High RAP Project, Yonkers, NY

Details

Peckham Materials Corp. partnered with the City of Yonkers to pave a portion of Kimball Avenue between Yonkers Avenue to Hildreth Place in Yonkers, NY with a hot mix asphalt (HMA) mix design consisting of 40% Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP)- a percentage that is unique to this area. Using 40% RAP is double the usual percentage of RAP currently used in typical paving projects. This innovative material was produced at Peckham Materials Corp’s Bronx, NY hot mix asphalt plant and created using Cargill rejuvenator products. This hot mix asphalt product has undergone performance testing and monitoring by Peckham and the NYSDOT and will be analyzed for its resistance to rutting and cracking before being used in future projects within the city and around New York State.

Rejuvenator products live up to their name by chemically rejuvenating the existing asphalt contained in the RAP (therefore, allowing it to be reused) and improves the performance of the mix, all of which provides an economic benefit in asphalt paving. During the paving process, this mix was easier to handle for the paving crew members and behaved similarly to traditional virgin mixes, thus speeding up the project’s process and increasing efficiency.

This proactive work is a small portion of Peckham Industries’ initiative and responsibility to create a more sustainable environment for our current and future generations. Asphalt is America’s most recycled product, according to the National Asphalt Pavement Association. For each ton of recycled hot mix, 1 ton of stone does not have to be mined and 13 gallons of asphalt does not have to be produced. Because of this, increasing the percentage of RAP in hot mix asphalt mix designs has significant environmental and financial benefits. Peckham Industries is a proponent of recycling asphalt whenever and wherever possible in its road and highway paving activities. Re-using existing materials is environmentally conscious as trucking costs, fuel use, and the use of new materials are greatly reduced. Thus, this also reduces overall costs associated with the entire road construction process. This project was a representation of Peckham’s dedication to serve its communities with integrity, combined with a loyalty to the environment.

The Peckham team is excited to be a part of this project and looks forward to working with the NYS Dept. of Transportation and other agencies in developing future Hot Mix Asphalt standards using higher RAP percentages.

To learn more about this innovative project, check out the articles below:

• Cargill Case Study: Yonkers Tries 40% Recycled Asphalt Pavement and Drives Impressive Results
• News from Mayor Mike Spano: City of Yonkers Rolls Out Recycled Asphalt to Pave Roadways