Full Depth Reclamation Best Practices

Copies of the BARM can be obtained at www.arra.org. Information on where to obtain the best practice guidelines and additional FDR resources can be found in the Additional Resources section of the Pre-Construction/ Specification Review page. As with any construction process, if the owner agency is concerned with any part of the process, the owner agency should have a conversation with the contractor. 

Pulverizing fluffs up the reclaimed material resulting in an increase in thickness, and this must be accounted for when checking treatment depths. A tolerance of 1/2 inch is usually allowed.

To prevent the risk of a thin layer of pulverized but untreated stabilized material at the bottom of the FDR layer, the final mixing pass is often made slightly deeper than the previous pulverization pass. 

If the FDR surface must be opened to high traffic counts a curing membrane and blotter sand is recommended to protect the surface. Remove the blotter sand before appling a surface course.

Remove chunks of oversized materials prior to compaction.

Manage speed of reclaimer and door position of cutting chamber to ensure proper blending and gradation.

Restrict overall time from initial blending of chemical stabilizers through final rolling to no more than 2 - 3 hours, depending on weather conditions.