CONSTRUCTION REINFORCEMENT WITH MELTABLE SUBSTRATE

Abstract

A structure for the reinforcement of pavements, said structure having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, said structure comprising a first group of reinforcement element, said reinforcement elements of said first group being oriented in a first direction in a mutual parallel or mutual substantially parallel position, said reinforcement elements being integrated in a substrate, whereby said substrate comprises or consists of a non-metal material with a melting temperature between 60 and 135 C.

Claims

1. A structure for the reinforcement of pavements, said structure having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, said structure comprising a first group of reinforcement element, said reinforcement elements of said first group being oriented in a first direction in a mutual parallel or mutual substantially parallel position, said reinforcement elements being integrated in a substrate, wherein said substrate comprises or consists of a non-metal material with a melting temperature between 60 and 135 C.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said substrate consists of a non-metal material with a melting temperature between 75 and 130 C., preferably between 95 and 115 C., further preferred between 100 and 110 C.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcement elements are or comprise metal wires, bundles of metal wires or metal cords, carbon fibers, synthetic fibers, basalt fibers, glass fibers or yarns made therefrom, extruded reinforcement elements or the like, especially for example steel cords.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the non-metal material is selected from the group comprising: polylactic acid (PLA) or polylactic acid copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), polypropylene or polypropylene copolymers, polyesters, co-polyesters, polyamids, co-polyamids, thermoplastic polyurethanes and/or wherein the non-metal material is preferably selected from the group comprising: polylactic acid (PLA) or polylactic acid copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), polyesters, co-polyesters, polyamids, co-polyamids, thermoplastic polyurethanes and/or wherein substrate is a non-woven or a grid or a film and/or wherein a structure according to the invention may comprise one or more layers of substrate, preferably exactly one layer of substrate.

5. A The structure according to claim 1, wherein said substrate consists of a non-metal material with an MFR at 160 C. and 2.16 kg of between 5 and 600 g/10 min, preferably between 7 and 500 g/10 min preferably between 20 and 250 g/10 min, further preferred between 25 and 65 g/10 min or between 90 and 175 g/10 min and/or wherein the amount of substrate per m.sup.2 may thereby preferably be for example between 10 and 150 g/m.sup.2, preferably between 20 and 120 g/m.sup.2, further preferred between 30 and 90 g/m.sup.2, further preferred between 40 and 80 g/m.sup.2.

6. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the included angle between said first direction and said longitudinal direction is ranging between 80 and +80.

7. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said first direction is oriented in the longitudinal direction of said structure.

8. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing elements are integrated in to said substrate by at least one yarn.

9. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing elements are integrated in a non-woven, woven or knitted substrate or into a film or a grid.

10. The structure according to claim 1, whereby said structure comprises a second group of reinforcing elements, said reinforcing elements of said second group being oriented in a second direction, said second direction being different from said first direction, preferably perpendicular to the first direction.

11. A method to manufacture a structure as defined in claim 1, said method comprising the steps of providing at least a first group of reinforcement elements, providing non-metal substrate with a melting temperature between 60 and 135 C.; coupling said reinforcing elements of said first group to said substrate so that said reinforcing elements are oriented in a first direction in a mutual parallel or mutual substantially parallel position.

12. A method to manufacture a structure for the reinforcement of pavements as defined in claim 1, said method comprising the steps of providing at least a first group of reinforcing elements, integrating said reinforcing elements in a substrate comprising non-metal material with a melting temperature between 60 and 135 C.

13. The structure according to claim 1, further comprising an overlay of asphalt or bitumen or any other bitumen based material applied over said structure for the reinforcement of pavements.

14. The structure according to claim 13 further comprising an interlayer between said pavement and said structure for the reinforcement of pavements and/or between said structure for the reinforcement of pavements and said bitumen overlay.

15. A method of installing a structure for the reinforcement of pavements, said method comprising the steps of positioning a reinforcement structure of pavements on a pavement surface; said structure having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, said structure comprising a first group of reinforcing elements, said reinforcing elements of said first group being oriented in a first direction in a mutual parallel or mutual substantially parallel position, said reinforcing elements of said first group being integrated in a substrate comprising a non-metal material with a melting temperature between 60 and 135 C., applying an overlay of asphalt or bitumen or any other bitumen based material over said structure for the reinforcement of pavements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0044] FIG. 1 is a top view of a structure according to the present invention.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0045] FIG. 1 is a top view of a structure 1 according to the invention. The structure 1 has a substrate 2 to which transverse reinforcing elements that are steel cords 3 are directly or indirectly integrated by being bound to it. The structure 1 has also longitudinal reinforcing steel cords 4. The substrate 2 comprises or consists of a non-metal material with a melting temperature between 60 and 135 C.

[0046] Direct bounding of the transverse reinforcing elements that are steel cords 4 may be done by means of glue or by means of yarns. Indirect bounding may be realized as follows: The transverse reinforcing elements that are steel cords 4 are positioned under the longitudinal reinforcing elements that are steel cords 3 and the longitudinal reinforcing elements that are steel cords 3 are stitched by means of synthetic yarns to the substrate 2.

[0047] The substrate 2 has a width. The substrate 2 has two longitudinal sides. The structure 11 can be used when renovating roads and pavements.

EXAMPLES

[0048] Structures according to the present invention have been tested and then analysed by extracting a core or carrot after application asphalt or bitumen or any other bitumen based material to check the state of the structures and the substrates.

[0049] Three structures according to the invention with different substrates have been compared, namely: [0050] Example 1: A non-woven of polypropylene with an amount of substrate of 50 g/m.sup.2 [0051] Example 2: A non-woven of a co-polyamide with an amount of substrate of 40 g/m.sup.2 [0052] Example 3: A non-woven of polypropylene with an amount of substrate of 20 g/m.sup.2 Examination of the core or carrot of reviewed pavement or road application asphalt or bitumen or any other bitumen based material thereby shows the following: [0053] Example 1: The substrate is still visible. [0054] Example 2: The substrate is not visible anymore. [0055] Example 3: The substrate is still visible.

[0056] This shows that despite having a similar melting temperatures, the substrates have different melting behavior. Example 2 and the corresponding substrate can thereby through its melting behavior further contribute to improve the adhesion of new road or pavement layers to old road or pavement layers, especially also when an ARC interlayer is used.