One of the costly parts of an underground utility project is disposing of the asphalt. Saw cut asphalt is large and bulky. “Asphalt Disposal Near Me” might be a google search of any underground utility contractor.
Disposal of asphalt can be expensive in terms of transportation and dumping fees. Also, 94% of roads in the U.S. alone consist of asphalt paving, so this problem isn’t going away any time soon.
Saw cutting, chunking, loading and hauling have typically been part of opening pipe trench for pipeline replacement. What if there were an easier way to do asphalt excavating? What if you could learn a method for how to cut asphalt without a saw? And what if the new method of asphalt removal could also equal easier asphalt disposal?
Asphalt saw cutting is a common form of asphalt removal. The asphalt cutting or asphalt trenching process requires multiple pieces of construction equipment and is costly and time consuming. Many companies are turning to cold planers or asphalt grinders to cut trench in asphalt. Cold milling machines allow contractors to reduce asphalt into asphalt grindings, which are easier to dispose of.
Asphalt grinding and saw-cutting are two very different methods of asphalt removal, so it’s a good idea to compare them. This is especially true when looking at asphalt disposal options.
With asphalt grinding, you can open a 1,000 foot trench that used to take two or three days in an hour. This can give you cost savings on average of $10,000 dollars.
Disposing of Asphalt Chunks
Saw-cutting material is very different from asphalt grindings. Asphalt chunks are the result of saw cutting or removing larger sections of asphalt and are bulky and heavy. This makes transportation and asphalt disposal more challenging. Asphalt grindings have a smaller size and texture which makes them easier to handle and transport compared to asphalt chunks.
When you remove asphalt in chunks, you will need to arrange for asphalt hauling. You will also need to find a landfill or recycling company designated for construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Some landfills have specific requirements for accepting asphalt chunks. They may have size limitations or need to separate them from other materials.
In fact, it can cost twice as much to dispose of asphalt chunks as it costs to dispose of asphalt grindings. Some companies will also not accept asphalt with Petromat or other contaminants in it. As landfills face solid waste space limitations, some have quit accepting C&D waste altogether. This makes it difficult for utility contractors to dispose of asphalt chunks.
Once an asphalt recycling company receives your asphalt chunks, they clean them and process them through grinding or milling equipment. This breaks the asphalt down into pieces with smaller surface area. The recycled asphalt can be mixed and recombined with other components to create new asphalt products.
Disposing of Asphalt Grindings
You produce asphalt grindings by grinding or milling the existing asphalt pavement. An asphalt grinding machine gives companies working on asphalt trenching the ability to grind the asphalt. The result is recycled asphalt without involving an asphalt recycling facility or finding a landfill that will accept C&D waste.
Depending on the project specs, you might be able to use the asphalt grindings as trench fill. This reduces or eliminates the need to dispose of asphalt grindings at all. By using recycled materials for trench fill, you will reap cost benefits and be more environmentally friendly. Essentially, you are recycling the asphalt in place without expensive loading, hauling and disposal fees. You also avoid costs associated with buying new fill material.
Many recycling facilities accept asphalt grindings to reuse in new asphalt mixtures or for road base or temporary roads. Some states or cities and towns also have specific asphalt disposal regulations. Also, it’s worth noting that asphalt grindings may contain residual asphalt binder, which can leach into the environment. However, many road contractors or cities and towns can use this component to stabilize their road base.
Using an Asphalt Grinder makes Asphalt Disposal Quick and Inexpensive
To sum it up, saw-cutting, chunking, loading, hauling, and disposal is a time consuming and expensive process for utility contractors. As landfills run out of space, asphalt disposal is also a concern for the environment. Many contractors are finding that purchasing an asphalt grinding machine eliminates asphalt disposal steps, allowing for in-place asphalt recycling. This has many environmental benefits, and it saves utility contractors doing asphalt trenching a lot of time and money.