Asphalt-Rubber in British
Columbia
Okanagan Aggregates of Armstrong, BC. and RPA member, FNF
Construction of Tempe, Arizona teamed up on a $4,200,000 project
to pave with Asphalt-Rubber Hot Mix on Highways 3 and 6 and the
Nelway International Border crossing in British Columbia, Canada.
Also involved in the project was RPA member, Mactec Consulting
and Engineering, Inc. of Phoenix.
The Ministry of Transportation
for British Columbia had researched the potential use of Asphalt-Rubber
for over two years working closely with RPA technical advisors,
Grant MacIntosh of Western Rubber Products and the Arizona Department
of Transportation. The specification developed was modeled after
the widely used ADOT rubber specification. To insure quality
control and a successful project, the specification also required
a contractor and quality control lab with three or more years
experience in the rubber industry. The projects consisted of
a 2-inch gap-graded AR Hot Mix overlay placed over distressed
conventional asphalt pavement.
 The
Chief Highways Engineer, Dirk Nyland; Chief Geotechnical Engineer
Mike Oliver and Paving Manager, Vince Trozzo, for the BC Ministry
of Transportation visited the project and toured FNF's Asphalt
Rubber plant. Following their tour of the project and the rubber
plant, the FNF Project Sponsor, Cliff Ashcroft said the Ministry
officials expressed their desire to "get this success story
out to the entire province, from the people in the field to the
design engineers." Rob Ostrikoff, the Project Supervisor
for Ministry of Transportation, said he was very impressed with
the material and that all stakeholders were optimistic about
the performance of the Asphalt-Rubber. Ostrikoff also said he
was pleased to have the opportunity to supervise the largest
single Asphalt-Rubber project in Canada. The project recycled
over 52,000 tires which was greeted with enthusiasm in the environmentally
sensitive population in the area.
According to the RPA 1st Vice
President and FNF Project Sponsor, Cliff Ashcroft, the Ministry
of Transportation anticipates selecting two more asphalt-rubber
projects for the next season. These projects will likely be placed
in the urban setting of Vancouver. Following the review of the
initial projects, it is anticipated the Province of British Columbia
will establish an ongoing program.
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