Bitchem green roads technology for rural roads

CRRI-Bitchem cold mix technology is a new generation road science technology for rural roads construction and maintenance activities.

  CRRI-Bitchem brings some activities that can bring benefit to the society from 2-3 times higher progress oriented technology, with environmental friendly benefits like zero pollution, no smoke – no heating during black-topping activities and a higher surface compared to hot-mix roads and which is tested and proven over 3,000 kms.

The Central Road Research Institute (CSIR- CRRI) is the apex national research organisation for roads, traffic and transport planning in India. It carries out R&D in the areas of road and road transportation and provides highest level of professional consultancy.

Bitchem Asphalt Technologies Ltd. (BITCHEM) joined hands with CRRI to improve rural and district roads connectivity using their technology to enhance the quality road work by using green road concept. CSIR-CRRI has granted the license to Bitchem on cold mix technology for maintenance and construction of roads in different applications in construction like OGPC, seal coat, BM, SDBC, MSS, slurry seal, patch repairing and micro surfacing.

Cold mix technology
Cold mix technology is a highly engineered but simple and effective solution for road construction and maintenance for rural, district and state roads, requiring a durable all-weather surface measuring 2 cm in thickness over the WBM or old bituminous surface with open-graded premix carpeting.

This surface is an outcome of Bitchem Cold Mix binders containing certain performance additives pre-mixed with graded aggregates (13.2 mm and 11.2 mm nominal size) with 2:1 ratio either at concrete mixer or a centralised pug mill, to provide higher volume of construction and speedy completion of road by enhancing the quality of the surface. To provide better performance of the surface, a binder is used to finally seal the surface with a premix seal coat of aggregates and achieving maximum sealing of the open pores.

In the last 6 years, more than 3,500 kms have been executed in challenging conditions of the country. The technology has proved to be extremely construction friendly in remote areas without need of hot-mix plants, providing 50 per cent higher life of the road surface compared to ordinary hot-mix and the progress of work is 2-3 times higher using the same equipments.

The mix also provides substantial progress through concrete mixers for black-topping and since it is a green technology, emits no smoke, no pollution, saves more than 1,500 litres of fuel per km of black topping during construction with an overall savings of construction which is more than 35 per cent.

The Green Roads philosophy
Green Roads is the philosophy of promoting energy-efficient and clean construction practices in our country and look at opportunities to educate and promote such technologies which have immense impact on the socio-environmental and economic conditions of road building community and the stakeholders involved like engineers, contractors, labourers, skilled workmen, technicians and the villagers/ communities who participate together to create and use these assets created by the central and state authorities in their localities.

Bitchem promotes the Green roads philosophy in the roads sector and encourages the usage of cold road paving technologies for reducing carbon emissions resulting from the conventional black topping practices, eradicating occupational hazards to workers and engage in environment friendly construction practices yet providing durable and lasting road surfaces.