Did you know that every winter, U.S. state and local agencies spend roughly 2.3 billion dollars on snow and ice control for our roads? Then they spend billions more every spring and summer repairing the very same roads. According to the Federal Highway Administration, over 70% of U.S. roads receive more than five inches of snowfall each year. Additionally, 70% of the U.S. population lives in these snowy areas. (Federal Highway Administration, 2024)
Weather damage to roads and streets is inevitable. The resulting potholes, cracks and ruts can become a never-ending cycle of road repairs. Unfortunately, many road repair techniques only treat the surface by merely filling in the holes, sealing the cracks, or covering these problems with an additional overlay of asphalt or chipseal. Yet the real problem is often never addressed, which is most likely deteriorating or failing road base from weather related damage. Fortunately, a process called full-depth reclamation (FDR) can help solve and even eliminate these base problems, allowing road surfaces to last years longer.
As you already know, potholes are notorious for reappearing in the same locations year after year. Full depth reclamation (FDR) helps stabilize the road base which in turn better supports the road surface. This in effect eliminates the source of the potholes, cracks, and ruts, resulting in smoother and more durable roads, virtually eliminating potholes. Following are a few ways that full-depth reclamation can help repair, as well as prevent, winter-related weather damage on our roads and streets.
How Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) is a Superior Solution for Weather-Damaged Roads
1. Freeze-Thaw Cycle
The freeze and thaw cycle starts as water seeps into small cracks in the pavement. When the temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands, exerting as much as 25,000 psi of pressure, widening the cracks and wreaking havoc on our roads. (Bituminous Roadways, Inc., 2022) As cracks widen and ice melts, water seeps even further into the road base, where it freezes and expands again. As this cycle repeats over time, the resulting potholes and cracks only get worse. The good news is a road reclaimer machine can pulverize and recycle the existing asphalt surface with all of its holes, ruts and cracks into a reusable, spec-comparable base material. This recycled material can be simultaneously blended with the underlying base to provide greater stability, often without having to haul in any new base materials. Even greater stability can be achieved with a wide range of stabilizing additives such as Portland Cement. Now, the recycled and stabilized road base better supports the new road surface, significantly reducing the need for future repairs.
2. Use of Deicing Chemicals (Salt & Brine)
Road salt lowers the freezing point of water, helping to melt ice, but it also accelerates road wear. Salts affects the ductility of the binder in asphalt making the asphalt more vulnerable to cracking, especially in colder areas. According to the results of one laboratory study, the colder the temperatures become, the more damage salt can cause to asphalt, making it more susceptible to water infiltration and more prone to cracking. (Peyman Mirzababaie, 2023)
A reclaimer machine mechanically stabilizes the existing material in the road base with the existing recycled road surface materials. This provides better stability as salt weakens road surfaces. Even greater stability can be achieved with chemical stabilization which incorporates additives such as Portland Cement. This leads to even longer lasting, more durable roads.
3. Frost Heave
Frost heave occurs when water enters the road base and freezes. The ice then draws even more water to itself which also freezes. This creates what is known as an ice lens. As the ice lens expands, it also causes the soil to heave or expand. When the ice lens melts in the spring, the resulting water dramatically weakens the road base. This leads to rutting, potholes, and potential road failure.
Road reclamation has been proven to decrease frost heave by mixing reclaimed asphalt pavement with the road base. In fact, the more reclaimed asphalt pavement in the road base, the less frost heaving occurs. (Guthrie, 2013)
4. Standing Water / Poor Drainage
Poor water drainage on roads also contributes to water and ice damage during the winter months. Full depth reclamation helps solve these problems by allowing you to easily regrade and reshape your roads with better water drainage.
During the full-depth reclamation process, a road reclaimer pulverizes the road surface into recycled, spec-comparable base material. This recycled material can be simultaneously blended with a portion of the base. Crews are now able to regrade the road, allowing them to remedy water drainage issues. Finally, the road is compacted and a new surface is applied, resulting in a smoother, better-draining road.
How to Afford FDR Projects In-House
You may be thinking that a large road reclaimer or cold in place recycling machine is too expensive. The good news is significant advances in technology have made portable reclaimers / recyclers far less expensive and easier to maneuver and transport, while also providing comparable production.
These machines allow even small communities on tight budgets to enjoy all the benefits of road reclamation. Portable road reclaimers are compact enough for a small road patch, but also powerful enough to do up to two miles of road reclamation in a single day.
Damascus Township, PA, population roughly 4,000, uses a portable road reclaimer for both patching and large sections of roads. They are able to easily reclaim a half mile before lunch, and then have their roads graded, compacted, and ready to pave by the end of the day. Better still, they are saving approximately 70% by doing these repairs in-house.
Unfortunately, Snow and Ice is Here to Stay, Luckily, So is Full Depth Reclamation
By investing in full-depth reclamation, communities can break the costly cycle of winter damage and temporary repairs. Improving the road base with reclaimed materials not only improves durability but also reduces long-term maintenance costs. With advancements in high-powered portable reclaimers, even small communities can easily afford to implement these lasting solutions, ensuring smoother, more durable roads.
Works Cited
Bituminous Roadways, Inc. (2022, December 5). How Freeze-Thaw Cycles Can Damage Asphalt Pavement. Retrieved from bitroads.com: https://bitroads.com/ About-Us/Blog/entryid/36/how-freeze-thaw-cycles-can-damage-asphalt-pavement
Federal Highway Administration. (2024, September 6). Snow and Ice. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/weather_events/snow_ice.htm
Guthrie, J. W. (2013, August 29). The Effects of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement on the Frost Susceptibility of Soil. Retrieved from BUY Journal of Undergraduate Research: http://jur.byu.edu/?p=3834
Peyman Mirzababaie, F. M. (2023, June). Accelerated laboratory evaluation of the effect of deicing condition on fracture characteristics of Silane-based modified asphalt mixtures. Retrieved from sciencedirect.com: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167844223001076?via%3Dihub