Cemex has developed an enhanced Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) surface course that aims to improve the durability of urban roads.
The global construction materials supplier said its new Vialayer product has been specially developed to provide an advanced high grade solution to strengthen surfaces against the main causes of road defects in urban environments – potholes, deformation and premature cracking.
Vialayer uses a combination of a selected aggregate grading and a high volume of polymer modified bitumen.
Cemex said it can help local authorities to reduce the frequency and cost of maintenance needed for pavements, and highly trafficked roads.
It also offers greater flexibility, allowing it to absorb the stresses of urban traffic and withstand the impact of slow, heavy-moving vehicles like buses in bus lanes, the firm said.
Scott Jones, director of asphalt at Cemex UK said: ‘With Vialayer we have worked hard to provide a solution to help local authorities manage their ever-increasing maintenance costs.
‘Many urban streets were built for much lower traffic volumes than they experience today, with limited capacity for increased thickness. Often when maintenance work is carried out, it creates trenches which, when overlaid with conventional asphalt mixes, can lead to problems with reflective cracking.
‘This significantly reduces the lifespan of the asphalt surface, causing the same problems to re-occur frequently, often within months of the work being completed.
‘Vialayer offers a highly effective solution to this growing problem. It also exhibits very low noise from the road and tyre interface as a result of the negative textured surface – which is beneficial in an urban environment.’
