Abstract
The introduction of any new disruptive technology in a traditionally well-established industry, such as the road construction industry, is usually associated with considerable resistance. This is especially relevant when the new technology is based on the use of granular materials traditionally considered to be of an unacceptable quality in combination with relatively new concepts such as New-age (Nano) Modified Emulsions (NME). In such cases, the fact that the material design methods are based on fundamental scientific principles and have been proven in both laboratories and through Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) may be of little influence. However, the general acceptance of new disruptive technologies, e.g., telecommunications and Information Technologies (IT), have been based on the considerable advantages it presented. The same principles are applicable to the general acceptance and use of the NME stabilisation/enhancement of materials in the road construction industry. This article is aimed at the practical cost-effective demonstration of the general application of the use of nanos-silane-modified emulsions in the construction of the highest order roads, i.e., inter-city multi-lane highways, lower-order roads (including Low-Volume Roads (LVR)), and even local accesses to farms and in villages/townships. The implementation of NME technologies is directly associated with ease of use, time, and cost savings, and with the addressing and reduction of risks applicable to the use thereof.
Highlights
The introduction of any new disruptive technology [1] in a traditionally well-established industry, such as the road construction industry, is usually associated with considerable resistance
In order to be of benefit and to assist in addressing the considerable backlog in transportation infrastructure in the developing regions of the world, the practical aspects associated with new technologies must be proven to such a degree that all doubts are sufficiently addressed in order to overcome a natural resistance to change
Based material design methods based on the mineralogy of granular materials have been developed to ensure that potential risks associated with the introduction of new technologies are minimised, if not eliminated
Summary
The introduction of any new disruptive technology [1] in a traditionally well-established industry, such as the road construction industry, is usually associated with considerable resistance. Emulsions (NME) [3]; Test requirements such as XRD scans [4] (relatively old concepts in fields such as geology and mining) to analyse naturally available granular materials [5]; Scientific material design methods including the basic generic fingerprinting of materials mineralogy and scientific principles involved in the identification of materialcompatible nano-modified stabilising agents [6,7]; and Pavement layer bearing capacity tests, which, in a traditional sense, may be foreign to the road construction industry, i.e., Unconfined Compressive Strengths (UCS) [8] and Indirect Tensile Strengths (ITS) [9] Most of these concepts have been in use for many decades, if not more than a century, especially in the built environment [10,11], the traditional road construction industry is notoriously conservative and slow to adapt. This can be accomplished through pre-empting any construction-related concerns and addressing potential problems as well as risks for general acceptance to be achieved
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
