Saturday, Oct 17, 2009
Gulf News
Dubai Encouraged with the positive response from the authorities, Shell Bitumen now has plans to take its advanced racetrack technology on to public roads in the UAE.
"The two main issues involved on a racetrack are safety and performance and I dont see any reason why a normal motorist cannot benefit from using road surfaces that are used by these high-speed cars on a racetrack," observed Andrew Wayira, the regional bitumen technical manager with Shell Bitumen.
An ordinary road surface would comprise of what is called 60/70 pen grade bitumen or conventional bitumen, whereas a racetrack coat is made up of a specialised premium binder of polymer modified bitumen called the ‘Cariphalte Racetrack PG 76. This consists of mineral aggregates, fillers and bitumen.
"The endeavour is always to ensure that the benefits of research filter down for common use for society at large," Wayira explained.
The UAE has responded very well in this area with roads in Ras Al Khaimah already using this polymer-modified bitumen. "Road trials are on in parts of the Northern Emirates and we are also in talks with the concerned authorities in Dubai too," Wayira disclosed.
Cost factor
Of course, the cost factor will also vary for the polymer-modified bitumen. But when comparing factors like durability and negligible maintenance costs, it makes much better sense to opt for the latest in the market.
"The testing part on normal roads is an ongoing procedure and it is left up to the authorities concerned to make a decision on this," Wayira noted.
Dubai A racetrack looks very similar to a normal road but there are some technical specifications that help it withstand the phenomenal power of race cars.
F1 racetracks have a high value of skid resistance and sufficient cohesion to resist the high tangential forces exerted by the wide racing tyres. During hot weather, the sticky tyres of F1 cars tend to wear away the asphalt surface but, although this phenomenon is common in racetracks.
This sort of handicap is averted on a racetrack with the use of polymer-modified bitumen which increases the temperature range of the asphalt to avoid softening at high temperatures.
With cars constantly touching high speeds and braking hard, racetracks consist of 300mm of a sub-base of crushed stone, another 200mm of granular sub-base, 80mm of bituminous base course using 60/70 pen grade bitumen (used on normal roads), and 40mm each of bituminous binder course and bituminous wearing course.
By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.
