Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/440012
January 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 58 highway contractor | continued Member of Old Republic Insurance Companies. What YOU do is what WE protect. ™ Full service branch offices Atlanta Charlotte Dallas Denver Des Moines Indianapolis Kansas City Little Rock Milwaukee Nashville New Orleans Oklahoma City Pittsburgh St. Louis San Antonio As a contractor, one of the most critical things is to protect your business with the right insurance. You can count on BITCO for rock-solid protection. With over 80 years of experience specializing in insurance for contractors, we know and understand your business and needs better than anyone. By insuring with BITCO, you'll get major advantages including the right coverage, industry knowledge you can trust, and solid financial security. You'll also get consistent and constructive risk control attention, plus expert and timely responses to any claims. When it comes to getting the right insurance, we're more than a bit better – we're a lot better. Call your agent today and ask about us. You'll see we're top-of-the-line at protecting your bottom line. www.BITCO.com ★ 1-800-475-4477 es. Within the past fi ve years, RCC has been embraced by many paving contractors who are getting involved because of the potential for the tech- nology to replace asphalt, which has experienced sharp increases in cost. One of the challenges RCC has faced is that the surface looks more like asphalt than concrete. It has an open texture, so those expecting the look of conventional concrete may be disappointed. "RCC is get- ting much better appearance wise," Adaska says. "The top size aggregate has been reduced from 3/4 inch to as small as 1/2 inch, which results in a tighter surface texture; however, it's still not at the stage where it looks like conventional concrete." To address the surface appear- ance, there's an admixture available that shows great promise. The ad- mixture is sprayed on the surface of the compacted RCC and then power troweled, resulting in a smoother, tighter surface. Last summer, the ad- mixture was used on a project in the Chicago area. So far, Adaska says, the results have been outstanding, but it's important to see how it holds up through the winter. Adaska believes admixtures, in general, will play a greater role in RCC in the future. For several years, the ACPA has been leading the charge on improv- ing the workmanship and quality of RCC. In early 2011, the association formed a task force made up of ex- perts who have been providing guid- ance in advancing RCC, both techni- cally and in market development. Full depth reclamation With preservation and rehabilitation on the minds of public agencies these days, there has been a re- newed interest in full depth reclama- tion (FDR). Although not part of the concrete pavement family, FDR is one of the most sustainable paving products in the market place, since it preserves everything in place. This 30-year-old technology has been revolutionized in today's market by larger, more powerful equip- ment. Reclaimers, or pulver mixers, have been the key component in revitalizing the market by expedit- ing construction and making FDR economical. FDR used to be a time-consuming job. Reclaimers had to make mul- tiple passes to break up the old road, and special equipment such as rippers and breakers were required to make the material usable. Today, reclaimers can pulverize the asphalt and granular base in just one pass, going as deep as 18 inches. Cement is then spread, and the material is remixed, water added, if necessary, compacted, and cured. The result is a strong durable base that is construct- ed quicker and more economically, and is much more sustainable than removing and replacing the existing road. The base is suitable for con- crete or asphalt pavement surfaces.