Higher strength and increased durability of asphalt pavement – these are the main goals of the newly launched SeHePa project, involving Budimex in cooperation with the Warsaw University of Technology.
The technologies developed, based on the action of innovative microcapsules in mineral-asphalt mixtures, will be used in the construction projects implemented by the company.
The main assumption of the project is to develop an innovative technology for the production of an intelligent asphalt additive, which will remain dormant during daily use of the pavement and will be activated and repair damage to the pavement only if cracking occurs.
Stopping the development of microcracks in the mineral-asphalt mixture will not only increase the durability of road pavements but will prevent more serious problems, such as the formation of macrocracks that occur naturally due to heavy vehicular traffic or temperature changes.
“Mechanical pavement degradation can be significantly reduced by improving mineral-asphalt mixtures. One innovative approach is to use the so-called microcapsules, which have rigid shells filled with a liquid agent to repair any microcracks that may form in the asphalt pavement. A completely new road construction material that has never been used before in Poland”
Various types of microcapsule will be tested during the study, including ones with various sizes and wall thicknesses, made of various materials and filled with repair agents. The tests will not just take place in the laboratory, but test pavement sections will also be used to confirm the properties of the technology.
The project is co-financed by the National Centre for Research and Development with a value of PLN 4,020,928.27 and a co-financing value of PLN 2,588,343.21
