Cold In-Place Recycling

Cold In-Place Recycling

Cold In-Place Recycling is a low-waste technology that reduces the need for new raw materials during road rehabilitation. It is a modern method essential for cost-effective road maintenance and management.

This technique is based on the reuse of materials already embedded in the road structure. It is applied in cases where the pavement’s load-bearing capacity has been exhausted and the damage is so extensive that reconstruction of multiple layers is necessary. Typical signs of such deterioration include alligator cracking and widespread deformation, especially in wheel paths and along road edges.

Cold in-place recycling improves the quality of the binder or base layers at depths ranging from 12 to 25 cm by adding hydraulic or bituminous binders, and if needed, supplementary aggregates according to a prescribed mix design.

Advantages of Cold In-Place Recycling

• Significant cost and time savings (lower material consumption and reduced need for heavy construction equipment)
• Improved performance of the pavement structural system
• Extended service life of the pavement structure
• Elimination of tar release into the environment and groundwater
• Reduced environmental impact (conservation of natural resources, energy savings)
• Enhanced ride comfort and increased safety for road users

Binders Used

• Hydraulic binder – cement and other road-grade hydraulic binders
• Bituminous binder – asphalt emulsion or foamed asphalt (foamed asphalt is produced directly in the recycler by mixing bitumen, water, and compressed air in the machine’s foaming chamber)
• Combined binder – a mix of cement with asphalt emulsion or cement with foamed asphalt

Reprofiling and Granulation of Pavement Layers

Reprofiling is used to adjust the grain size distribution of material or to homogenize a structural road layer to the required thickness, followed by reshaping and, if needed, compaction. This process can serve as a final treatment, where the reprofiled and homogenized layer is leveled and compacted for its intended use (e.g. unpaved roads and surfaces). Alternatively, it can be used to adjust the grain structure—such as breaking down oversized particles that prevent the use of soil stabilizers or recycling mills, or generating missing fine fractions to optimize the gradation curve for subsequent treatment.

For reprofiling and granulation, our company uses an FAE MTM 200 towed milling machine mounted on a high-performance FENDT tractor. The milling width is 2050 mm, with a processing depth of up to 400 mm. The unit is equipped with a water dosing system directly into the milling drum area.

This is a multi-purpose machine capable of performing the following tasks:

• Reprofiling of unbound pavement layers
• Crushing of stone, asphalt, and concrete down to a grain size of 250 mm
• Cold in-place processing of flexible pavement layers
• Soil improvement and stabilization
• Milling and breakup of asphalt-concrete pavements

Thanks to its compact dimensions and excellent maneuverability, the milling machine can operate in confined areas where conventional self-propelled mills cannot access due to space constraints. This includes local roads, forest paths, and service roads within enclosed facilities. Mounted on a standard tractor, the unit allows for fast relocation between job sites, offering greater flexibility compared to traditional self-propelled milling machines.