When the going gets tough – Aggregate Industries launches new acid-resistant asphalt for arduous environments

Continuing to pave the way in surfacing innovation, Aggregate Industries has launched a new range of acid-resistant asphalts, specifically designed to withstand the harsh chemical environments found in agriculture and other arduous industries.

The Super Protect range, which includes Super Protect Plant and Super Protect Stock, is a hot rolled asphalt surface course. Made using high-quality binder and hard rock aggregates, the unique material consists of a highly dense mixture with low voids, specifically designed to ensure chemicals commonly found on farmyards and anaerobic plants  - particularly acids - cannot easily penetrate the asphalt and attack the stable mix.

As such, the extremely durable asphalt is ideal for use in environments consistently exposed to aggressive chemical attack. This includes silage clamps, silo floors, anaerobic digesters, livestock housing such as cow cubicle beds, animal feed storage areas, farm tracks and access roads as well as all areas exposed to acidic liquids and other wastes.

When compared against standard bituminous materials, Super Protect also has excellent impermeability characteristics, preventing degradation caused by water and chemical ingress.

And that’s not all. When it comes to workability, Super Protect is second-to-none, offering improved compaction and jointing. It can also be laid on a suitable binder course or as an overlay to an existing concrete surface.

In addition, helping contractors to minimise operational delays, the Super Protect range is usable within 24 hours and manufactured to meet the product standard BS EN 13108, Part 4:Hot Rolled Asphalt.

Breaking down the specific solutions, Super Protect Plant has a high proportion of coarse aggregates in the mixture to provide good deformation resistance, making it more durable as a surface layer for hard standing areas regularly used for farmyard machinery and trafficked by typical agricultural vehicles.

Meanwhile, primarily used for animal housing, Super Protect Stock has a higher proportion of fine aggregates, making it less abrasive to animals on contact. As a low maintenance material, it can be easily cleaned to help maintain higher levels of hygiene. It also has excellent insulation characteristics, reducing the use of bedding material and providing increased comfort for livestock in animal houses.

Jo Wilkins, Head of Business Development for Asphalt and Ready-Mixed Concrete at Aggregate Industries, said: “In the farming sector, often the most important infrastructure such as silage clamps and livestock housing are consistently exposed to harsh chemicals, which means these areas need resurfacing more regularly due to erosion.

“To help contractors and their clients achieve a more durable and longer-lasting surface, we’ve developed Super Protect, an innovative new range of acid-resistant asphalts that have been specially formulated to withstand the corrosive effects of chemicals including acids. As with all our products, our in-house team of technical experts will work with customers to provide advice on installation, enabling quicker and more cost-effective project completion.”