Fused Bonded Overlay™ is the process of applying an Asphalt Rejuvenator to the surface of the old asphalt pavement before installing a new coat or overlay of new asphalt. The rule that civil engineers use in the field is for every inch of new asphalt that is laid down over old cracked or broken asphalt; you have a year before the cracks reflect back through the new surface. This reflection of the old cracks showing up into the new surface is a result of the old pavement expanding and contracting from temperature differences. The new asphalt layer is bonded to the surface of the old asphalt (glued). When a truck or car runs over the pavement, the asphalt is designed to flex. The new asphalt as well as the old asphalt moves up and down and side to side. The old cracks move and the attached new asphalt layer starts to give. The crack starts to move up and through the new asphalt surface. This process is helped with hot and cold temperatures. The old asphalt moves back and forth from the temperature change. The result is the same pattern of cracks that the client had in the old layer of asphalt that shows up within a year or two in the new asphalt surface. We offer a field proven alternative to our customers.
The process starts with edge milling or profile milling the old asphalt surface to prepare it for the new asphalt surface. Milling is the process of grinding off a layer of asphalt. This grinding asphalt or millings is returned to asphalt plants and is recycled into new asphalt. The milling is done also to aid in creating a positive flow of water to surface drains. Next, the same day the Rejuvenator is applied to the old asphalt and allowed to penetrate into the old asphalt surface for 12 – 16 hours. Next, the new layer of asphalt is installed over the rejuvenated surface. The new asphalt is installed at 250 degrees. This heated blanket of hot rocks and petroleum (new asphalt layer) super heats the rejuvenating oils in the surface of the old asphalt and fuses the old and new surface together. The heat also fuses the old cracks together. We have done this process for many clients over the past years with great success. We have seen little or no cracks reflect back into the new asphalt surface within the first 5 years.
Over the years contractors have used a temporary fix process of installing a fiber mat to the surface of the old pavement before the new asphalt surface is installed. This issue does resist the cracks reflecting through into the new asphalt. The issue we have seen in the field as an example is at 8 years when a client has repairs to make to there asphalt parking lot. Most of the time when a contractor excavates the old broken asphalt and encounters the mat, the contractor, in most cases, can not take the old asphalt back to the asphalt plant to be recycled because the mat is glued to the asphalt. So this old asphalt has to be trucked to the dump and in turn unknown additional fees are passed on to the client.