Interest grows in Kaugummiasphalt cold mix from Macismo

Asphalt supplier 8538 BPH says Czech highway officials have been meeting with autobahn managers from Germany’s Leipzig region to discuss cold patch repair methods on concrete surfaces.

BPH, founded in 2013 in Königsbrück near Dresden in the states of Saxony, produces and sells Kaugummiasphalt and Macphalt, both products based on the Macfix Technology from 7951 Macismo.

Macfix cold asphalt is a high-quality product for an immediate, all-weather solution for instant, permanent repairs to potholes and utility cuts in bituminous or concrete surfaces. It can be stored in bulk with a minimum shelf life of two years, while remaining workable in cold weather conditions down to -10˚C.
 
BPH began supplying cold-patch technology to the Autobahn Authority in Saxony around four years ago. Trials have taken place on the motorways A4, A14 and A17. BPH supplies different maintenance units with the cold patch Kaugummiasphalt, which is manufactured using the special Macfix additive.

“From the beginning we monitored the repair sites,” said Sven Stumberger-Fischer, sales manager at BPH. “Damages in concrete motorways like you find in parts of the A4, the A14 and the A17 were successfully repaired with Kaugummiasphalt. This is remarkable because traditional repair methods are to saw-cut the repair area, apply a bitumen emulsion tack coat, install hot-mix asphalt, compact, then seal the joints.”

But using traditional materials has meant that the lane could not immediately be opened to traffic. This increases traffic management issues such as costs for lane closures, he explained.

However, thanks to a high quality, all-weather cold asphalt product, the same job is now done in a much quicker and more cost effective manner.

In addition to the solution for long lasting repairs on concrete motorways, BPH were also able to supply Kaugummiasphalt in bulk with the same so called “package quality” - bags or buckets – which, compared to common packed cold patch materials, provided a less expensive option for the Autobahn authorities.

The cost-benefit gets a boost because of Kaugummiasphalt’s excellent storage characteristics and workability as a bulk product. Instead of workers transporting the mix in many buckets to the repair site, they could load the cold asphalt into the hopper of a truck. Workers could dispense the material from the hoper and fill the repair sites directly or into a wheelbarrow.

The repair sites are cleaned of loose material with high pressure air. Kaugummiasphalt was then installed in several layers of 4-5cm. It was compacted with a motor-tamper and finished by a vibration plate on the last layer. Once the repair is finished the lane is immediately opened to traffic.

Last year, Macismo entered a five-year partnership with BPH for the German company to sell Macfix cold asphalt products in Germany, Austria and France. BPH also specialises in the production of Sächsische Wegedecken - water-bound-surface dressings – which is a licensed product. It comes in red, yellow, grey and anthracite and is used mostly for landscaping works, particularly natural park and garden design.