SEVEN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USE OF EMULSIONS IN WINTER
When they start to shorten the days and appear the first cold start problems with the use of emulsions. This situation is repeated year after year and often turns into a spiral of construction problems that last for months if the corresponding precautions are not taken.
Being a recurring theme which we have learned to solve these years, we bring our 7 recommendations regarding the selection of products and ways of implementation to work in cold weather conditions.
While asphaltic emulsions have minimal restrictions on use in winter, since moisture of the aggregate is not counterproductive, if it is imperative that the embodiment in winter is different from the traditional, to avoid problems of detachment during execution and prevent exudates which cause in the first warm days of spring and every year we complained.
Las emulsiones catiónicas cortan por desbalance de cargas eléctricas y no es selectivo de verano o invierno, así que SIEMPRE cortan. Luego del corte existen diversos procesos dentro de la emulsión como coalescencia y curado, en el cual el agua de la emulsión debe evaporar para lograr la cohesión necesaria del asfalto residual con la piedra y así evitar desprendimientos prematuros.
Said above it is evident that the moisture retained in the system due to the low evaporation during winter, the aggregate / asphalt affinity is less. Subject usually solved from the viewpoint of performance as long as the maximum temperatures are above 10 ° C, otherwise it is not advisable to use emulsions until maximal exceed that temperature.
1) IMPROVE THE RESISTANCE OF THE MATRIX OF ARIDAchieve the stone is held in place by mechanical locking means.
When working on granular bases, use a heavy cylinder for driving the aggregate in the base and thus prevent detachment traffic. These solutions have drawbacks because if the stone is not large enough gaps may be affected and when summer comes the binder has nowhere to expand and asphalt appears on the surface. But if you plan to make a second irrigation or sealed future.
* If simple treatment, can be made the same in two passes with half the components in each pass, making the initial half containing emulsion below and above and the second irrigation achieved get into the gaps of the first giving a stone matrix closed using a heavy compactor.
* In case of a double treatment, perform the two executions on the same day to achieve the same closed die from the outset.
2) START very early: You must run risks in the winter mornings, once that blunts the sun. Recall that the emulsions cut by decompensation loads and we need all available hours of evaporation.
3) terminate PAST PERFORMANCE NOON: Watering must be discontinued after noon for a time sufficient evaporation in the last application so that when night came, the system achieves sufficient to withstand uncontrolled traffic cohesion.
4) heat more EMULSIONS: Si el problema es el agua retenida en el sistema luego del corte, podemos ayudar al proceso de curado si calentamos la emulsión entre 80 y 95°C para que el agua evapore mas rápidamente. Con las actuales emulsiones de RIEGO de BITAFAL no hay inconvenientes de escurrimiento debido a las altas viscosidades de las mismas incluso a temperaturas de 95°C. Además al ser en base a agua no existen riegos de incendio o explosión como si existe con el uso de diluidos.
5) AVOID AGGREGATES DIRTY: This recommendation is for all types of surface treatment but when the weather is good, you can moisten a dirty arid for the emulsion works well. That is not the case in winter where we seek to reduce the amount of water in the middle. With a dirty arid the emulsion will only adhere to dust causing peeling even if it is fully cured. (Especially if it is very hot)
6) ENABLE TRAFFICKING AND CONTROLLED EARLY FORM: Controllably release traffic (maximum speed 30 km / h) once finished the compaction in the early hours of the afternoon. There if we need the air traffic for the purpose of purging the system drops of water released from the residual asphalt and aggregates collaborate to lock each watering done.
7) USE OF EMULSIONS SUITABLE TO SITUATION: SPECIAL BITAFAL ASFALTOS emulsions prepared with different hardnesses of the waste and with different degrees of modification. Please find attached our table recommendations by type of work to be done, the area of the country and the time of year.
LIMITATIONS these recommendations:
Although it is possible to work during cold periods we not recommend performing work during the winter if:
1) highest temperatures all day do not exceed 10 ° C.
2) monogranular Treatments applied on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt layers and where traffic speed is greater than 75 km / h.
3) Surface treatments applied on very soft bases without adequate granulometry, as silts the coast, where a burial arid irrigation A occurs, reducing gaps and subsequent exudation.
