Amey has developed a new mobile asphalt production unit that it said enables highways maintenance teams to work with more flexibility and up to 30% less wastage.
The new unit, developed with RSL Fabrications, can mix aggregates and bitumen in situ, leading to greater productivity as road maintenance crews are able to work on a more jobs over a day.
Amey's new unit mixes aggregates and bitumen in situ
Crews have traditionally collected asphalt from plants before heading out to locations that require surfacing.
This takes time from the day’s schedule and leads to high levels of wasted asphalt, owing to the minimum order that is usually required by plants and the difficulty in judging the exact quantity required for a job prior to working at a location.
The company said removing the need to visit a plant for asphalt each time it is needed ensures that only the correct volume is prepared – and to an optimum hot temperature – reducing wastage of materials and improving results.
Amey’s account director Paul Anderson said: ‘We are excited to be the first highways maintenance operators in the UK using this technology. It is proving to be a far better method of asphalt production – less wasteful, cheaper and much more reliable.
‘Because we are no longer relying on asphalt plants to be open to get our supply of asphalt, we are also now able to work during antisocial hours, which is good news for our customers as it means less disruption during the working day.’
The units produce between one to three tonnes of asphalt every hour and can be towed behind a standard seven and a half tonne vehicle.
Amey said that, following positive trials, a unit is now routinely being used as part of the Hampshire highways maintenance service it operates.
There are plans to introduce 10 other units to Amey’s highways services in Gloucestershire and Staffordshire and on Highways England’s Area 7 network.
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