The many reasons why bond coat is essential in road construction
Many people may know by now that the SprayJet's specialist technology is its ability to spray the fresh bond coat directly in front of the hot asphalt - thus avoiding the well-known problem of crossing vehicles and people soiling the surrounding areas.
There are multiple big advantages to using bond coat within a SprayJet unit:
First of all, the main cause of highways breaking down is due to water ingress. The bond coat completely seals the layers, which gives 100% protection from this when used with the SprayJet - unlike the conventional road tanker method that is prone to wheel tracking issues. Thus extending the structural life of the highway.
Due to the sealing, there are generally fewer interventions over the roads life span - it is not breaking down, and therefore there are less repairs and maintenance. This decreases the whole life cost of the road.
Improved distribution of traffic stresses down through the road is also a major advantage when all layers are bond coated. The road is stronger having been sealed and flexes less under the weight of vehicles, therefore avoiding further issues of the road cracking and having to make repairs much more often. Less flex is less stress; this, in turn, creates stronger layers, comparable to a laminated surface.
So how does the bond coat seal the surface? Surely there is no time for 'breaking'?
One of the many myths surrounding the VOGELE 1800-3i SprayJet is that it does not allow time for the bond coat to break; however this is wholly untrue and the SprayJet does indeed allow for 'breaking'. The emulsion being laid at 70-80°C breaks immediately upon the reaction with the hot asphalt; this is because the heat causes the water to evaporate. This leaves a firmly adhering layer of bond coat, and any remaining water can still evaporate due to the 'open pores' within the asphalt overlay.
This method provides an excellent bond between the layers, perfect sealing and effective protection of the existing base, which all add up to a long service life for the road.
When a spray paver is used, there is no possibility of job site vehicles driving over the sprayed area. This means that other roads in the area are not soiled and need not be cleaned after the completion of the job. Because the SprayJet is essentially a 2 in 1 (also doing the job of a tanker), there is only a short construction time - there is no waiting around so there is a fast progression of the road works and quick reopening of the road to traffic.
On innumerable construction projects around the world, the VOGELE 1800-3i SprayJet has proved that its special spray technology makes it the perfect machine - in both quality and cost-efficiency - for all road building contractors.
Using a VOGELE 1800-3i SprayJet is no longer an unaffordable option, this machine is quite simply a revolution in road design and AP Pavers is proud to be the only company able to supply this machine on hire within the UK.