Our Stabilisation division has achieved another major milestone today with the commencement of our new Transport and Main Roads Foam Bitumen Stabilisation project. Ellis Consolidated has been awarded a part service contract to provide a Wet Hired Stabiliser and Spreader, including supply of secondary agent (hydrated lime) and primary bituminous stabilising agent. Like all projects Ellis Consolidated undertakes, we pride ourselves on our experience, service and capability to provide reliable and current generation machinery.
What is Foam Bitumen Stabilisation?
Foam Bitumen Stabilisation is a specialist stabilising process where Bitumen is expanded into a foam like product by the incorporation of water. Foam bitumen is then blended into the insitu pavement in the same manner as lime or cement stabilisation.
The purpose of the foam bitumen is to replace the moisture normally added by water during stabilisation. With regular stabilisation as the pavement cures, moisture evaporates from the between the particles leaving behind air voids susceptible to ingress of moisture. By incorporating the bitumen into the pavement, it fills the voids normally taken up by the water. Once the pavement dries back the bitumen does not evaporate, leading to a pavement with more resilience to moisture ingress. Foam Bitumen also provides the following benefits; Strong and Flexible, Reduces or eliminates shrinkage cracking, Improved fatigue performance, increased working time over cement stabilisation, single day operation with no overnight lime curing.
