In recent years, many states and local municipalities have made enormous strides in reducing carbon emissions and increasing the overall sustainability of their operations and infrastructure projects. Many sustainable construction methods, which often go unnoticed, are gaining popularity due to their lower cost and big environmental benefits.
Photo Credit: http://www.arra.org/page/resources
Full depth reclamation (FDR) of existing pavements is just one way that municipalities are saving money, reducing the use of non-renewable resources, and decreasing their overall carbon footprint. According to the Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association (AARA), full depth reclamation is a pavement rehabilitation technique in which the full flexible pavement section and a pre-determined portion of the underlying material are uniformly crushed, pulverized or blended, resulting in a stabilized base course. FDR is unlike other pavement rehabilitation techniques due to the fact that the mill always penetrates completely through the existing asphalt layer and into the underlying base as opposed to just the asphalt layer(s). It's not necessarily suitable for every situation, but if FDR is a viable option it has the potential to significantly lower project costs by reducing the amount of excavation, trucking, and base course material necessary.
FDR also offers several environmental benefits by reducing the amount of fossil fuels expended and recycling existing road materials.
For more information on full depth reclamation, contact our experts.
For more exciting ways to help your municipality "go green", visit www.sustainablecitynetwork.com.
About the Author
Maria C. Kealey, E.I.T.
Project Engineer
Maria brings fresh innovation coupled with effective communication skills to her role as a project engineer. She has been employed with Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. (R/M) since 2015 while she completed her degree in Civil Engineering and obtained a certificate in Environmental Studies at UW-Madison. Maria has been involved in a wide array of projects thus far, providing her with comprehensive knowledge of the industry. She understands the needs of clients to exceed expectations. These skills allow her to efficiently manage projects and coordinate design efforts, while maintaining timely communication with community staff and residents.
