Isabella Drive is an arterial road that was rehabilitated using Paver Laid Insitu Recycling. From suitability testing to onsite completion of the work, the project was completed safely and without WHS incidents, in less than 6 weeks.
The Paver Laid Insitu Recycling process is a recent innovation in the industry that was embraced by the ACT Government and ACT contractor, Dale and Hitchcock, to deliver the project. Works were undertaken in February 2024 and is an exemplary example of the use of foamed bitumen and modern construction techniques to rehabilitate highly trafficked road pavements.
From design to construction phase, the Project Team worked together to rehabilitate 11,771 m2 of the existing road, consisting of a mix of asphalt, gravel, and clay. Geotechnical testing was carried out on several foamed bitumen mix designs prior to construction. The testing demonstrates the ability to utilise foamed bitumen in pavements that exhibit variability of material properties and pavement thicknesses.
A Project Specific specification was developed by the Project Team and is an example of collaboration between industry and road authorities to enable sustainable innovation.
The benefits of the single-pass, streamlined, paver-laid process was recognised by the Project Team for the benefits to cost and environmental sustainability. There was a significant reduction in construction duration compared to traditional methods, which would have otherwise required a production duration of greater than 10 weeks. Onsite operations and sequencing allowed for continuous traffic and greatly reduced the impact on traffic flows compared to traditional construction methods.
The sustainability benefits of recycling existing pavement materials were immense compared to asphalt pavement types. 5,886 tonnes of materials were recycled, plus the associated reductions in material manufacturing and construction reduced carbon emissions by over 50%. This was enhanced by the ACT Government trialling an asphalt product “CarbonBind” in the wearing course.
