road construction material and hardening agent for making gravel roads last long
Macadamite™ is a road construction material, soil and gravel hardening agent that binds the soil and creates a trafficable surface with very little cost.
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Macadamite™ has the following properties
Product Information
Our road construction material Imparts water resistance, abrasion resistance, wind erosion resistance and strength to all types of soils.
An opaque water based emulsion, which, when mixed with soil forms strong aggregates by positioning itself between the granules to form tough, transparent plastic bonds.
Road construction material
USES
Load bearing, sub-bases for roads, loading zones, floors paths, walk ways etc.
Surface coats for roads, parking lots, tennis courts paths walk ways etc. for improved wear water resistance and dust suppression.
Embankment, slope and shoulder stabilization against water and wind erosion etc.
Macadamite™ is an emulsion which forms tough bonds with sand or clay soils to provide a firm, dust free surface.
Macadamite™ road bonding or stabilizing compound. When used as a sub-base stabilizer, mixed with the scarified or loosened soil to a suitable depth by spray application, saturating the soil. be it sandy or clay soil, it will stabilize, harden and water-proof the soil to the depth that it is applied. This process obviates the necessity for importation of gravel etc.
Our road construction material is sprayed onto the surface of a suitably prepared, shaped gravel or sand road, and forms a long-lasting, hard, waterproof surface.
This product is not influenced by the type of soil it is mixed into or sprayed onto because it alters the plastic index of the aggregates.
Macadamite™ application rates are only about 10% of those of traditional materials so costs are dramatically reduced.
It is safe to use and does not leach any solutes into ground water. At low dilutions (1 in 30) Macadamite™ can safely be sprayed on plants and spill on the skin is easily washed off with water before it dries. Water tankers or other spray equipment should be washed out after use to prevent nozzles and pumps becoming blocked once the plastic dries.
A feature of our road construction material is that it can be compared with other products in standard civil engineering tests. At 0,5% on sand, strengths in excess of 1MPa are achieved using the unconfined core technique. Aggregates bonded with Macadamite™ remain dry.
Advantages
Can be compared against standards in internationally accepted Civil Engineering tests.
Works in sands and clay soils.
Aggregates remain dry thus reducing hydration problems.
Application rates are approximately 90% less than those of conventional products.
Environmentally friendly.
Easy to use.
SURFACE TREATMENT
Mix approximately 12 parts of water to one part of Macadamite™
Spray onto newly shaped surface at the rate of 0.25 litres Concentrate per square metre or 3 Lt. water concentrate mix per square metre.
Apply up to 6 times. (Total volume of concentrate emulsion 0,25 Lt.\M2)
Wait approximately 1 hour before trafficking.
FULL INCORPORATION
Mix up to 20 parts of water with one part of our road construction material
Use 1 to 2 drums of concentrate per 100 Metres of road 7 metres wide.(Approx. 0,75 Lt. concentrate per square Metre of road.)
Saturate the newly loosened or scarified soil.
Plough the soil over again to ensure proper mixture of the emulsion with the soil.
Repeat this process until satisfied that proper saturation has been achieved.
Compact the ground.
Surface treat compacted road with the remainder of emulsion once dry. (About 1 hour) repeat process and allow to dry before trafficking.
DUST SUPPRESSION
On building sites loading zones etc. mix between 1:20 and 1:100 with water and spray onto surface in small increments to prevent emulsion runaway. Apply 2 to 4 times per treatment. Treat regularly as necessary for optimal results.
“Using nanotechnology lowers road construction costs”
( Professor James Maina of the civil engineering department at the University of Pretoria ).
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Johannesburg – The solution for affordable road infrastructure development could lie in the use of nanotechnology, according to a paper presented at the 35th annual Southern African Transport Conference in Pretoria.
The cost of upgrading, maintaining and rehabilitating road infrastructure with limited funds makes it impossible for sub-Saharan Africa to become competitive in the world market, according to Professor Gerrit Jordaan of the University of Pretoria, a speaker at the conference.
The affordability of road infrastructure depends on the materials used, the environment in which the road will be built and the traffic that will be using the road, explained Professor James Maina of the department of civil engineering at the University of Pretoria.
Hauling materials to a construction site contributes hugely to costs, which planners try to minimise by getting materials closer to the site. But if there aren’t good quality materials near the site, another option is to modify poor quality materials for construction purposes. This is where nanotechnology comes in, he explained.
How to modify with nanotechnology
“Nanomaterial is really small; five nanometers are equivalent to 0.05mm,” explained Maina. The materials bind with the poor quality material which needs to be modified. It can then change the behavior of the material.
For example, if the material is clay soil, it has a high affinity to water so when it absorbs water it expands, and when it dries out it contracts. Nanotechnology can make the soil water repellent. “Essentially, nanotechnology changes the properties to work for the construction process,” he said.
These nanotechnology-based products have been used successfully in many parts of the world, including India, the USA and in the West African region.
Why road infrastructure is critical for economic growth
“We need to have roads to enable mass movement of people and goods,” said Maina. Well-maintained road infrastructure ensures optimal speed of movement, opening up economic opportunities for people. Moving goods safely is also important as damaged goods translate into economic cost, he explained.
“For a country to be competitive globally, we need to reduce costs as much as possible. We need well maintained and well planned road infrastructure,” Maina said.
Some of the challenges to road infrastructure development in the Southern African Development Community region are linked to skills shortages as well as the harmonization of policies and procedures and standards. “From one country to another, the methods, procedures and protocols are not the same. Harmonization at a policy level will help.
“If we can work with each other to improve skills levels and harmonize standards and processes, this will lead to economic opportunities and growth,” he said.
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Cosmo-Dec Everlasting Coatings originated in 1991, with a single product – Therma-Masta™.
Knowledge gained from manufacturing this complex and unique product allowed us to formulate new and innovative products such as Fire-Guard™, Aqua-Mite™, Aqua-Therm™, Clean-Air, etc. for specialty applications.
To-day, 3 decades on we manufacture more than 50 different types of construction chemicals out of our factory in Pretoria, Gauteng.
