FORTA Corporation, a global leader in fiber reinforcement, is now offering a solution for stockpiles of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) across the nation. Pave-Aid™, a synthetic fiber blend is an innovative way to help transportation agencies achieve sustainability objectives by increasing the longevity of roadways paved with 100% RAP.
Recent studies conducted by Arizona State University (ASU) and Penn State University (PSU) indicate that incorporating this new fiber will offer an increased resistance to cracking and offer considerable improvement to the rutting resistance of 100% RAP mixtures. With this increased performance comes extension of the pavement life cycle, reduced maintenance costs as well as allowing the use of the RAP mix at a higher traffic level.
FIBER PERFORMANCE:
- Reduced rutting
- Increased control of reflective and fatigue cracking
- Better asphalt flexibility
- Increased sustainability
The asphalt industry continues to be the country’s number one recycler, with asphalt being recycled and reused at a rate of over 99 percent. Utilizing locally sourced RAP reduces greenhouse emissions, transportation costs, construction times, and project costs. Using RAP conserves virgin aggregate resources required and the energy needed for extracting, processing, and transporting these materials. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), by the end of 2018 there were 110.3 million tons of RAP estimated to be stockpiled for future use across the country1. Pave-Aid allows the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT), counties, and municipalities to increase the performance of RAP pavements, cut costs, use more RAP, and be more sustainable.
Technical Engineer Molly Anderson states, “The asphalt industry is starting to see a shift towards sustainability and making the most out of our natural resources. Utilizing new technologies allows us to keep costs low, while building better roadways with a longer life cycle.The addition of PAVE-AID™ to 100% RAP roads will make a huge impact for low volume roads, allowing municipalities to stretch their transportation budget without compromising the integrity of the roads.”
Pave-Aid is added directly to the RAP mix during production. This ensures reinforcement throughout the entire pavement layer allowing for STRONGER LASTING™ asphalt.
FORTA Corporation, founded in 1978, was the first to introduce synthetic fiber reinforcements to the U.S. construction market. Today, the company, based in Grove City, Pa., holds more patents than any other company in the industry and is recognized as a leader in synthetic fiber research and development, with successful applications around the world. Through an ongoing commitment to research and development, FORTA will continue to envision and construct the future of reinforcement fibers. To read more about our complete unique line of fiber reinforcement solutions, equipment, and services, or for more information about newly released products, please visit our website or contact Molly Anderson at manderson@fortacorp.com.