Next level asphalt production.

Next level asphalt production.

Pioneering technologies for asphalt with an RAP material rate of 30% and low-temperature asphalt with foam bitumen: The construction company Balgorza S.A. has equipped itself to meet the requirements both today and in the future with a BENNINGHOVEN ECO 3000 mixing plant.

A double premiere: The ECO 3000 is the first BENNINGHOVEN asphalt mixing plant in Spain and also the first in the new BENNINGHOVEN design.

Spain // Vitoria-Gasteiz

Whether for new construction or renovation projects, economic efficiency and environmental protection are becoming increasingly important in the Spanish road construction sector. The construction company Balgorza S.A., based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, has equipped itself for the future with technologies from BENNINGHOVEN. Specializing in the production and laying of all kinds of asphalt, Balgorza now has more sustainable, cost-efficient and resource-conserving production processes thanks to this investment. On the one hand, the BENNINGHOVEN cold feed system for dosing into the mixer supports an RAP material rate of 30%, while on the other hand, a foam bitumen module enables the production of low-temperature asphalts at lower – and thus more energy-efficient – material temperatures. These were the arguments that convinced the company to become the first in Spain to invest in a BENNINGHOVEN asphalt mixing plant – and thus also in their own future.

All set for the future! Rafael Pedreira (General Manager of Balgorza S.A.), Alberto Fontana (founder of EMSA) and Daniel Diaz de Argandoña (engineer at Balgorza S.A.) at the commissioning ceremony for their ECO 3000.

“More to it than meets the eye: Our ECO 3000 offers us great potential both today and in the future.”

Rafael Pedreira, General Manager of Balgorza S.A.

ECO plants: the modular system enables custom-fit solutions

Before production could start, the transportation and assembly processes were quickly completed. ECO plants provide owners with a high degree of flexibility: the container design makes it possible to quickly relocate the plant at any time, while keeping the logistics costs low. Dismantling and assembly can be completed easily. Not least due to the “plug & play” principle used for the electronics, ECO plants are ready to use again particularly quickly at the new site – a fact which also gives Balgorza greater flexibility. The modular structure also makes it possible to integrate a large number of high-tech components into the plant that can be tailored to the specific requirements of asphalt mixing plant operators. This improves economic efficiency and safeguards the investment, which means that Balgorza will also be able to meet future requirements with the ECO 3000.

System for dosing into the mixer achieves an RAP material rate of 30%

Recycling is also on the rise in Spain. It‘s a trend that Balgorza has recognized, which is why they are systematically exploiting their capacities for the recycling of resources. After all, newly processed aggregate – known as mineral – is more expensive than reclaimed asphalt. To conserve resources and directly reuse reclaimed material from renovation projects, Balgorza opted for recycling technology from BENNINGHOVEN. An RAP material rate of up to 30% can be achieved with the cold feed system for dosing into the mixer. The feed process can be summarized as follows: A wheel loader delivers the reclaimed or milled-off asphalt into an RAP cold feed hopper. From there the material – dosed using a belt scale – is carried on an RAP elevator directly to the mixing tower, where it is fed into the 3-t mixer in the ECO 3000 plant via a chute.

Highlights of the BENNINGHOVEN ECO asphalt mixing plant in container design
  • 5-fold cold feed unit
  • 5-deck screen
  • 17 t hot bin section in 5 bins (optionally 55 t in 5 bins)
  • Precise electronic weighing of the aggregate, bitumen and filler
  • Insulated twin-shaft pug mill mixer in sizes from 1.25 to 4 t
  • Filter unit in performance classes up to 78,000 Nm³/h
  • Mixed material loading silo designed for positioning at the bottom or side
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Plant details
Mixing output
Mixing output
240 t/h
Drying output
Drying output
220 t/h
Number of RAP hoppers
Number of RAP hoppers
5-fold cold feed system, 12 m3 each
3-fold cold feed system, 12 m3 each
Burner
Burner
EVO JET 3 FU G-Öl combination burner for natural gas and oil with an output of 19 MW
Screen output
Screen output
220 t/h
Capacity of mixed material loading silo
Capacity of mixed material loading silo
100 t in 2 compartments + direct loading
Bitumen supply
Bitumen supply
3 tanks, 60 m³ each

Recycling reclaimed asphalt: Asphalts with an RAP material rate of 30% can be produced with the cold feed system for dosing into the mixer. BENNINGHOVEN also offers hot feed systems for RAP material rates of 90 + X%.

Low-temperature asphalt saves 0.9 l of heating oil per metric ton

Alongside the recycling of raw materials, the amount of energy consumed is a key factor when it comes to operating the asphalt mixing plants efficiently and in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Balgorza has also embraced a global technological trend in this area – with an innovative foam bitumen module for producing low-temperature asphalts. The asphalt is produced at a temperature of 110°C, which is around 50°C lower than the 160°C required for conventional asphalt. This reduces the energy consumed in the production of the asphalt by around 9 kWh/t, which equates to 0.9 l of heating oil. CO2 emissions are also reduced: Balgorza’s ECO 3000 achieves this by using foam bitumen, an innovative binding agent.

A foam bitumen module enables a reduction in temperature

The foam bitumen is produced in a pressurized chamber that is integrated into the mixer and connected to the conventional bitumen supply system. A small quantity of water and air is then injected at high pressure into the normal bitumen, which is held at a temperature of 175°C. The surface area of the bitumen rapidly expands by a factor of 20 and the resultant foamed material is then added into the mixer, where it is mixed with mineral. Due to its large surface structure, the foam bitumen permanently coats the mineral, lending it the required durability, while the water contained in it evaporates. One of the characteristics of low-temperature asphalt is its lower viscosity, which makes it temporarily easier to process.

Proven technology from the foam bitumen pioneer – the WIRTGEN GROUP

The production and use of foam bitumen as a binding agent is a well-established technology around the world. It plays an increasingly important role in the new construction and renovation of roads and has increasingly come to the attention of highways authorities and construction companies. The WIRTGEN GROUP has already been using foam bitumen since 1995 – and is rightly regarded as a pioneer in the foam bitumen sector. The process was originally developed for cold recycling – a WIRTGEN specialty.

One of the most important properties of foam bitumen is that the foamed binding agent coats the mineral optimally thanks to its large surface structure – delivering lasting durability.

Advantages of the process:
  • Extreme durability
  • Improved economic efficiency
  • Less use of resources
  • Lower CO2 emissions
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