New road building technology with polymers can cut costs by up to 30%

29-Jun-09

A new, less expensive road building technology which, according to the South African owner of the company, can significantly reduce road construction costs by upto 30%, is based on a polymer-based adhesive that binds soils to create durable road foundations. Besides the durability of the Polymer-based roads, the technology circumvents the need for expensive excavation work and the importation of high-cost construction materials to create firm sub-surfaces. It allows road completion at a speed several times quicker and at almost 30% lesser cost as compared to the conventional road building technology. The polymer technology which was researched and developed over ten years was designed to create foundations that were both durable and flexible. A six-inch layer of the Polymer adhesive is poured onto the soil where it has the effect of migrating into and creating a binding effect. The road is then completed by pouring asphalt onto the hardened surface. The durability and flexibility of the material allows for the surface to remain particularly resistant to cracking.