Hanson provide solution to reflective cracking

New stress-absorbing Tufflayer asphalt laid for the first time on a section of Dorset’s busiest road

HANSON have laid more than 1,000 tonnes of their new Tufflayer asphalt to extend the life of a section of the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road in Dorset.

It is the first time the company has laid the product, which has been designed to address the issues associated with reflective cracking, in the UK.

Tufflayer is a high-performance asphalt stress-absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI), which incorporates Shell Cariphalte dense-mixture bitumen to provide optimal flexibility.

It is marketed as a cost-effective alternative to geogrids and is laid using conventional asphalt paving equipment.

The product was used on the A338, Dorset’s busiest road, at Blackwater Junction where the carriageway was suffering from the effects of reflective cracking caused by difficult ground conditions and the weight and volume of traffic.

It was laid by Hanson Contracting as part of the current Dorset Highways Strategic Partnership; a 10-year collaboration with Dorset Council.

‘If left, reflective cracking leads to water ingress and, ultimately, failure of the road,’ said Hanson Contracting project manager Ian Price.

‘Tufflayer significantly delays the effects of reflective cracking as it provides high levels of flexibility and enhanced fatigue resistance. It also creates an impermeable layer, protecting the structure of the road from water ingress.’

On the A338 project, Tufflayer was used in conjunction with Hanson’s Durafalt surface course to provide a complete asphalt solution.

Mike Read, project director with Dorset Council, added: ‘Hanson Tufflayer has provided us with a long-term, cost-effective solution where full reconstruction wasn’t an option.

‘Combined with the Durafalt surface course, we now have improved durability, ride quality, and lower surface noise which should last for many years to come.’