Recycling isn’t just part of Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.’s name, it is its mantra.
While environmental mandates at state and local levels initially drove the push toward green road building, PRS, an employee-owned company based in Jurupa, Valley, Calif., now sees itself at the forefront of asphalt recycling technology and application.
“We believe that existing pavement structure is the best source of raw materials for the construction of a new and stronger pavement,” said Marco Estrada, director of business development of PRS.
Cost and time savings, as well as a reduction in community impact, are among the benefits touted by PRS as it continues to research new and better ways to improve and re-use in-situ materials. Its end goal: superior pavement at a lower cost.
While PRS works to improve existing sustainable technologies such as cold in-place recycling, full depth reclamation and soil stabilization, it also looks to develop new technologies. Among them: RAP (reclaimed asphalt pavement) slurries for road preservation.
Estrada said cost savings using recycled materials are in the 30 to 40 percent range. Time savings are even greater, averaging 50 percent, as compared to processes that remove the existing pavement materials and replaces them with new raw materials.
Disruption of the surrounding neighborhood is also minimized, particularly in truck traffic in and out of the area. For example, one truckload of cement used in the subgrade stabilization process replaces 20 to 30 truckloads where traditional methods are utilized, he said. From a green perspective, these strategies result in as much as 60 to 70 percent reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Working as a subcontractor to Hardy & Harper of Santa Ana, Calif., PRS recently completed the rehabilitation of 124th Street in the Compton area of Los Angeles County, putting many of these sustainable recycling best practices to work.
The job called for reconstruction of approximately 6 mi. (9.76 km) or 1 million sq. ft. of residential roadway pavement which consisted of 2 to 5 in. (5 to 12.7 cm) of asphalt on 4 to 6 in. (10 to 15 cm) of aggregate base.
To alleviate the distress such as alligator, map, longitudinal and transverse cracking that was prevalent in the existing pavement, the County of Los Angeles designed the new pavement to consist of 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) of ARHM on 3 in. (7.6 cm) of cold central plant recycled asphalt and 8 to 10 in. (20 to 25 cm) of cement stabilized subgrade. The asphalt recycling and soil stabilization processes resulted in a cost savings of $2.2 million. The project was started on March 3, 2014, and successfully completed on November 17, 2014, on time and under budget.
PRS utilized the Wirtgen 240i for the asphalt pulverization and cement stabilization processes and various milling machines, including the Wirgten 210i milling machine to perform milling operations. The 240i road reclamation and soil stabilization machine, purchased from Nixon-Egli Equipment Company, was chosen for a variety of reasons, according to Kurt Eddy, operations manager of PRS.
“The machine is very advanced technologically,” he said. “The fly by wire feature gives the operator the ability to easily steer the front and back wheels independently. We also like the enclosed cab feature for operator comfort, and the fact that all operations are integrated for ease of use.”
Eddy also noted that in California they encounter wet and unstable soil conditions on numerous roadway and building construction projects, and, because of its independent elevation leg controls, the 240is easily navigates those conditions.
“Mike Burns at Nixon-Egli is fantastic to work with,” Eddy added. “They jump through hoops to get us what we need when we need it to minimize down time.”
About Pavement Recycling Systems Inc.
PRS, an employee owned company, has offices in San Diego, Bakersfield, Sacramento and Reno in addition to its headquarters in Jurupa Valley. The company has more than 200 employee owners and specializes in cold planing/milling, soil Stabilization, asphalt recycling and pavement preservation.
About Nixon-Egli Equipment Company
With offices in Ontario and Tracy, Calif., Nixon-Egli Equipment Company has been working for more than 40 years to supply its customers with high quality road construction equipment. Its product line is extensive, specializing in road construction, cranes and municipal equipment.
Nixon-Egli Equipment Company sells the top names in the industry, all backed by its complete parts inventory and factory-trained service personnel: Wirtgen America, Leeboy, Link-Belt, Vogele, Johnston, CEC, Hamm, Rosco, PB Loader, Midland Machinery, Arrow-Master, CMI Terex, Gradall, Hi-Way, EAST, SCAT, Ferguson, QMC, Zieman, ShredVac, American Road Machinery, Peterson Industries, HTC, Miller Spreader Co., Beuthling Manufacturing, Trinity Trailers and more.
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