As you’re driving down the road, you likely have a couple of things on your mind. Deciding on the best route to get you home, thinking about errands you need to run, or trying to remember which exit to take. The last thing on your mind is the asphalt you drive on.

If you do take a moment to think about how roads are paved, you probably don’t associate it with recycling or eco-friendly measures. Over the last few decades, however, that’s exactly how the industry has shifted.

What are RAP Materials?

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (or RAP) is previously used pavement that has been removed or reprocessed. RAP is made of high-quality well-graded aggregates coated by asphalt cement. Using a milling machine, pavements that are under reconstruction, resurfacing, or are under another form of construction may by recycled.

How is RAP Traditionally Recycled?

Milling machines may remove up to 2 inches of pavement in a single pass. Other equipment, such as a rhino horn on a bulldozer or a pneumatic pavement breaker might be used to further break up materials. Once broke up, the materials are loaded into haul trucks and brought into a facility to be processed. From there, the RAP is processed through crushing, screening, and stacking through a variety of processes.

Typical RAP Recycling Methods:

  • Cold, In-Place Recycling. Roughly 3-4 inches of pavement is removed, pulverized, sized, and mixed with an additive.
  • Hot Recycling. RAP is combined with hot new aggregate and asphalt or a recycling agent using a batch or drum plant.
  • Hot, In-Place Recycling. The pavement is softened by heating. Machines scarify the heated pavement to a depth of 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches. New hot mix material and/or a recycling agent is added.
  • Hot Mix Remixing.Around 1-1/2 to 2 inches of the existing pavement is heated and removed. The removed asphalt is then mixed with new asphalt or rejuvenating agents and reapplied.
  • Hot Mix Repave.Similar to Hot Mix Remixing, though once completed, the pavement is overlaid with a new hot mix.
  • Hot Mix Heater Scarification. After heating the existing road, the pavement is scarified to scrape and loosen pavement. Then, a rejuvenating agent and a thin final layer is applied.
  • Full-Depth Reclamation. As the name implies, all asphalt and a portion of the underlying materials are removed to create a stable base. Then, the materials are crushed, mixed with additives, and reapplied with a surface coat.

Bring the Recycling Facility to the Work Site

At CWMF Corporation, our Honey Badger RAP Crusher brings the pavement recycling facility to your work site. The Honey Badger is fully-equipped to ensure safety is never compromised. Maximum power, reliable operation, and easy maintenance ensure that the Honey Badger is ready to “crush it”.

Want to learn more? Contact CWMF Corporation today, and let us help you get your project up and running.

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