About this project:
A Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane, (VRAM), project took place on July 11th and 12th in Fayette County. This was a state project.
This project on US-40 was from Kaskaskia River Bridge to 0.1 miles east of US-51, through IL-185 east of Vandalia to 0.2 miles south of Shobonier Road. IDOT specified a Longitudinal Joint Seal, (LJS), to the centerline joint in this county. This particular project had a band targeted at 18” wide. (Note: in Illinois VRAM is referred to as LJS).
The applicator for this project was Illiana.
The prime paving contractor was Howell.
The J-Band application began on July 11th and continued into the afternoon of July 12th with the paving of the road. The bandwidth for this project was targeted at 18” wide and was applied over a recently applied binder course.
Once the LJS was put down, the asphalt paving operation followed the following day. The paving train consisted of a CAT ASP1055F paver, 2-Volvo DD120C breakdown rollers at 12 ton working in tandem, Hamm HD 280i – 30-ton pneumatic, and a Hamm HD 110i – 10-ton finish roller. The breakdown rollers were making 3 vibratory passes along, with 5 passes with the pneumatic roller. Paving began in the northbound lane, paving northward, at a width of 13 feet. The mix was an ILDOT 9.5mm coarse graded surface fix, PG64-22, Type C, N70.
VRAM: Protecting Centerline Joints One Application at a Time
VRAM, a Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane, is able to ensure that the driving population of people have safer, longer-lasting roads. Experience shows roads treated with VRAM will last 3-5 years longer than those not treated.
Applying VRAM to the centerline joint aids in protecting the most permeable part of the road from air and water, which will damage the pavement as they work down into the pavement.
J-Band® is Asphalt Materials’ VRAM and unlike other methods is a materials approach to fixing the age-old problem of longitudinal joint issues. It is a highly polymer-modified asphalt cement that is placed along the location of the longitudinal joint before paving. Below is a video explaining how J-Band works.
To learn more about Asphalt Material’s mix application product line AMIBIND™, visit the website: https://asphalt-materials.com/products/
Editor’s Notes: VRAM, Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane, is referred to in Illinois as LJS, Longitudinal Joint Sealant.
Centerline joints and longitudinal joints are often used interchangeably in describing the area of the pavement where two sections come together.
Depending on the situation VRAM can be sprayed at different width’s. 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® and CCAP® are registered trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc. AMIBIND™, AMIBOND™, AMICYCLE™, AMIGUARD™, AMISEAL™ are trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc.
J-Band® and CCAP ® are registered trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc. AMIBIND™, AMIBOND™, AMICYCLE™, AMIGUARD™, AMISEAL™ are trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc.
