Road managers know that the longitudinal joint is the first part of the pavement to fail. As a road’s most permeable part, air and water work down through the voids in the joint causing it to deteriorate, crack and pothole. And when the longitudinal joint fails, the rest of the road soon follows, triggering the need for even more maintenance.
That is why a void reducing asphalt membrane (VRAM), is applied prior to the hot mix asphalt (HMA) application. By using a VRAM, agencies can protect the road from permeability and deterioration and save time, money, and lives.
Project Details
The project in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin was a 4.3-mile application on County Highway B. The application was north of Byron and west of Eden, intersecting with State Route 175 on the west end and County Highway V on the east end.
Personnel present on the project included ProTack personnel, an FDL County paving crew, foreman and assistant and Jeff Tidaback from Asphalt Materials Inc.
Prime Contractor: Fond du Lac County Department of Public Works
Applicator: ProTack
Construction Date: September 21, 2023
VRAM Observation
The target rate for the VRAM on this project was 0.95 lb./ft for the fine graded surface course. Before 5:30 a.m., ProTack began the application of the centerline VRAM at the SR-41 intersection operating in the eastbound lane. The application was consistently checked to be 18’’ wide, and the rate was checked at 0.95 lb./ft.
The ambient temperature at the start of the application was 65 F, and no stringers or bubbles were noticed throughout the duration of application. Around 9:00 a.m. the application was finished by ProTack, including the area between State Route 175 and State Route 41. The second shot rate width was consistently placed at 18’’ wide and the rate check was recorded at 1.00 lb./ft.
Paving Observation
Installation of the Wisconsin Department of Transporation (WisDOT) 4LT county special surface course began prior to the completion of the VRAM application around 8:00 a.m. The mix supplied for this specific project was produced by Northeast Asphalt.
The paving train consisted of a Cat AP 100F Paver and two 10-ton steel drum rollers. Jeff Tidaback stressed the importance of raising the end gate on the centerline side of the paver to just enough height as to not drag on top of the VRAM surface.
For a closer look at projects that have incorporated VRAM during construction and to discover the benefits of longer-lasting roads in terms of cost savings, time efficiency, and safety, you can explore our interactive map here.
Editor’s Notes:
J-Band®, CCAP® and T-Bond® are registered trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc. AMIBIND™, AMIBOND™, AMICYCLE™, AMIGUARD™ and AMISEAL™ are trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc.
J-Band® was created in the labs of the Heritage Research Group (HRG) and is a product of Asphalt Materials, Inc. (AMI). To learn more about J-Band, visit www.thejointsolution.com
