'Rubblizers' Give Older Highways a Break in Projects from Arkansas to Afghanistan
Rubblization—or the process of breaking up an old portland cement concrete highway into aggregate-sized chunks, compacting it and paving over the newly created �base� with asphalt concrete—is quickly becoming a hot rehabilitation tool around the world. In just the past few months, several of the world�s largest rubblization projects are shaping up from Middle America to the Middle East.
The Illinois Tollway just completed a 31-mile improvement project along Interstate 88 last month, near the Iowa border. As part of a $5.3-billion statewide program, the four-lane highway was rubblized and repaved in five months at a cost of $48 million—roughly $22 million less than state engineers had estimated for a complete PCC rebuild. The method also mitigated rapidly changing prices for raw materials. �By doing it fast, we can take advantage of the market conditions,� says Jeffrey Dailey, the tollway�s chief engineer.