Full Depth Reclamation
Contract-Ready Construction Specification Guidelines
Download GuidelinesLearn about the benefits of Full Depth Reclamation Treatments
Rather than remove and replace, recycling reduces the use of natural resources by reusing materials. Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) is an in-place recycling roadway renovation method that uses the existing base structure of the road. FDR combines the existing pavement with a predetermined portion of the underlying material into a newer, more stable subbase. Roadway flexibility and strength are increased, and susceptibility to moisture and rutting is decreased.
FDR can completely rehabilitate the roadway while utilizing existing materials and is 40 to 80 percent less expensive than alternative reconstruction techniques, making it a cost-effective, long-lasting solution.
FDR uses less materials than reconstruction, requiring fewer vehicles to transport, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and worksite waste. This not only saves time but also reduces the environmental impact.
FDR using asphalt emulsion binder or a combination of emulsion and cement can result in a more flexible roadbed that costs less to maintain over its lifetime.
Engineered emulsion can allow for a return to traffic the same day the treatment is applied, resulting in significant production-related cost savings.
Best Practices
- Take samples of roadway at a minimum of one per mile or per change in material.
- Submit sample for an engineered mix design to be prepared.
- Calibrate all application equipment.
- Use a 400 HP minimum reclaimer for best mixing.
- Compact material using a pad foot roller.
- Use a motor grader to shape roadway.
- Final compaction should be achieved using pneumatic and then steel wheel rollers.
- Release traffic after sufficient curing has occurred.
Pavement Preservation Success
Success Story: Full Depth Reclamation
DownloadIn San Antonio, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) was faced with a stretch of pavement that was rutted with moderate cracking and base failures. A TxDOT Kerrville area engineer described the patch of road on FM 3240 as “the worst eight miles of pavement that I have seen.” TxDOT engineers decided to rebuild the road using a full depth reclamation process. Engineers chose to use an engineered emulsion (EE-1), provided by Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, rather than cement, the more traditional choice.