Roads and bridges can live longer than expected and withstand adverse climatic conditions to a great extent, provided that groundbreaking technologies are implemented to engineer the constituent materials.
Usually, roads and bridges in any country are subject to several distresses. In general, a lot of deterioration happens due to many factors such as traffic loading, ageing, moisture, and extreme temperatures.
The majority of our roads are paved with Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), which comprises aggregates of different sizes and asphalt binder. The major distress experienced by this type of road/pavement is rutting, fatigue cracking, pothole, transverse cracking.
According to the experts who attended a seminar in Muscat, the frequency and magnitude of traffic loading have been increasing over the past few decades and the climate has also been changing. These factors have significantly affected the performance and life of our roads and bridges; consequently, more than before, there is a need for engineering the construction materials to enhance durability.
Speaking to the Observer on the sidelines of the seminar, Dr Mostafa Abu Hashema, Expert in Roads and Bridges at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MoTCIT) said that the new technologies such as polymer modification could save a lot of resources and money for the exchequer.
"Due to many reasons, a lot of deterioration is happening to the roads and bridges after they are constructed. To safeguard roads and bridges or to increase their lives, we have to improve the quality of HMA. We can do so by using some asphalt binder additives such as polymer," Dr Mostafa told the Observer, adding that "Most of the roads made with unmodified binders had failed under severe circumstances.
"We need polymer modifications to derive the best results," added Dr Mostafa.
The seminar on transportation infrastructure materials conducted by Atlas Commerce and Energy, a leading bitumen supplier in Sultanate, aimed at promoting the use of polymer for modification of asphalt binders for further strengthening the road networks that connect all the governorates of the country with each other.
How to protect our infrastructure?
According to Dr Arash Motamed, who is an expert from the US (Lead Engineer, and Manager at TxDOT), there are different types of additives such as polymers, fillers, and acids that can help us to improve the performance of asphaltic material. Dr Motamed’s presentation in this seminar provided good information and details on polymer modification of asphaltic materials, the art and science involved, and its benefits for public agencies.
"Basically, the HMA produced using Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB) will be more stable and durable, and it can support high traffic on Oman's roads. Furthermore, using PMB can also reduce the cost of annual maintenance for these infrastructures," Dr Motamed adds.
At this seminar, it was also emphasised on the need for using several advanced test methods to ensure the quality and compatibility of produced PMB. During this event, Atlas Commerce and Energy demonstrated its technical knowledge and partnerships, along with an advanced binder laboratory for research and quality control required for PMB production in the country.
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