Asphalt pit floors

14 April 2000




Asphalt pit floors

HOT rolled asphalt could provide a silage pit floor with better resistance to effluent than unprotected concrete and could contain pollution concerns for longer.

But the right mix for longest life is still under investigation by ADAS Bridgets-based building design researcher Gopal Sangarapillai.

Silage effluent is acidic and attacks concrete. Concrete often deteriorates faster than the bunkers anticipated 20-year design life, required in pollution regulations.

But his MAFF-funded research, using a lab technique which mimics the long-term effect of silage effluent on materials, suggests asphalt could be a longer-lasting alternative. It could be used to coat concrete or constructed on a well prepared base, he adds.

He is now keen to hear from producers willing to have test strips of three promising asphalt mixes placed in new silos or those being refurbished this spring. &#42


See more