About this project:
VRAM projects on multiple roads within the City of Westerville took place on August 15th. These projects included, Hideaway Woods Drive, (from Dempsey Road to the dead end), Wetherby Lane, (from Crossbrook Boulevard to County Line Schrock Road), and Crossbrook Boulevard, (from Schrock Road to Wetherby Lane).
The VRAM applicator for this project was Strawser Construction Inc. (SCI).
The prime paving contractor for this project was Strawser Paving Inc.
Strawser applied VRAM at the centerline. The band width for VRAM on each of these roads was targeted at 15” wide, with an HMA surface course of 1.25”.
Hideaway Woods Drive:
VRAM application began in the early morning. This road is a dead-end street terminating at an apartment complex. Throughout the project, there were multiple drives off Hideaway Woods Drive that also received VRAM application.
Pictured above: VRAM applied to the road.
The paving process followed the VRAM application on Hideaway Woods Drive. The paving train consisted of a Vogele Super 1703-3i paver, a HAMM HD 110i steel drum roller, and a Hyster steel drum roller.
Crossbrook Boulevard and Wetherby Lane:
VRAM application began later that morning on Crossbrook and Wetherby. VRAM was applied to the centerline joints.
The paving process followed soon after the application of VRAM. The paving train consisted of a Vogele Super 1703-3i paver, a HAMM HD 110i steel drum roller, and a Hyster steel drum roller.
VRAM is a Materials Approach to Solving Longitudinal Joint Issues
Road managers know the longitudinal joint is the first part of the pavement to fail. This is due to the high permeability and because this joint is severely susceptible to the natural elements, such as air and water, that work down into voids. This causes the joint to deteriorate, crack and pothole. And when the longitudinal joint fails, the rest of the road will follow. This will lead to an increased need for maintenance and repairs. By using VRAM, which is mostly asphalt, at time of construction, permeability will be reduced at the centerline joint, thus protecting this most critical area of the road to protect.
As federal, state and local agencies are collaborating with companies on new infrastructure projects, sustainability and resilience are key drivers that are directing their efforts and investments. Specifically teams are focused on building more resilient and sustainable infrastructure to benefit and protect communities. They are looking for technologies, materials and processes that will help improve the resilience of at-risk infrastructure.
VRAM has been and can continue to be a big part of these collaborations as more and more states adopt this innovative, sustainable technology. Specifically, an investment in protecting the longitudinal joint with J-Band® helps roads last up to 5 years longer and delivers a return on investment of 3 to 5 times its cost. J-Band® is a VRAM product of Asphalt Materials, Inc. that was created in the labs of The Heritage Research Group.
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®, CCAP® and T-Bond® are registered trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc.
AMIBIND™, AMIBOND™, AMICYCLE™, AMIGUARD™ and AMISEAL™ are trademarks of Asphalt Materials, Inc.
