This means that 6 inches of asphalt reclaimed base can have the equivalent strength of 9 inches of virgin gravel. This can provide a valuable resource to regrade the subbase, correct drainage problems, and add more aggregate to the road base. These advantages provide municipalities with less expensive methods of reconstruction. Full depth recycling is a relatively inexpensive method of reconstruction that can provide 10-15 years of service life for the road. To achieve long service life agencies must pay close attention to material gradation, subbase material, compaction and moisture content.
Material gradation depends on the speed of the reclaimer.
When it moves too fast, the resulting aggregate mixture will contain chunks and large pieces. An uneven mixture is difficult to grade and usually leads to long-term compaction problems. A well-graded aggregate and evenly sized mixture is easy to compact to achieve maximum density. Proper graduation is vital to achieve a long life cycle. The agency must pay close attention to pre-existing problems in the subbase.