Launched in late 1999 by Blue Circle Southern Cement Victoria, Roadment, a slow setting cementitious binder is now being used by a number of Councils to stabilise local and main roads As many road engineers are aware, the process of insitu cementitious stabilisation is an effective means to strengthen and extend the life of roads, while, at the same time, conserving local road making materials.
Roadment is manufactured from a blend of slag (by product of steel manufacturing) and bypass dust, the latter being a by product of the cement manufacturing process at Blue Circle’s plant at Waurn Ponds, Victoria.
Slow setting binders have gained widespread use in recent years due to the inability of faster setting binders, GP and GB cements to provide adequate working time to achieve specified compaction requirements in warmer weather. Roadment provides 8-12 hours working time compared to 2-3 hours for GP and 3-5 hours for GB cement.
Increased working time also provides an opportunity for smoother roads, as contractors have more time to shape, grade and trim the stabilised pavement.
Since its release in late 1999, Roadment has been used in some 50 locations across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. All three main road authorities in these States, Transport SA, VicRoads and the RTA in NSW have used Roadment. Principle users, of course, are also Local Governments.
Following laboratory testing by the RTA, over the past two years Berrigan Shire Council has used Roadment to stabilise various road pavements within the Shire. In this financial year, Council plans to stabilise 65,000 square metres or 17 kilometres of its road assets with Roadment.
“We have been very happy with the results,” said Acting Director Technical Services, Fred Exton. “The slow curing is definitely beneficial in providing a better surface finish. With the additional funding from Roads To Recovery, we plan to carry out three times our usual road stabilisation works during this year.”
Urana Shire Council first used Roadment in February 2000 to stabilise 18,000 square metres of gravel overlay on Jerilderie Road. Laboratory testing had confirmed that Roadment met necessary strength requirements. Since then Urana has specified the use of Roadment at a number of locations within the Shire.
Victoria’s Corangamite Shire has embarked on a program of stabilisation to extend the life of some of its roads, save on reconstruction costs and conserve raw materials. A series of laboratory testing was commissioned by the Shire to determine the most appropriate cementitious binder to use with its range of marginal pavement materials. The result of this testing was the specification of Roadment as an optimum binder to stabilise some of the Shire’s roads, especially those in the townships.
Paul Samaratunge, Assets Planning Manager at Corangamite Shire, said that from the point of view of minimising shrinkage cracks the product is performing well and he is happy with the results.
Other Local Governments that have used Roadment include Conargo Shire in NSW, and in Victoria, Northern Grampians Shire, Horsham Rural City, West Wimmera Shire, Yarriambiack Shire and Strathbogie Shire.
Roadment also has important environmental benefits as it makes use of industry by products, reducing the cement industry’s production of greenhouse gas and helping to achieve Australia’s global reduction targets.
Given Roadment’s considerable success in a short period of time, Boral Limited, the parent company of Blue Circle Southern Cement, awarded Blue Circle the ‘Award for Excellence in Innovation’ for 2001. Roadment beat a field of 18 entrants from Boral worldwide to take out this award.
For further information on Roadment, contact Maurice Serruto, Pavement Engineer, at Blue Circle Southern Cement, telephone (03) 5241 8291.
* Copy supplied by Blue Circle Southern Cement.
