Abstract: A method for reducing at production levels sticky, abrasive waste shingles and portions thereof into a reduced shingle material for use of a patch for potholes and cracks and as paving for roads and the like comprises shredding of the shingles to pieces, milling the pieces to particles and granules and impinging the particles and granules with intermittent blasts of compressed air to prevent clogging and sticking and to assist in discharging of the reduced shingle materials. The method may also include the step of spraying water upon the shingles and inside of the apparatus. The apparatus includes an improved hammermill with a compress air manifold with apertures therein for intermittently discharging compressed air which impinges upon the inner chamber of the hammermill and upon the pulverized waste materials. A pressurized water manifold with apertures may also spray the mill chamber of the hammermill with water to prevent clogging or sticking of the hammermill.

Abstract: A method for constructing an asphalted road having a heating pipe laid thereunder, which comprises laying wire netting on a roadbed, placing a heating plastic pipe on the wire netting, fixing the pipe thereto and depositing asphalt concrete thereon, characterized by that a cooling medium is allowed to flow in the plastic pipe laid on the roadbed, and asphalt concrete is deposited while the inside of the plastic pipe is kept under a pressurized condition of 0.05 to 5 kg/cm.sup.2 by the cooling medium.

Abstract: Process for the accelerated drying of cement mixes includes the application to the cement mixes of electromagnetic microwaves. The device for the accelerated drying of cement mixes includes a chamber in the form of a tunnel, defined by a supporting framework in which are accommodated cement mixes, preferably on a casting bed, and microwave generator, in the form of a plurality of magnetrons supported by vertically adjustable cross members. The magnetrons are provided with telescopingly adjustable waveguides having an outlet in the chamber, and the supporting framework is slidable on a track.

Abstract: A surface of a fresh concrete body is dried by first covering the surface to be dried with a layer of bibulous granules having a great internal surface area for a time sufficient to draw generally all of the water out of the body via the surface and then preventing water from entering the layer from its side turned away from the body. The granules are finely divided hygroscopic particles, with an internal surface area of at least 200 m.sup.2 /g, preferably at least 800 m.sup.2 /g. The hydrophilic particles take up the moisture from the concrete and hold it in the layer of particles lying on the surface. This reduces the partial vapor pressure on the surface of the concrete body which effectively draws further liquid out of the concrete. The particles are a mixture of a cross-linked polymer that only swells in water and silica. The particles are carried in a coherent mat and are applied as a layer to the surface by laying the mat thereon.

Abstract: A method for repairing voids such as potholes in asphalt pavement by mixing a lossy microwave material in the tack used for the tack layer. The asphalt patch used to fill the pothole is relatively non-lossy so that a substantial portion of microwave energy applied to the upper surface penetrates through the asphalt patch and is absorbed in the tack layer. The heating of the tack layer is enhanced to improve the interface bond between the asphalt patch and the surface of the pothole.

Abstract: A method of posttreating a concrete structure to provide corrosion inhibiting properties by heating the structure to remove entrapped water, cooling the structure under a maximum temperature gradient of +2.degree. C./in. thickness, applying an aqueous solution of corrosion inhibitor and then an aqueous wash.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for repairing a utility cut in a section of pavement is provided. The method includes the steps of transferring broken pavement and underlying base material from the utility cut, mixing the transferred material with predetermined quantities of water and binder material to form a fluid, unshrinkable, settable filler mixture which is then reapplied to the utility cut. The filler mixture hardens to a set state in a short period of time. All of the operative elements of the apparatus for performing the method are arranged for use directly at the utility cut site. An optional crusher for reducing larger excavated particles to a smaller size and a heater for heating the filler material reapplied to the utility cut may also be employed. Further, the removed material may be separated according to size to exclude particles above a predetermined size.

Abstract: A road surface heating apparatus for repairing a deteriorated asphalt paved road includes an air shut out device with skirt members surrounding the heating panel so as to prevent air from entering into the heating apparatus, thereby restraining smoke generation. The generated smoke is filtered and purified by an after-burner and a catalyst burner and then exhausted, thus air pollution problems at the work site are solved.

Abstract: An asphalt-paved road surface is rejuvenated in two stages. First, an exposed upper asphalt layer is heated to a selected temperature and depth. The heated upper asphalt layer is then removed from the road surface to expose a lower asphalt layer. In the second stage of the process, the lower asphalt layer is heated to a selected temperature and depth. The lower layer is then either broken up and left in place, or else it too is removed from the road surface. In the former case, asphalt removed from the upper layer is replaced on top of the ruptured lower layer; in the latter case, asphalt removed from the upper layer is comingled with asphalt removed from the lower layer. The removed/ruptured or comingled asphalt (as the case may be) is then pressed back against the road surface to repave the road.

Abstract: A method of removing pavement marking materials on an asphalt surface which comprises heating the surface of the asphalt roadway in which the pavement marking materials have been installed to a temperature just below that at which the pavement marking materials will liquify using an infrared heater and then cooling the pavement marking materials to a temperature below about 100.degree. F. and then peeling off the pavement marking materials from the asphalt surface.

Abstract: An asphaltic pavement preconditioning machine to remove and grind up old asphalt so that it can be rejuvenated. The method and apparatus heats a strip of asphalt, grinds a first strip portion and moves the ground asphalt to a second strip portion leaving behind an exposed unsoftened layer. Both the ground material and the previously heated unground asphalt in the second strip are then ground. The exposed hard asphalt in the first strip is heated, softened and then ground and moved onto the first strip portion. The heat from the ground asphalt lying over the center strip portion softens the unground asphalt there which is subsequently ground together with the ground material and left for further processing.

Abstract: A method for repairing an opening formed in and below a section of pavement, comprising the steps of partially filling the opening with an unshrinkable filler material such that an upper surface of the filler material is near a lower surface of the section of pavement, heating an upper portion of the filler material so that the upper portion is substantially dried and becomes set, and substantially immediately thereafter making a permanent patch in the pavement section above the dried filler material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for renewing the surface of asphaltic paving at low cost and for immediate reuse. The asphalt surface is heated to about 300.degree.-500.degree. F. The surface is broken to a depth of about two inches and the lower material thoroughly mixed in situ with the broken surface material. After mixing, the material is further heated to fuse the heated mixture into a homogeneous surface. The surface is screeded for leveling and compacted by a road roller. A road machine is disclosed having a steam manifold for heating the asphalt, transversely reciprocating breaker bars having teeth adjusted to the depth desired, toothed mixing cylinders for mixing the broken material, and a second steam manifold for reheating the mixed material. Reciprocating screed bars on the road machine level the mixed and heated material. Final compacting may be done with a conventional road roller.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for filling voids in recycled asphalt. When asphalt has been recycled through the use of a heater-scarifier-screed apparatus, inherently, the pavement surface has voids therein which render the surface porous. The apparatus disclosed herein spreads a thin layer of asphalt over the recycled asphalt in such a manner that substantially all of the voids in the surface thereof are filled. When the method disclosed herein has been completed, the result is a substantially smooth, recycled, repaved trafficable asphalt surface.

Abstract: A pot hole filling formulation comprises a polyolefin preferably ethylene acrylic acid in combination with an aggregate preferably gravel particles of one-quarter inch dimension or larger. The polyolefin, preferably in pellet form is mixed with the aggregate and applied to the pot hole. A heat source melts the polyolefin and causes it to flow within the pot hole to fill up the crevices in the pot hole. A second layer of aggregate is applied to the top surface of the fill before the polyolefin hardens to improve the skid resistant qualities of the fill as well as to minimize any deleterious effects of ultraviolet light from the sun.

Abstract: Fragmented old asphaltic concrete or the like is recycled into new hot-mix by temporarily separating larger pieces from the smaller fragments, generating heat internally within the large pieces with penetrating microwave energy, separately heating the smaller fragments by exposure to hot gas, and then recombining and remixing the separately heated components. The old concrete can be heated very rapidly, highly uniformly and economically while avoiding asphalt degradation and pollution problems that can be caused by exposure to extreme high temperature and while avoiding the relatively high costs of heating the entire volume with microwave energy.

Abstract: In a roadway surface reconditioning apparatus, for example, a scarifier for use with an asphalt or like bituminous roadway surface, a number of heaters of the luminous wall type are employed to direct large quantities of radiant heat downwardly towards the surface for softening it while travelling along the roadway. These heaters consist basically of porous fire bricks through which an air/propane mixture passes and on the surface of which it burns. Each heater also has porous side walls that project closer to the roadway surface than the main bricks and are supplied with air for forming a downward curtain of air to inhibit sideways escape of heat from the region beneath the heater. The heaters are assembled in banks that are spaced apart from each other in the direction of travel. This spacing can be adjusted. Each pair of adjacent banks is bridged by heat deflectors that help to provide heat soak areas between the heater banks.

Abstract: A microwave energy reflecting zone (12, 12a, 12b) is provided below the surface of a pavement (11, 11', 11a, 11b) at a depth that is less than the maximum depth that such energy can penetrate into paving materials. The reflective zone, which is formed of electrically conductive material (16, 16a to 16h), results in energy and cost savings in subsequent paving or pavement repair operations that involve microwave heating of thermoplastic pavement and in which it is not necessary to heat down to the full depth to which such energy can penetrate paving materials. The heating is concentrated or localized within a predetermined upper portion of the pavement. The energy concentrating pavement may, for example, be more economically resurfaced when that becomes necessary by microwave heating followed by remixing and recompaction of the heated upper portion of the pavement material.

Abstract: This invention concerns treatment of the heat-fusible materials by use of a fusing agent, according to which a fusing agent capable of producing red hot "embers" by combustion is applied to the surface of a worked object such as a sign formed from a heat-fusible material and worked at a construction site or to the area to be newly worked, and then said fusing agent is ignited and burned so that the combustion heat of the resultantly produced "embers" is directly conducted to the material to be worked to thereby remove the fused material from the worked area or fuse and affix the material to the working area.

Abstract: An ice road is formed over snow-covered terrain by traversing a pair of rearwardly converging snow gathering blades over the snow-covered terrain to form a continuous snow ridge. The top of the ridge is leveled with a leveling blade. A heater comprising an inclined heated plate and a plurality of downwardly depending fore-to-aft extending vanes is passed along the ridge to melt some of the snow therein and form a slush of water and snow of generally uniform depth and width, and of a temperature of about 32.degree. F. The slush is allowed to at least partially freeze while confined beneath a horizontal unheated plate which shapes the ice road. Freezing is completed upon exposure of the ice road to ambient air. The vanes are angled relative to the direction of travel and contain apertures to promote mixing of the water and snow as melting progresses.

Abstract: A method for laying a snow road or an airplane runway on a snow or ice covered surface includes the removal of a predetermined and relatively small portion of the snow or ice surface, which is melted to water and mixed with the snow or ice remaining on the snow surface. The mixture of water and snow or ice is leveled so as to form a road surface when the mixture freezes. Preferably, the snow remaining on the surface is mechanically worked with a rototiller, while the melted snow is injected into the snow being worked. The method is particularly advantageous in that it can be carried out without requiring melting of all the snow necessary to form the snow road, or requiring the addition of any water from an external source, other than the portion of snow removed from the snow surface. An apparatus for performing the method is also described.

Abstract: A process for recycling asphalt pavement by serially heating and milling the asphalt until the desired depth of asphalt has been removed and then mixing the heated asphalt with additives, if needed, for reapplication to the pavement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for repairing ruptured longitudinal seams or cracks in road surfaces which consist of a thermoplastic material and particularly of an asphalt coating including bitumen and mineral constituents, by which, under the application of heat, new coating material is applied and consolidated in the area of the longitudinal seams or cracks, wherein at first mud and humidity is removed from, and out of, said longitudinal seam or crack, said longitudinal seam is subsequently softened by heating, said softened coating is loosened from the underground and is compounded with the new material and/or liquid or liquified aggregates and is finally incorporated and consolidated again.

Abstract: In a method for resurfacing a road, the road surface is first plastified and broken-up by first and second separable devices. The broken-up material is immediately distributed on the road surface by the second device, whereby the broken-up material is simultaneously rearranged and profiled or contoured without the introduction of fresh asphalt or bituminous material at this point of time. A road surfacing or repaver apparatus forming a third separate device then applies fresh asphalt or bituminous material onto the broken-up distributed, rearranged and profiled top surface of the road. Preferably, two distributions of the broken-up material are employed prior to the asphalt application and compaction of the broken-up and distributed material and the new asphalt material. A truck supplies fresh asphalt or bituminous material to the repaver.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling the temperature of asphalt and concrete bodies (1) in connection to storing of heat in the ground or in rocks, whereby channels (3) are drilled into the ground or the rock at or underneath the asphalt or concrete body the temperature of which is to be controlled, and in the said drilled channels (3) are inserted adaptor elements comprising two or more inner tubes or channels (6; 17) for supply and removal of a heat transport medium. The inner tubes (6; 17) in the adaptor elements are preferably formed so as to open on different levels of the channel (3) and also preferably the adaptor element is formed with cross partition walls (13) providing severaL zones distributed along the channel whereby heat can be transported between the zones and between a particular zone and the body the temperature of which is to be controlled.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for repairing asphalt concrete road surfaces wherein a tractor a steam box and a car mounted with a screw cutter are coupled in this order and a series of linearly operated equipment is used on the asphalt concrete paved road surface, including a heater car, an asphalt finisher and a road roller in this order after the car. Each of the equipment is made to advance at low speed and the asphalt concrete paved road surface is artificially heated by the steam box to impart fluidity to the road surface, after which it is cut with the screw cutter and the cut asphalt concrete is conveyed into a heating chamber of the heater car, and water content in the asphalt concrete is removed by heating and stirring.

Abstract: Pavement (12) is rapidly heated in depth by irradiation with microwave energy accompanied by supplemental surface heating which counteracts an inverted temperature gradient otherwise produced by microwave heating. Energy efficiency is increased by performing the surface heating with thermal energy derived from the exhaust gases of a motor (19) which drives a generator (18) to energize the microwave source (68). An energy applicator (36) simultaneously applies both the microwave energy and hot gas to a selected area of pavement while blocking release of microwave energy in upward and outward directions and is preferably attached to a mobile support (37) through support and positioning linkage (38) which enables shifting of the applicator between localized areas of pavement to be heated.

Abstract: Asphaltic concrete constituents (13) or the like deposited in a windrow (14a) along a surface (12) to be paved are molded into a preliminary narrow layer (14b) of greater height than the final layer (14d) of pavement to be formed on the surface and are then heated by directing microwave energy into the preliminary layer. The heated preliminary layer is then spread out to form the final thinner layer of paving material for smoothing and compaction. Molding means (37) for the preliminary layer and microwave heating means (38) may be carried on a vehicle (16) which travels along the windrow. The vehicle may also carry mixing, spreading and compaction means (39, 92, 89) or some or all of these elements may be on a separate paver vehicle.

Abstract: A series of treatments are performed on old asphaltic pavement to make it suitable for being satisfactorily applied as a new mat. The old asphaltic pavement is heated and scarified to form a loose aggregate-asphaltic mixture while remaining on the ground surface. The mixture is removed from the ground surface and heated in an elongated rotary housing having heated conductors without direct flame contact with the mixture, and the mixture is then thoroughly mixed with a conditioner for old asphaltic pavement, and finally is reapplied to the ground surface as a new mat. The treatments are carried out by independently operable, portable apparatus during the movement of all of the apparatus in a coordinated train that moves over the ground surface.

Abstract: Portland cement concrete at a roadbed, bridge deck or the like is quickly and deeply heated and dried by directing microwave energy into the concrete and by applying hot gas to the surface. A layer of thermoplastic sealant is applied to the hot concrete followed by an overlayer of asphaltic concrete having a higher softening temperature than the sealant layer. Compaction then produces a composite pavement which is sealed against water intrusion and which can be quickly, easily and economically resealed and resurfaced at a later time using little or no additional paving materials. Resealing and resurfacing is accomplished by deeply reheating all three layers by microwave irradiation followed by recompaction. If cracking and deterioration are severe, the asphaltic concrete layer may be remixed and rescreeding between the reheating and recompaction steps.

Abstract: A process for drying concrete to the appropriate moisture content for proper impregnation of the concrete with a polymer or a monomer for in situ polymerization. This is accomplished by heating the concrete until its temperature at the desired depth of polymer penetration is at least about 230.degree. F. In another embodiment of the invention the dried concrete is impregnated with a monomer composition capable of polymerization and is polymerized within the concrete.

Abstract: This invention provides a new and low-cost method for reconditioning existing bituminous concrete pavement and simultaneously resurfacing it with a non-skid, light-reflecting material.

Abstract: Pavement markings of improved durability are obtained by first forming a bonding layer on the pavement surface with a liquid coating composition that comprises a polyamide condensation product of dimerized fatty acid and polyamine and then forming a top or marking layer over the bonding layer by applying through a flame solid particles of a marking material that comprises the same type of polyamide, preferably in a higher-molecular-weight version.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of providing a surface dressing for a roadway and includes contacting an aggregate (granular material) and a binder in situ on the roadway and heating the layer thus formed to a temperature measured at about 1mm. below the surface of the layer of betweeen 100.degree. C and 200.degree. C. The method can be applied either to a new surface dressing or to a repair operation and in the latter instance where the surface has become polished as a result of loss of aggregate from the surface, the aggregate is merely distributed over the polished surface and the heat applied to the required temperature.

Abstract: A road maintenance machine is provided with a heater assembly mounted on a general purpose chassis which is adapted for selectively attaching various road working devices. The heater assembly includes multiple rows of high temperature burner units each having means for burning fuel and projecting the generated heat downward against the road surface. The rows are spaced apart to allow the top of the surface to partially cool between burner rows as the heat penetrates the pavement in order to maintain the surface temperature below its flash point but high enough to achieve sufficient heat penetration to soften the pavement material to a significant depth. Heat shields and exhaust hoods are provided between the rows of burners to confine and direct the heat and combustion products. The chassis is provided with an adjustable hydraulic mechanism to which an asphalt planer, a scarifier assembly or a grooving cylinder may be attached to work the softened pavement material.

Abstract: Asphalt surface roads are subjected to an oxidizing treatment, e.g., flame treatment, to improve resistance thereof to skidding on the surface thereof.

Abstract: The invention concerns heating an asphalt pavement in successive stages during time-spaced intervals. This permits the asphalt to be heated to its softening temperature without being overheated, and also permits the heat to penetrate deeply into the asphalt by conduction to soften the asphalt to a substantial depth (e.g. 1 inch or more). The asphalt is then scarified to a depth not greater than the depth to which it has been softened, and the scarified asphalt is then worked into a trafficable surface.

Abstract: A method of freeing a coating of ice, snow or frost frozen on to the surface of a manufactured material, such as a metal partition, a masonry or painted structure, or a paved roadway or runway, by concentrating an intense beam of visible light on to the interface between the coating and the surface adequate to raise the temperature at the interfacial zone to the melting point so as to free the coating from the surface, and apparatus for carrying out this method. The apparatus preferably includes structure for immediately breaking and removing the coating.