The definitive version of
ART 1000, the Simex patented technology for on-site regeneration of damaged asphalt, was presented at Bauma Munich 2022. After years of rigorous testing, it is finally
ready to be launched on the market.
Simex developed a technology that can be
used for the restoration of road surfaces, to a depth varying between 30 and 10 mm. A cutting-edge technology that
does not require milled material to be removed or virgin HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) to be added, but that uses only existing material available on site. A technology that does not disrupt traffic flow and that
ensures immediate road drivability after its restoration. It also ensures
it will last for a reasonable amount of time, to allow local authorities to plan road maintenance, with significant benefits in terms of road user safety.
During the milling stage,
Simex uses an environmentally friendly chemical admixture for the cold regeneration of the mix produced. By drawing on the tried and tested self-levelling milling technique of PL cold planers, the new equipment consists of two drums, the first for milling and mixing, the second for crushing and disgregation. It also features an integrated 85 l tank containing the rejuvenator, with electric pump and nebulizers, and a detection wheel that ensures the correct dosage of additive, proportional to the speed of the carrier and the set working depth.
The rehabilitation work consists of three steps:
- MILLING AND REGENERATION
- MIXING
- COMPACTION*
* ART takes care of the first two steps, while the third is determined by the compaction tool supplied to the operator, vibrating plate or compactor roller.
The operator, after assessing the extent of the problem, sets the working depth of the equipment and proceeds with the
first pass, in which both drums are activated. The first, responsible for the primary milling, pushes the material towards the second chamber, the rear one, containing the crusher drum. During the passage, the nebulization device sprays the milled material with the rejuvenator in the proportion determined by the detection wheel, based on the depth set and the advancement speed. The crushing drum, which rotates at a higher speed, reduces the milled product to 0-15 mm, while a grid controls the output size distribution. A
second pass, activating only the first drum, the front milling one, is necessary to obtain the correct mixing of the regenerated material. The process ends with the compaction by roller or vibrating plate.
In the experimentation phase, Simex was supported by
DICAM (Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering of the University of Bologna) and the precious collaboration with
Iterchimica and its high-tech and green additive Iterlene. In a more advanced phase, ART has been tested by some companies of the road sector, using other rejuvenators of their own, with satisfactory results.
Simex ART carries on several innovations. Among all the system that controls and regulates the nebulization and mixing of the regenerating additive, coordinated by the detection wheel, which together with the hydraulic depth adjustment, allows an easy and controlled dosage of the admixture, depending on the extent of distress and characteristics of the asphalt.
The presence of the double drum allows the use of a single equipment for all processing stages. The grain size obtained is also important to ensure the right amount of fine particles within the regenerated product. The grid, positioned in the rear part of the second chamber, determines the size of the output material.
Therefore, Simex ART has a
triple goal:
- To repair road surface distress quickly and effectively, without disrupting traffic flow and, especially, without repeatedly having to carry out emergency maintenance.
- To reduce the costs of purchasing and handling new mixes by using only HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) available on site.
- Environmental sustainability: 100% of the materials present on site are recovered and regenerated, while construction site traffic is minimized as there is no need to supply new materials and the removal of discarded ones.
Simex ART opens up
interesting scenario within circular economy and environmental sustainability and can represent
an opportunity for effective, long-lasting and lower-cost management of pavement distress. The advantages are therefore multifold.
Logistical and operational advantages.
• Restoration of road surface distress, quickly and with long-lasting results, which allows for adequate road maintenance planning, at sustainable costs.
• A dynamic and smaller construction site: no large machines are required, which significantly reduces traffic disruption. A reduced number of workers and a single vehicle containing the necessary equipment.
• Cost savings: zero costs for the supply and transport of new mixes and virgin aggregates.
Environmental advantages.
• No impact: pre-existing materials are reused, recycling and rehabilitating worn HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt). Technically, this operation can also be repeated in subsequent maintenance operations.
• Use of eco-friendly materials.
• No handling or management of special materials or waste.