Civic body tests cold asphalt for Mumbai roads
If the promise is as good as it seems, the city’s roads may soon have a solution to constant wear-and-tear during the monsoons. The BMC is experimenting with a water-based asphalt technology for roads which is supposedly better than the hot-mix asphalt currently used.
As a pilot study, a 45 sq m stretch at Anik-Wadala road was coated with the new mixture on Friday. The cold-mix asphalt, which has been been tried in other countries and states, will be used on Mumbai’s other roads if it stands the test of heavy rains and traffic.
Another busy junction where the mixture will be used on a trial basis is E Moses Rd, Worli. “We will have to see if the new product is suitable for Mumbai with its typical problem of water stagnation and heavy traffic.
The Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) on roads will decide if the technology should be used in Mumbai. It will give its approval based on reports by IIT experts and civic officials,” said J Bharbhaiya, officer on special duty, BMC’s road department.
The cold mix comprises pebbles and carbonaceous shale and requires oxidation as against the crystallisation process in hot asphalt. “The reason asphalt roads come apart post-monsoon is that it can’t withstand water. As against this, the cold mix in fact needs water to settle firmly.
Moreover, while hot-mix asphalt requires 6 to 10 hours to settle, in this case the patch hardens quickly making the road available to traffic movement as quickly as possible,” said Jasbir Bhandari from the South African company Carboncer Pvt Ltd which is testing the product in Mumbai.
URL- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2220648.cms