Shortage of Premium Quality Chippings

Word on the "grapevine" is that there has been a shortage of premium quality chippings for surface dressing this year. This has been due to a number of factors, but one interesting quoted reason is the demand for high Polished Stone Value (PSV) single size aggregate in the 14mm. and 10mm. sizes for the Thin Surfacing market for Highways Agency funded work.
The word is that there are considerable stockpiles of good quality "fines" in some quarries.
It might be a good time for those of you who are not restricted to the use of Thin Surfacings to put out some contracts requiring Close Graded Wearing Courses and maybe 20mm. Dense Basecourse as a "running surface".
The prices for these materials, that will contain a highish PSV aggregate, may be quite sensible.
Please consult your "Materials Man, or Woman" to assist in the selection of the correct materials for particular sites.

Disclaimer

Those of you who visit the site regularly will have noticed I have now included a disclaimer amongst the list of contents. I thought I had put enough items on the website pointing out that information contained here was only a guide and that decisions reached by the users of this website were their responsibility.
But a wiser head than mine counseled that a more "official" disclaimer would be a sensible inclusion in the list of contents, so it is there.
In including the disclaimer I am in good company, take a close look at your HAPAS certificate, the issuing body have included a disclaimer, it is in the small print towards the end of the document but it is there all the same.
If you care to look at a Sector Scheme Document there is a very large and very thorough disclaimer, usually right at the front, excluding all those who were party to creating the document from any responsibility if anything should go wrong with product or services from a source that is accredited in accordance with the stated requirements .
I can understand their caution in including their respective disclaimers, I have been in the business thirty years, experience tells me I would do the same, but in my opinion it does cast a doubt over the value of these schemes.
So, basically, I think you are on your own, that is not to say there are not some extremely good reports, specifications, design manuals, and "good websites" for you to study so that you can make a reasoned decision as to what is the best value solution to the needs of the highways you have to maintain or construct, subject to the condition of the road and the funds you have available.
Of course if you have been prudent enough to have created a good team around you with its members skilled and experienced in the various disciplines, and at all levels, needed to successfully fulfill the function of a complete highways maintenance package, then you are indeed fortunate.

BS 4987:2001

Please be aware that a new edition of BS 4987:Coated macadam for roads and other paved areas, i.e. BS 4987:2001, Part 1:Specification for constituent materials and for mixtures, and Part 2:Specification for transport, laying and compaction, has recently been published.
Depending on the nature of the contract you are employing it may still defer to the 1993 edition or it may default to the most recently published copy of any British Standard.
Although the new BS 4987 is substantially similar to the 1993 edition there are some important differencies and it is for you to work to the appropriate edition of the British Standard your current contracts require.
At present the information in this GUIDE still defers to the 1993 edition of BS 4987, I will wait for the dust to settle and the usual amendments to occur before I make reference to the new edition.
If previous experience is anything to go by you may find the 1993 edition of BS 4987 referred to for some time.

If you are in any way involved in work that relates to coated macadams you MUST have access to this specification, it can be obtained from the British Standards Institute.

When a change in edition of any British Standard occurs the important thing is to always be clear between Specifier, Contractor and Supplier that you are all working to the same copy of the document.

Full Depth Recycling, FDR (Often referred to as Linear Quarrying in the UK)

'Better Roads' magazine of America have included a very informative supplement on Full Depth Recycling, and other in-situ highway pavement recycling processes in their July edition.
What is nice is that for those of you unable to obtain copies of the magazine is that you can access part of the recycling article on their website, you need a copy of the magazine for all the information in the supplement.
I can recommend a visit to this article if you require knowledge on this subject.

Further information on highway recycling can be found on a number of pages on this site, I link to just one of them here.

Motto of the Month

"There are two ways of doing a thing, the right way, and again"