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Cold In-Situ Recycling

Cold In-Situ Recycling Is Cost-Efficient

Once the bearing capacity of the asphalt surface layer has been compromised, the road structure must be completely rehabilitated. The trend is currently moving towards efficient and cost-effective solutions in which recycling of the reclaimed pavement material is a basic requirement.

How does cold recycling work?

During the cold in-place (or in-situ) recycling process, the reclaimed material does not leave the construction site at all, but is processed on the spot and reused immediately. This not only eliminates the need for trucks to make frequent trips to the processing site, but also reduces construction times.

Cold Recycling in Road Construction with Products and Technologies from Wirtgen

Wirtgen’s cold recycling process has established itself as a proven technology over the years and already meets tomorrow’s requirements.”

WIRTGEN cold recyclers

Cold In-Situ Recycling, One Technology for a Wide Range of Applications

As a pioneer in cold recycling, Wirtgen offers different technologies and processes that can be deployed to meet the needs of each specific situation. Nevertheless, the underlying technology is the same for all cold recyclers: small amounts of a cement binding agent are spread ahead of the cold recycler, the asphalt layer is granulated to the desired depth, the granulate is mixed with the binding agent and water, bitumen emulsion or foamed bitumen, and then repaved and compacted.

The Wirtgen cold recycling train is a concept that reflects the philosophy of the Wirtgen Group’s product solutions for the entire value chain in cold in-place recycling.

Wirtgen cold recyclers stand out cold recyclers stand out on account of their ease of operation, new automatic functions, flexibly positionable main control panels and an on-board diagnostics system.

The cold recyclers can also be equipped with an integrated Vögele AB 375 T variable screed.

Various Different Use-Cases – the Difference Lies in the Paving Method

When using cold recyclers from the Wirtgen CR series, an asphalt paver is usually also deployed. The homogeneous construction material produced by the cold recycler is transferred directly to the material hopper of the asphalt paver, which then paves it with pre-compaction.

With the WR series of cold recyclers, paving is fundamentally carried out without the need for an additional paver. Before compaction, the construction material is finely profiled by a Grader.

In a recycling train, all cold recyclers are supplied from a water tanker and, if necessary, emulsion or bitumen tankers driving ahead of the machine.

Paving Option – Recycling Train with a CR Series Cold Recycler

The Wirtgen cold recycler transfers the processed mix directly to the paver’s material hopper for paving. This is followed by compaction.

Paving option – recycling train with a WR series soil stabilizer and cold recycler

The Wirtgen WR cold recycler and soil stabilizer granulates the damaged layers. At the same time, the pre-spread cement is mixed in and bitumen and water are sprayed into the mix. This is followed by compaction.

The cold recycling train, comprising a tank truck, a WR 240 cold recycler, and a Hamm roller, delivers a stable surface that, if necessary, can be opened to traffic without a new surface layer.

Foamed Bitumen Is the First choice as a Binding agent in Cold recycling

Foamed bitumen is produced by high-pressure injection of small amounts of water and air into heated bitumen. The water then evaporates and causes the bitumen to foam up abruptly to between 15 and 20 times its volume. The foam is then added directly to the mixer via injection nozzles and thoroughly blended into cold and moist aggregates. The quality of the foamed bitumen is primarily defined by the parameters “expansion” and “half-life.” The greater the expansion ratio and half-life, the easier the processing of the foamed bitumen.

Wirtgen laboratory equipment: preliminary testing for determination of the mix quality

Asphalt Rehabilitation with the Cold recycling method as a Rolling Construction Site

In many countries around the globe, cold recycling using foamed bitumen as a binding agent has become an established method for the rehabilitation of roads that is increasingly moving into the focus of road construction authorities and construction contractors, and, in some countries, is already the standard procedure offered in tenders. It makes it possible to produce flexible and long-lasting layers. These create the perfect foundation for the final asphalt surface layer with reduced thickness. Foamed bitumen is produced from normal bitumen at a temperature of approx. 175 °C using state-of-the-art technology. In the in-situ method, the microprocessor-controlled injection systems of the Wirtgencold recyclers of the CR and WR series precisely inject the binding agent into the mineral aggregate mix. This means that a project can be realized as a rolling construction site.