E-Krete PCMOTM
Polymer Composite Micro-Overlays
Extending/Restoring the Service Life of Asphaltic Pavements with PCMO and High Performance Pavement Markings
Asphaltic pavements suffer from the effects of environmental and other exposure from ultraviolet light, water, aggressive chemical spills, and abrasion. Water and UV exposure strips the pavement of its asphaltic binder, which causes fading, hardening and brittleness (oxidation). This condition leads to cracking, subsequent crack wall erosion, and asphalt aggregate being freed from its binder, causing deterioration of the pavement surface. The pavement accordingly suffers reduced service life, requiring additional overlays every six years.
In 1996 a research and development project was initiated to address these problems. The result culminated in the development of a Micro Overlay product named E-KreteTM manufactured by PolyCon of Madison, Mississippi. PolyCon entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the Army Corp of Engineers to fully test the E-KreteTM product’s ability to preserve asphaltic pavements by protecting them from damaging environmental exposure and abrasion. The E-KreteTM product was installed at the US Army Corp of Engineers Experimental Water ways Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and was the subject of laboratory and other in-situ tests. The results of these studies and tests indicate exceptional performance in all categories, leading to the installation of this pavement protection system on all types of PCC and asphaltic pavements. The FAA has approved the use of the E-KreteTM product through the publishing of Engineering Brief 62.
In addition to providing extended pavement life, PolyCon products, through the integration of properly graded aggregates into the surface material, can also provide a long lasting friction and wearing course micro-overlay that can restore old pavements to new friction standards, or provide new asphaltic surfaces with a friction and wearing surface.
PolyCon’s SkidProTM product is a newly formulated high friction, high wear surface that combines all the characteristics and attributes of PolyCon’s E-KreteTM product, with properly graded aggregates to meet any friction coefficient required for a particular application. The E-KreteTM product has been further refined and reformulated to provide a long lasting, colored pavement marking product currently marketed under the trademark PermastripeTM. This revolutionary pavement-marking product yields the same durability as the E-KreteTM product, but also exhibits the additional attributes necessary for a high performance pavement marking including high retro-reflectivity, and high chromaticity retention. Colors currently available include yellow, white, black, blue (handicap), red and green.
E-KreteTM and PermastripeTM micro surface overlays and pavement markings can be rapidly installed on damaged substrates, allowing for the return of the pavement to service in hours, depending on climatic conditions. The E-KreteTM and PermastripeTM products are a cost efficient method of pavement restoration, repair and marking, and for uses designed as preventive measures before pavements reach the point of degradation. Additionally, these products can provide a greatly needed service for restoring old and new pavements alike.
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PermastripeTM is a polymer-modified composite used to create durable long lasting markings on various types of surfaces. The material can be pigmented in all of the primary colors and is impervious to all types of fuels, oils, U.V. or de-icing fluids. The product has been in use since 1996 on airports, heliports, roadways, metal decks, parking lots, and military installations. A unique feature of the product is its ability to be installed as a non-skid safety system that includes safety yellow, fire lane red, and handicap blue. If nighttime visibility is required glass beads can be pneumatically applied into the material for high-level retro reflectivity. PermastripeTM is not to be confused with paint or epoxy coatings. PermastripeTM is a micro layer of flexible polymer that has a thickness of 30 mills. A color-matched Top Kote sealer is applied to prevent staining from oils or other debris.
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Skid-ProTM is a light weight, micro layer of polymerized composites and is not a paint. It is composed of specially sized aggregate, enriched composite powder, and proprietary polymers. The Skid-ProTM system is a 2 layer, screed or spray applied process that is impervious to diesel fuel, gasoline, aviation fluids, salt water, oil, and U.V. degradation. The total thickness of the system ranges from 30 mils to 60 mils depending on the size of the aggregate, and is available in all of the primary colors. Skid-ProTM colored markings are also a micro layer of polymerized high strength cement capable of producing long term quality markings. Glass beads can be used in the material to produce high retro-reflectivity numbers for night time visibility. The material has full depth color, will not fade, and is unaffected by U. V. The material meets and exceeds all of the EPA requirements. Skid-ProTM is waterproof, fuel and oil resistant, colorfast, and protects metal surfaces from rust. We believe that the material also has significant sound dampening capabilities.
The primary difference between Skid-ProTM and traditional paint with sand is the composite formula is stronger than the non-skid aggregate and therefore locks the chips in place. The opposite is true in epoxy with sand. Traditional epoxy and urethane systems are extremely sensitive to U.V. and humidity which will cause the materials to fail. Skid-ProTM requires moisture to fully cure and therefore humidity is a necessary ingredient. Skid-ProTM can be applied directly over mill primer, zinc primer, stable epoxy or wheel-abraded metal.
Skid-ProTM has been used on off-shore oil platforms, barge decks, petroleum industry workboats, regional airport runways, tarmacs and taxiways, interstate bridge decks, and military airfields since 1997. Skid-ProTM is manufactured by PolyCon Manufacturing in Madison, MS. Skid-ProTM is the world’s first and only cement based safety non-skid coating for the marine industry.
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