CONCRETE FRACTURING HAMMERS THE COST OF LOCAL ROAD RENEWAL

The Graham fracturing process can cut the cost of concrete road construction, and is non-disruptive to local residents. The machine used is an automatic single stoke pneumatic hammer. This has a special tool fracturing head which transverses the width of the carriageway and is guided by fully automatic flystick controls. It fractures the pavement at regular intervals to produce blocks of concrete divided by hairline fissures. Where rigid carriageway has already received an overlay, a specially developed paring tool scrapes the material from the road to avoid any cushioning effect at the points of fracturing. Velocity and spacing of blows is determined by the strength of the pavement which the operator assesses by the "feel" of the concrete as it fractures. Anything over 10 inches thick requires a core sample to be taken. The fractured concrete is then consolidated by rolling with a 10 ton deadweight roller and surfaced with a 25 mm -70 mm bituminous overlay, usually of dbm. Advantages of the method include: (a) low cost (b) low noise levels (c) live running surface (D) re-use of existing road materials (e) sensitivity to voids, such as gas pipes, under the pavement. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02656868
• Corporate Authors:

  INSTITUTION OF HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

  6 ENDSLEIGH STREET
  LONDON,   United Kingdom  WC1H 0DZ
• Authors:
  • Himus, A
• Publication Date: 1988-2

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 36,38
• Serial:
  • HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION
  • Volume: 56
  • Issue Number: 1934
  • Publisher: INSTITUTION OF HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION
  • ISSN: 0265-6868

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete pavements; Driver rehabilitation; Hammers; Noise control; Pavements; Pneumatic equipment; Recycling; Tools
• Uncontrolled Terms: Rehabilitation
• Old TRIS Terms: Low costs; Pavement recycling; Pneumatic tools
• ITRD Terms: 3814: Compressed air; 4755: Concrete; 3681: Hammer; 2755: Highway; 3847: Maintenance; 4573: Recycling (mater); 3635: Repair; 4594: Repaving; 2964: Rigid pavement
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00480019
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1989 12:00AM