Replacement vs Reclamation
The process of removing and replacing asphalt pavement is called full-depth removal and replacement. In this operation, existing asphalt pavement is exported, stone bases or dirt are removed, and new stone bases and asphalt pavement are installed. Pavement and stone materials are loaded by excavators or loaders and hauled off-site. All of the new stone base is transported back to the site with the help of dump trucks.
Afterwards, the asphalt is shipped to a local asphalt producer, which crushes it and reuses it in new asphalt pavement. The stone and dirt material are disposed of as waste. Typically, discarded material is of no value and there is a disposal charge for the owner.
A new stone base is crushed from virgin material, loaded, and then shipped to the site. The costs of removal, installation, and material processing can add up fast between the equipment, labor, and trucking requirements.
However, full-depth pavement reclamation avoids many of these problems. During this process, a machine called a reclaimer or pulverizer is used, which has an 8-foot-wide mandrel cutting wheel. With a diameter of 58 inches, the wheel has 256 tungsten carbide teeth in a staggered pattern.
The drum is positioned in the middle of the machine and rotates in an upward cutting motion toward the back of the machine to mix the existing asphalt and stone. To reduce dust and produce a more consistent finished product, water and emulsion injection systems add water or a stabilizing agent during the mixing process. The pulverizer machine leaves a flat trail behind the material, ready to be shaped with a grader and roller according to the slopes and elevations.
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