ForConstructionPros.com

An asphalt producer who can make his own reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is going to have a definite competitive edge over one who must purchase recycled material or contract out the crushing. But it can be tough to justify the initial cost of purchasing a crusher to use on site.

It helps when the producer can see the larger picture, recognizing the additional opportunities provided by a portable recycle plant. Wayne Asphalt in Fort Wayne, IN, recently made an investment in a modern, portable recycle crusher because its president, Jeffrey Walters, and operations manager, Chuck Bunn, were able to see the forest beyond the trees.

Wayne Asphalt, a paving contractor founded in 1958, has leased land for its asphalt plant from the former May Aggregates (now Hanson Aggregates Midwest Inc.'s LHR Quarry) for the past 15 years.

The company handles state, county, city and private paving projects, producing its own asphalt with a 1996 Gencor asphalt plant. Seventy percent of Wayne Asphalt's materials are produced for its own paving jobs, while 30 percent are sold to outside paving contractors.

"We tried both contract crushing and crushing our own recycled material," says Bunn. "We tried hiring a contractor to crush RAP for us during the winter months to get a good stockpile of recycled material come spring — about 60,000 tons. But we found that after we'd use maybe 50 to 60 percent of that material, it had hardened to a point where it was unusable. The stockpile (of recycled material) would also collect moisture, which was a problem with our asphalt plant."