Irkutsk Oil Company is employing new road construction technology

Irkutsk Oil Company is employing new road construction technology

The aforementioned technology, by removing and reusing top soil surface, allows for the full reconstruction of a crumbling road as well as the strengthening of the nearby ground. This technology ensures upgraded roadways with year-round usage. Practiced around the world for the last 50 years, this innovative process is considered to be one of the most effective methods to deal with deteriorated track. The Road Construction department is utilizing this technology to restore the roads in several experimental plots at the Yaraktinsky field — a total of 9.5 km of reconstructed road, 8 meters wide, for a total area of 75,000 square meters.

“In order to apply the CIR technology to our roads, in context of major construction projects, we purchased a Wirtgen-240 recycler and an advanced chemical dispenser,” said Mr. Vyacheslav Khen, chief engineer of the Road Construction Department. “The former crushes, and mixes, the top layer of soil with lime and water, in exact proportions (predetermined by soil laboratory staff). The new mixture, through the nozzles of the recycler, leaks unto the road surface. Afterwards, the advanced dispenser proceeds to evenly distribute it. A grader, trailing the machine, forms the structure of the road. It’s also fair to note that the entire process adds demetallic compounds (similar to cement) to roads, significantly strengthening the roadway. In addition, the procedure includes dust removal which, in effect, positively affects water-repellent ability and wear resistance. Moreover, the redone roads discover a resilient characteristic, which enables the road to recover its shape after exposure to heavy equipment.”

In early July, a delegation of experts, from Streumaster (a manufacturer of chemical binders) and Wirtgen, arrived in Yaraktinsky field. They shared their insight in selecting the composition of proprietary chemical binders with the specialists of the INK’s laboratory. Such training will happen regularly.

“Our multiple oilfields have different soils, and different humidity levels, so we constantly monitor the repair and construction work,” said Mr. Andrey Zima, the Deputy Head of the construction testing laboratory. “We constantly carry out analyzes, selecting the optimal dosage of water and lime for certain sections of roads. We reflect on all the data in reports and accumulate statistics. This will make it possible, in the future, to conduct a full-scale analysis of the information received, and to reach serious facilities already fully prepared. In the future, using CIR recycling, we plan to reconstruct the main highways of the company.”

Currently, the machinery is being used at the site of the future Irkutsk Polymer Plant.