Hanson has laid over 1,000 tonnes of its new Tufflayer asphalt, which has been designed to address the issues associated with reflective cracking.
The product was used to extend the life of a section of the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road in Dorset – the first time the company has laid the product in the UK.
Tufflayer is a high-performance asphalt stress absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI), which incorporates Shell Cariphalte Dense Mixture bitumen to provide a high level of flexibility.
Hanson described it is a cost-effective alternative to geogrids that is laid using conventional asphalt paving equipment.
The product was used in conjunction with Hanson’s Durafalt surface course on the busy A338 at Blackwater Junction, where the carriageway was suffering from the effects of reflective cracking caused by difficult ground conditions and the weight and volume of traffic.
It was laid by Hanson Contracting as part of the current Dorset Highways Strategic Partnership – a 10-year collaboration with the newly-formed Dorset Council. Hanson Contracting project manager Ian Price said: ‘If left, reflective cracking leads to water ingress and, ultimately, failure of the road.
‘Tufflayer significantly delays the effects of reflective cracking as it provides high levels of flexibility and enhanced fatigue resistance. It also creates an impermeable layer, protecting the structure of the road from water ingress.’
Mike Read, project director, Dorset Council added: ‘Hanson Tufflayer has provided us with a long-term, cost effective solution where full reconstruction wasn’t an option.
‘Combined with the Durafalt surface course, we now have improved durability, ride quality, and lower surface noise which should last for many years to come.’
