5/6/2019 forta surface-ext fiber | asphaltpro magazine ......although surface-ext has been used on...

5/6/2019 FORTA Surface-EXT Fiber | AsphaltPro Magazine | FORTA Surface-EXT Extends Slurry Seal, Micro Surface Lifespan

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FORTA Surface-EXT Extends Slurry Seal,Micro Surface LifespanBY A S P H A LT P R O S TA F F

Incorporating Surface-EXT into micro surfacing or slurry seal applications does not require any change to mixdesign and does not change the way paving crews operate.

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FORTA’s new Surface-EXT �ber additive can extend the life of slurry seals and micro surfacing

treatments by three years.

A properly-applied slurry seal or micro surfacing treatment will last an average of three to five years,

depending on the state of the underlying surface. However, a new product from FORTA Corporation,

Grove City, Penn., aims to extend the life of slurry seal and micro surfacing treatments by an

additional three years.

Surface-EXT is an alkali- and acid-resistant glass fiber that increases pavement durability and

flexural strength.

“Not only does Surface-EXT reduce cracking and distresses, but it also holds the crack together

tighter and longer so there’s less water penetration,” said FORTA Regional Manager Garrett Lovett. “It

works before, during and after the crack. That fiber is always working for you.”

In January of 2017, two test sections were placed atop the asphalt parking lot of the Texas Station

Hotel and Casino in northern Las Vegas. One test section was micro surfaced with Surface-EXT

added to the mix, while the other was micro surfaced without the use of fiber. After one year, the lot

was surveyed and it was found that the section where Surface-EXT was used showed less cracking

than the section without fiber.

According to flexural tension testing performed by MWV Specialty Chemical, the average flexural

bend of standard mix without added fiber is 9 mm with a range between 5 to 15 mm. When Surface-

EXT is added, the average flexural bend increases to 54.5 mm with a range between 35 and 95 mm.

Added Flexural Strength to Micro Surfacing with FOAdded Flexural Strength to Micro Surfacing with FO……

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqJmYhh0b2Ahttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkNhqKN5flOT4Z14P5YP5IA



Surface-EXT, seen in detail here, distributes evenly throughout the mix and creates a matrix to hold aggregatetogether.

In August 2016, Surface-EXT was integrated into the mix used for a test section paved on MnRoad, a

test track operated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. When the test sections were

revisited in August of 2018, the test section containing fiber had a cracking percentage of .5,

compared to 11.6 percent for the control section. Its rut percentage, in millimeters, was 2.2 percent

compared to 3.2 percent for the control section.

Although Surface-EXT has been used on jobs across the country for a few years, it wasn’t until

FORTA finalized its feeder system that it began to market Surface-EXT more widely.

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Surface-EXT is incorporated into the mix through FORTA’s patented fiber dispenser, known as the

Ranger. FORTA’s fiber dispenser can be mounted to any continuous or truck-mounted slurry or micro

surfacing equipment in about one and a half hours. It can stay on the machine at all times, whether

or not fiber is being used on that project.

Once installed on the machine, contractors can simply fill the feeder with Surface-EXT pre-chopped

fiber, set the dosage of the dispenser, and the feeder will dispense the fibers into the pugmill of the

paver.

FORTA’s recommended dosage is between .15 and 4 percent of the dry aggregate weight. Most

users use about .2 percent Surface-EXT of the dry aggregate weight according to Brian Engstrom,

FORTA’s Pavement Preservation Consultant.

(with fiber)



(no fiber) In 2017, two test sections were placed atop the asphalt parking lot of the Texas Station Hotel and Casinoin northern Las Vegas. One test section was micro surfaced with Surface-EXT added to the mix, while the other

was micro surfaced without the use of fiber. After one year, the lot was surveyed and it was found that the sectionwhere Surface-EXT was used showed less cracking than the section without fiber.

The feeder is controlled with the same controls as the rest of the pugmill components.

“As soon as you turn the mixing machine on, everything comes on at the same time,” Engstrom said.

Beyond attaching the feeder, Engstrom said contractors will not experience any differences in

workability, paving process, or mix design.

“Surface-EXT can’t absorb anything, so it doesn’t require more material to coat it,” Engstrom said.

“Everything is the same for the contractor. It doesn’t make any difference to the guys using it.”

“If you ask municipalities to change the mix design [to accommodate the fiber], things get too

complicated,” Lovett said. “The chemistry behind Surface-EXT makes it simple to incorporate into

the mix design without any changes. It’s sort of a no-brainer because it’s so simple to do. It’s even

becoming common practice in some regions.”



FORTA acquired the feeders from VMFiber Feeders, Inc., which originallydeveloped the feeder system forSurface-EXT.

The fiber is added on the front side of the pugmill, at the same

time that the AC is added to the mix.

To prevent the fiber from falling to the bottom or rising to the

top of the mix, Surface-EXT has the same density and weight as

the asphalt mix, Engstrom said. This allows for even dispersion

through the mix.

“Surface-EXT is distributed uniformly in the mix and bonds to

itself, creating a matrix that holds the aggregate together,”

Lovett said. “It’s sort of like a very strong spider web, catching

and holding together rocks that are thrown into it.”

Both Surface-EXT and the Ranger feeder are available through

FORTA Corporation.

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PreservationPro May 2019FORTA Surface-EXT Extends Slurry Seal, Micro Surface Lifespan

5/6/2019 forta surface-ext fiber | asphaltpro magazine ......although surface-ext has been used on...

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