Trials on the 1 motorway - Asphalt mixtures proven in Germany and new in Hungary are tested to increase road life

The aim and task of the pilot road sections is to see in practice, at the end of a five-year test period, whether it is worthwhile to introduce new asphalt mixes for road construction.

On a 300-metre stretch of the road at km 51 of Highway 1, a high density conventional bitumen binder course is being tested on an experimental basis on one lane of the road. It is hoped that this will give the busy road a longer life than the current ones.

The asphalt mix now being tested is already in use in Germany

On the other side of the corridor, a high stiffness SMA Binder asphalt mix was paved. The latter is also known as stone aggregate asphalt, as the high viscosity bitumen is added to the stone aggregate when it is mixed. A mixture of these can be used to produce a durable, high quality paving material. In Germany, the use of SMA is already widespread, particularly on roads with high traffic volumes and heavy loads.

Already running a test period

Main Road 1 has been the site of similar tests in the past. In 2020, the experiments focused on reducing rutting and promoting the recycling of milled asphalt, continuing the work currently underway at the site. You can read more about this in our article from that time here. The main purpose of such experiments is to test the materials and technologies developed by engineers and chemists in practice.

Decision on roll-out based on five-year test period indicators

This time, as in the past, a certification process will start after the pavement has been built, followed by comprehensive annual measurements on the road sections concerned.

The new high density bitumen and SMA Binder asphalt mixes are already in use in Germany, but are not yet included in the Hungarian standards. If the five-year trial period proves that the new materials can be used to increase the life of roads, a decision could then be taken to include them in the road engineering and standards specifications, so that they can be used for road construction in Hungary.