How do I know if my road is a good candidate for Cold In-Place Recycling?
 Generally speaking, any asphalt roadways with good structural strength coupled with at least 3-5 inches of existing asphalt material are good candidates. However, each road must be evaluated on an individual basis to determine whether or not it is a good candidate for the process. 

Top What types of additives are used in the process?
 The most common additive is asphalt emulsion; however, lime slurry, portland cement, fly ash or a combination of these additives are also used. 

Top What types of problems can recycling correct?
 Recycling can correct problems such as rutting, raveling, polishing of aggregates, bleeding, shoving as well as poor profiling. Basically any type of surface defect.

Top How long will a recycled road last?
 Most properly designed recycled pavements last as long as a comparable virgin hot-mix pavement.

Top How thick/deep can you cold recycle?
 The equipment is limited to 10-12 inches. However, the primary limitation is curing and compaction. The deeper you cold recycle, the more compaction equipment is necessary. Also, aeration may be necessary for curing on deep recycle projects. Most cold in-place recycling is performed 3-4 inches in depth.

Top What does the end product look like?
 The end product usually looks like a base paving material. In some cases a fog seal is placed on the surface which protects it from the elements as well as giving the material a uniform black surface appearance.

Top How much additive is used?
 The amount of additive is determined by the mix designs from material sampled from the roadway. Typical asphalt emulsion contents range from 1-3 % by weight of the RAP. When cement or lime are used typical application rates are from 1-3%. When fly ash is the additive the application rate varies from 5-12%.

Top How much can I save using CIR?
 Typically cost savings vary from 25% to 33% over other equivalent alternatives.

Top What are the environmental benefits of CIR?
 No heating is used during the process thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and also reducing air pollution. Also, the existing aggregate and asphalt cement is reused thereby decreasing and/or eliminating the need for virgin aggregate and asphalt cement in the process. Total energy savings of from 40% to 50% can be achieved using this processes versus conventional approaches.

Top What are the traffic restrictions during and after construction?
 Traffic is kept off the finished product until compaction is complete. There is no need to wait for the material to cool or setup because it is not heated. This helps facilitate the speedy return to traffic and reduces user delays. The recycled lane may be opened to traffic one hour after completion of the day''s work.

Top How many years has the process been used?
 Various forms of cold recycling have been used for many years. The advanced cold recycling systems with sophisticated processing and additive controls have been around since the early 1980''s.

Top Can the process be used at night?
 CIR has been used at night. Depending on the type of additive in use and the weather conditions curing may be slower. However, it has been successfully performed.

Top What are the weather and temperature limitations?
 The weather and temperature limitations will vary depending on the additives in use. Generally, asphalt emulsions are used when the temperature is 60 degrees F. and rising and the conditions are not rainy or wet. Each project should be evaluated individually by a local expert to determine its viability.

Top What surfacing do you apply?
 It is recommended that all cold in-place recycling projects receive a seal or overlay. A pavement design is required to determine how much if any overlay is necessary. 

Top How soon may I apply a surface course?
 It is generally recommended that the moisture content of the recycled material not be greater than 1.5% above the "free moisture" content of the original existing pavement before overlay or sealing. Light fog seals are commonly placed the same day as construction, however.

Top Can you reprofile the road?
 A certain amount of reprofiling may be performed with the cold in-place recycling process. Severe geometrical problems cannot be rectified without pre-milling the surface prior to cold in-place recycling.

Top How smooth can a cold recycle mat be paved?
 Many agencies include ride specifications on cold in-place recycle projects. In most cases, the existing roadway smoothness can be improved using the process, meeting the agency''s smoothness requirement. 

Top Are specifications available?
 Yes, ARRA has Cold In-Place Recycling Specifications. 

Top Can I use this process on Federal, State and County roads?
 Yes, the cold in-place recycling process has been used on interstates, state highways, federal highways, county roads and even for private work. 

Top How many projects have been performed around the country?
 Hundreds of projects have been performed not only around the U.S. and Canada, but also world wide. Cold in-place recycling is a standard in many agency''s pavement management system.