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Foamix helps Kier recycle Warwick bypass

17 Nov 21 Aggregate Industries’ Foamix asphalt has been used for the first time on a major road project in the Midlands.

Processing the tar-bound material for use in resurfacing the A46 Warwick bypass
Processing the tar-bound material for use in resurfacing the A46 Warwick bypass

The use of Foamix enabled a higher than usual content of recycled material in Kier’s reconstruction of the A46 Warwick bypass.

Some 17,432 tons of material was reused from the layers of road surface – more than half of all that was dug out.

Kier led the project on behalf of National Highways and subcontracted pavement works to Aggregate Industries (AI) to resurface 3.5 miles of the northbound carriageway between Sherbourne roundabout and the Leek Wootton roundabout.

 Much of the material in the lower levels contained tar, which as hazardous waste must be disposed of at a licenced waste processing facility. But tar-bound material can be recycled back into the pavement layers by processing and re-mixing it. The old layers of road were recycled back into the new carriageway using AI’s ex situ cold recycled Foamix binder, which is supplied and laid cold.

Some 56% of material was recycled from the old road into the new one. The material was mixed on site. Any remaining material not used in this scheme, which ran between late July and September, was used on other road projects.

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AI’s Foamix has been used for many years throughout the road network, but only on low trafficked roads. This scheme is considered a landmark as it is the first time that Foamix has been used on such a heavily trafficked road. AI had to tailor the Foamix technique to meet this type of carriageway.

Kier managing director Scott Cooper said: “This is the first time that Foamix has been used on this type of road on the Area 9 Strategic Road Network and this work on the A46 scheme really demonstrates how innovation and excellent collaboration across the value chain is needed if Kier and our partners are to succeed with reaching our net-zero ambition and combatting climate change.”

National Highways project manager Ryan Davies said: “A vital part of meeting our ambitious [sustainability] objectives is having the support of our supply chain on schemes such as this. Through close collaboration with partners such as Kier and AI we are taking great strides on our journey to net zero carbon.”

Aggregate Industries technical manager Neil Leake said: “Good collaboration and an innovative approach were at the heart of this scheme, with people working together to achieve the same low carbon goal. We had some significant challenges to overcome to make sure this scheme could be delivered on time and still meet the low carbon goal we set ourselves.”

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MPU

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