology from the Pavement Rejuvenation Technologies Group can visit their website or contact them on the phone or through email.