Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85916
grind, we put cement in the road," Suits notes. "We put in 120 pounds per square yard. We were putting cement on top of the road with special cement spreaders and grinding it through the road, then regrinding it." To properly reclaim the severely deteriorated road with the reclaimer/stabilizer's 8-foot cutter – the RS600 has an 8-foot rotor and the RS950 has a 10-foot rotor – Suit-Kote's crew made three to four passes over the 22-foot-wide road, with the 10-foot rotor saving them a pass. "We need to maintain the road's proper grade and slope and not invert the road [by doing too few passes]," Suits says. Bradford County, Pennsylvania, where the area of S.R. 1007 was rehabilitated, required an additional 4-foot slot mill step in front of the reclaimer/stabilizer. The slot milling is done so the new layer of asphalt doesn't add too much height to the road, according to the Pennsylvania DOT. "When you do a recycling process by adding virgin material and cement, it tends to raise the profi le of the road," Suits points out. "We needed to keep it at the existing level or lower, and it's the contractor's responsibility to make the road passable to certain specs." Following the work done by the reclaimer/stabilizer, a padfoot roller provided preliminary compaction. This was followed by a grader, to establish grade for the new road surface. The grade at some points of the previous road surface had been as high as 12 percent, but the new road spec called for a maximum 6 percent grade, points out Mike Rodriguez, Terex Roadbuilding district manager. A smooth drum roller was used to fi nish before doing the stabilization. After a nearly fi ve-day cur- ing period, an average of 5 to 8 inches of asphalt was paved over the stabilized base material. Even with high truck traffi c used in fracking, "the rehabilitated roads have a 10-year service life," says Suit-Kote foreman Jeff O'Shea. Lessons learned As with any project, there are takeaways and challenges. "If you don't learn some- thing every day, there is something wrong," Paul Suits says. "Everyone needs to understand what needs to be done going into the project. It makes it a much more successful project." Suits says coordinating with subcontractors and any other parties invested in the project is not a luxury but a necessity. "Nothing is perfect," he says. "You might run into situations from time to time so you need to be able to work through them together." Flooding sparked challenges for Suit-Kote and emphasized the importance of working together with everyone on the project, Suits says. "We had a lot of chal- lenges because of all of the fl ooding," Suits says. "It stressed us on the logistics for the transportation and being able to complete all of these roads." During the entire grinding and regrinding process, certain water percentages had to be maintained, creating yet another demand that had to be addressed and was critical to the job. "This was challenging throughout the summer because we had to add more water when it was cooler and less when it got warmer," Suits says, adding that as temperatures varied throughout the day this required constant monitoring. "[This is why] it's important to have a positive working relationship with everyone." Write 179 on Reader Service Card Better Roads May 2012 33