About this project:
A VRAM project took place on Z40, also known as 400th Avenue, in Clinton County, Iowa on October 3rd. This was a 21,679-foot project with a 2,609-foot control section. The project covered the stretch from 140th Street to the city of Miles. The control section runs from the South end of the city of Miles to the Jackson-Clinton county line, at the intersection of 100th Street and 400th Avenue. The county designated VRAM for use at the centerline of the road.
This was a County Project.
The VRAM applicator for this project was ProTack.
The prime paving contractor for this project was Mathy.
The application width for VRAM on this project was scheduled to be 18” wide. This was applied to the centerline over a recently placed level binder surface. HMA paving followed shortly after VRAM was applied.
Asphalt Paving Operation
The paving equipment used for this project consisted of:
- A Terex pickup machine
- A CAT AP1055F paver
- A CAT CB64B – 12-ton breakdown roller
- A CAT CW34 25-ton pneumatic intermediate roller
- A Volvo DD120c 12-ton finish roller
The paving began at the Jackson-Clinton County line heading southward at 13’ wide. The breakdown roller was making 3 vibratory passes along with 3 passes with the intermediate roller.
VRAM is a Materials Approach to Solve Joint Issues
When VRAM is applied at the time of construction before an HMA layer, it will reduce the permeability in this critical area of the road. Once the placement of the hot mix asphalt is complete, the heat will cause the VRAM to physically migrate upwards, resulting in the filling of voids and reducing permeability.
An illustration of the VRAM material migrating upwards once the hot mix asphalt is put down. This action results in the filling of voids with asphalt material from the bottom-up.
States Continue to Find Success with VRAM
Used since 2002 on roads in Illinois, J-Band® has a proven track record of delivering longer road life and an impressive return on investment of 3-5x.
The Wisconsin Highway Research Program/Department of Transportation conducted a study on Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM) to identify the benefits of including this step in the paving process.
Based on published data and review of case studies, implementing Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM) during the construction process is recommended. Post-construction, it is recommended to use penetrating asphalt emulsions as a preventative and remedial treatment for longitudinal joints.1
To read about other VRAM studies you can follow this link. https://thejointsolution.com/resource/studies/
SOURCES:
1 https://wisconsindot.gov/documents2/research/0092-21-05-research-brief.pdf
Editor’s Notes:
Centerline joints and longitudinal joints are often used interchangeably in describing the area of the pavement where two paved sections come together.
VRAM, Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane is referred to in Illinois as LJS, Longitudinal Joint Sealant.
Depending on the situation VRAM can be sprayed at different widths. It should be noted that 18” is a typical application width for centerline applications.
J-Band® is a VRAM product of Asphalt Materials, Inc. that was created in the labs of The Heritage Research Group.
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.
