By Donald H. Taubert, Director Promotion & Technical Service, Capitol Cement
Tapatio
Springs, a world-renown golf resort located just west of Boeme, Texas, in the
Texas Hill country, recycled some of its roads with full-depth recycling, using
portland cement. The job was done in only 10 days, at about one-third the cost
of removal and replacement.
Travis Cannon, president of Tapatio Springs Homeowner's Association, recommended to the board of directors that Tapatio Springs recycle its failed asphalt pavement with a method called full-depth recycling. Tapatio Springs is a planned community, centered around a world-class 27-championship-hole golf course located just west of Boeme, Texas, nestled in the picturesque hill country.
The association elected to recycle two streets. Wild Turkey Boulevard and Whitetail Drive, for a total of about one-half mile of work on the 24-foot-wide streets. Capital Excavation, headquartered in Austin, has an area office in San Antonio and was awarded the contract. Bill Sheppard was project superintendent on the job, which started on April 30.
"It is a pretty simple process, actually," said Jerome DeSalrne, area manager for Capital Excavation. "We didn't have to bring in any additional equipment. We completed the project in 1,300-foot to 1,400-foot sections and always maintained one-way traffic control."
The simple process began with the pavement being scarified with a motor grader to a depth of about 8 inches. Then Portland cement was applied at 4 percent by volume. This amount is lower than is ordinarily used for traditional cement-treated base.
"We
used dry cement, not slurry, straight out of the truck and applied with the
spreader bar," explained DeSalme.
After
the cement was applied, water was added, and the combined materials were mixed
with a rotary pulverizing mixer. Typical gradation requirements are 100 percent
passing the 2-inch sieve and 55 percent to pass the number 4 sieve. The next
step was crowning and shaping, followed by ordinary compaction, and a prime
coat of MC-30. Wheeler Coatings and Asphalt laid 1-1/2-inch Type "C"
asphalt for the wearing surface. The project completely recycled all in-place
paving materials, both surface and base material. There was no excavation or
disposal of old base, no disposal or trucking fees, finally, no new base material!
The
reclaiming, addition of the cement, and compaction was easily accomplished in
one day, according to DeSalme. By evening, residents had a suitable driving
surface through their neighborhood until Wheeler Coatings and Asphalt was able
to come in a few days later to prime and lay the asphalt. "We waited to
have them apply the asphalt until we had finished our work on the roads so that
they would have to come out only one day," said DeSalme.
Cannon concluded, "We have a much better road now. It cost us about one-third of what a traditional road reconstruction would cost, and we didn't have to worry about disposal. It should last us a significant number of years. We couldn't have spent our money better. Capital Excavation did an excellent job. Bill Sheppard promised he'd be through in 10 days and he was. We're proud of our roads. Cities and counties should look at this as a way of saving taxpayers money."
©2005 Road Recycling Council
P.O. Box 17362 - Cambridge, MA 02141
phone: (857) 998-0119 fax: (617) 547-0042
www.roadrecycling.org
