Irkutsk Oil Company is employing new road construction technology
August 16, 2019
In late June, specialists of the Road Construction Department of Irkutsk Oil Company started testing Cold-In-Recycling (CIR) technology on old roads.
“In order to apply the CIR technology to our roads, in context of major construction projects, we purchased a Wirtgen-240 recycler and an advanced chemical dispenser,” said Mr. Vyacheslav Khen, chief engineer of the Road Construction Department. “The former crushes, and mixes, the top layer of soil with lime and water, in exact proportions (predetermined by soil laboratory staff). The new mixture, through the nozzles of the recycler, leaks unto the road surface. Afterwards, the advanced dispenser proceeds to evenly distribute it. A grader, trailing the machine, forms the structure of the road. It’s also fair to note that the entire process adds demetallic compounds (similar to cement) to roads, significantly strengthening the roadway. In addition, the procedure includes dust removal which, in effect, positively affects water-repellent ability and wear resistance. Moreover, the redone roads discover a resilient characteristic, which enables the road to recover its shape after exposure to heavy equipment.”
In early July, a delegation of experts, from Streumaster (a manufacturer of chemical binders) and Wirtgen, arrived in Yaraktinsky field. They shared their insight in selecting the composition of proprietary chemical binders with the specialists of the INK’s laboratory. Such training will happen regularly.
“Our multiple oilfields have different soils, and different humidity levels, so we constantly monitor the repair and construction work,” said Mr. Andrey Zima, the Deputy Head of the construction testing laboratory. “We constantly carry out analyzes, selecting the optimal dosage of water and lime for certain sections of roads. We reflect on all the data in reports and accumulate statistics. This will make it possible, in the future, to conduct a full-scale analysis of the information received, and to reach serious facilities already fully prepared. In the future, using CIR recycling, we plan to reconstruct the main highways of the company.”
Currently, the machinery is being used at the site of the future Irkutsk Polymer Plant.