The Need for a Longitudinal Joint Sealant
Every road is built with significant weak points where water can more easily permeate the pavement causing cracks and potholes. Road experts agree that longitudinal joints and rumble strips are the first to succumb to deterioration. Longitudinal joints typically have higher than normal air voids while rumble strips collect water.
This significant problem needed a stronger solution than typical topical sealants. In the early 2000’s, Asphalt Materials, Inc. (AMI) introduced a new class of product, the Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM), also known as Longitudinal Joint Sealant (LJS) in Illinois. The premier VRAM, J-Band®, decreases a pavement’s water permeability by uniquely sealing joints from the bottom-up.
Partnership Paves the Way
Beginning in 2002, J-Band has been applied on thousands of miles of roads across the country. When the longitudinal joint is preserved, the performance of the entire pavement is enhanced. This impact, across 25+ states, is only possible through the partnership of our applicators.
One of the first companies to apply J-Band was Illiana Construction, now part of Evergreen Roadworks™, and today it is the nation’s largest applicator. The partnership between AMI and Evergreen was born through The Heritage Group and has grown through a shared passion for innovating in the construction and materials industry.
Evergreen Roadworks’ Approach
Evergreen Roadworks is a full-service road contractor leading the charge on sustainable paving in the Midwest. Using the pavement preservation approach, it is on a mission to maximize road life while achieving lower lifecycle costs.
Evergreen’s treatments range from proactive applications to surface preservation treatments to full-depth pavement reclamation and recycling. VRAM fits well in its toolkit. As a preventative or pre-preservation treatment, J-Band is applied just prior to paving, and has been proven to extend the life of the longitudinal joint three-fold. Instead of a 4-5 year lifespan, the joint lasts more than 15 years with J-Band. Best of all, the use of a VRAM is shown to have a 3-5x return on investment, maximizing road life while lowering lifecycle costs.
Evergreen’s J-Band Team
The team at Evergreen is passionate about their work. Cullen Hesterberg is the J-Band Operations Manager at Evergreen Roadworks. Now in his fifth year applying the product, he shares, “Point to a spot on a map of Illinois and I could probably find a stretch of road close to it that we’ve shot J-Band on.”
Cullen coordinates J-Band applications in multiple states, partnering with AMI and various prime contractors who pave on top of his team’s work. Over the years, Evergreen has performed applications in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minesota and more.
As J-Band’s oldest and largest applicator, they have also had time to hone their craft. Cullen is eager to praise his team, “I have people who are the best at doing this. They have shot more J-Band than anybody in the world. It might look easy just driving down the road, but there is serious skill required. They are driving a truck in a perfectly straight line, at an exact rate and hitting the line with an inch and half of tolerance.”
The Big Picture
Building safer, more durable roadways is a collective effort. While AMI creates innovative products, applicators like Evergreen work diligently to apply them to roadways. Their skill makes the goal of safe and durable roads a reality.
Cullen says it well, “I am a firm believer that J-band works. It is a worthwhile, long-term investment. By applying this treatment in the beginning, we preserve roads and make them last.”
Resources
Countless examples of Evergreen’s applications can be found on the J-Band website. Check out this recent case study of a project in Calumet, WI. To learn more about Evergreen Roadworks and their other services, visit their website.
