Road surface treatment miles ahead

Brisbane road

Did you know that Brisbane City Council maintains a road network of more than 5700 kilometres, from residential access streets to major arterial roads?

As part of Council’s $360 million commitment over four years, road surfacing across 2000 suburban streets will help to get residents home quickly and safely. The considerable cost involved in safe construction and maintenance of our road networks has led Council to investigate new and innovative solutions to help maintain this network to a cost-effective and high safety standard.

Brisbane’s enviable sub-tropical climate with over 280 days of annual sunshine is great for residents, but unfortunately not so much for our busy roads. General asphalt surface wear and tear is accelerated by high temperatures and UV radiation from sunlight.

Council’s Civil Infrastructure and Asset Management teams have been at the forefront of research, modification and application of Polymer Modified Bitumen Emulsion (PMBE) surface treatments as a method to extend the life of ageing asphalt surfacing on residential streets since 2007. Comprising a mix of PMBE, fine aggregate, fillers, fibres, modifiers and stabilising additives, and applied using purpose-built equipment, this treatment is sprayed as a top layer across existing and newly laid asphalt, helping to seal fine cracks and provide a protective coating. Two coats of the treatment can extend the lifespan of a treated road surface by up to 15 years.

Although used across other local Australian councils and private suppliers in varying applications and frequency over the years, Council is the only organisation that has proactively progressed testing and validation of this innovation.

This technology not only extends the overall life cycle of road asphalt, but also helps reduce the overall rehabilitation and maintenance visits needed, resulting in significant cost savings across Brisbane’s road network.

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