Background Summary of Project Purpose
Road managers know that the longitudinal joint is the first part of the pavement to fail. As a road’s most permeable part, this joint is susceptible to the elements. Air and water work down through this gap causing the joint 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.
Aside from ensuring that J-Band® is utilized in projects across the nation to provide longer-lasting safer roads, we often work with DOT’s to construct projects and measure the impact J-Band can have in different circumstances. Each year, these case studies undergo an annual review. One such review was I-77 located in Guernsey County.
Using J-Band® at the Time of Construction
This project was originally constructed on August 18 of 2019 in Pleasant City, Ohio. ODOT, the Ohio Department of Transportation is the owner of the project. Initially, a 12.5mm Type A 446 1.5” mix was used. VRAM was placed on both northbound and southbound lanes for 2.5 miles.
Prime Paving Contractor: Shelly & Sands
Applicator: Specialized Construction Inc. (SCI)
2023 Project Observations
The Specialty Product Division of Asphalt Materials, Inc (AMI) reviewed the VRAM project. On the specific day of this review, the weather was sunny and warm at 58 degrees. It was noted that the there were no signs of surface opening.
Pictured below are two photos of the project taken in 2023.
Conclusions
Over 3 years after construction, this project with VRAM performed as expected. There are no blemishes, cracks, or separations occurring at the centerline joint. J-Band® is an industry leading VRAM that has been helping fill longitudinal voids in pavements since 2002.
Asphalt Materials, Incorporated
At Asphalt Materials, we understand that longitudinal joint deterioration has long been a problem for engineers, applicators and the communities we live in. Collaboration between state transportation agencies, industry experts, and the laboratories at Heritage Research Group, VRAM was developed to help create longer-lasting, safer roads.
Unlike other treatments, VRAM, a Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane significantly reduces air voids in longitudinal joints. J-Band® is Asphalt Materials’ VRAM product. J-Band is a materials approach, applied prior to paving under the eventual location of the longitudinal joint. It migrates upward, fills voids, and reduces permeability as the hot mix is installed on top of it. Since 2002, this approach has improved the performance of centerline joints and entire pavements in more than 22 states.
J-Band® is a product of Asphalt Materials, Inc. and was created in the labs of Heritage Research Group. To learn more about J-Band, or to connect with our team, you can email us at: Marketing@Asphalt-Materials.com.
Editor’s Notes:
J-Band®, CCAP® and T-Bond® are registered trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc. AMIBIND™, AMIBOND™, AMICYCLE™, AMIGUARD™, 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 the website, www.thejointsolution.com.
