Reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering a highly sustainable and efficient solution to the scheme, Aggregate Industries has invested heavily in the new asphalt plant located near Ermine Street in Section 3 (between the East Coast main line and Swavesey) of the project. The state-of-the-art facility includes a Benninghoven batching plant TBA 3000, capable of producing an impressive 240 tonnes an hour of asphalt for the A14 scheme.
The temporary plant, which took three months to construct, was commissioned by Aggregate Industries to create the materials for the new multi-lane carriageways, after it was announced in May that the leading building material’s supplier had been contracted to deliver the entire surfacing works, by the A14 Integrated Delivery Team (IDT), a joint venture between Costain, Skanska, Balfour Beatty and designers Atkins/CH2M, working on behalf of Highways England to deliver the £1.5 billion scheme. .
Over a 30-month period, the project will involve supplying and installing 700,000 tonnes of asphalt and 500,000 tonnes of cement bound granular mixtures (CBGM), which will be used to implement Aggregate Industries’ alternative use of composite pavements instead of cementitious reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP). Uniquely, the on-site plant is also capable of supplying 50% recycled asphalt and will play a crucial role in minimising the carbon footprint of the scheme, as fewer vehicle movements will be required.
Creating vital jobs in the local area, opening the new plant also involved the recruitment of a highly-skilled team of product, logistics and technical experts, working around the clock to ensure the specification, production and delivery of asphalt meets the project’s needs at all times.
Chris Hudson, Managing Director of Asphalt and Readymix at Aggregate Industries, said: “As sole supplier for England’s largest and most prestigious road improvement project, our aim on this contract is to collaboratively deliver the works as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, whilst reducing the impact of operations on the local community and the road network.
“As such, we’ve invested a significant amount of time and resources in setting up our new asphalt plant on the A14. By ensuring a consistent supply of our innovative surfacing materials for the duration of the project, this facility will no doubt play a critical role in helping us to provide the world class service expected of a market leader.”
For further information about Aggregate Industries, visit www.aggregate.com.