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A new process is leaving an indelible mark on the paving industry. With meager beginnings as a value-added decorative paving product, it is taking market share away from the decorative paving industry, and opening up new niches for the hot mix asphalt industry.

StreetPrint Pavement Texturing, developed by Integrated Paving Concepts, Vancouver, British Columbia, is a method of imprinting freshly laid brick or cobblestone. StreetBond, the next step in the product evolution, is making even more of a dent in the market, because it offers six times the durability of its predecessor, according to reports from its manufacturer.

A polymer cement compound, StreetBond is designed to be used in conjunction with StreetPrint. In the StreetPrint imprinting process, templates are placed on the surface of the newly laid pavement immediately after final compaction. The templates are constructed of woven wire cable fastened and welded in various patterns. A compactor is rolled over the templates, and the surface is imprinted. The templates are then removed, and placed on the next section to be imprinted. After the imprinting is completed, a coat of StreetBond Color Compound and Hardener is applied to the surface with a texture sprayer.

'It's a value-added product for the asphalt market,' says John Simmons, Integrated Paving Concepts president.

'The end user is looking at StreetPrint in lieu of cement bricks or stamped concrete.’ In fact, the product is designed to compete with decorative systems, including cobblestone, interlocking brick and stamped concrete.

StreetPrint, introduced at the 1993 ConExpo Trade Show in Las Vegas, has been used in the construction of driveways, parking lots, walkways, and in other municipal enhancements. But interest in the process is picking up among municipalities, and that pickup is creating new business for asphalt paving contractors.

Forward Thinking Pays Off.

The city of Dayton, Ohio, called Integrated Paving, and asked if the product could be used on a street in Five Oaks, a historical area.

“The cost to place brick or cobble stone was beyond compare,” says Simmons. "They asked, ‘Can we use your product?’ and we were hesitant because we didn't know if the product would hold up under heavy traffic.”'

Simmons says the municipality decided even if the pavement had to be recoated on an annual basis, they would still come out ahead in the cost of replacing the aged cobblestones which were in place at the time.

“They decided to go ahead without a warranty from us,” says Simmons. “Two years later, the product still looks good.”

Dan Poynter, vice president of Butler Asphalt in Vandalia, Ohio, worked on the Dayton project. He says the homeowners in the strictly zoned area agreed on the use of the product, and it was their decision to go with the StreetPrint. “It saved the city unnecessary labor and money,” says Poynter, who has also performed a demo job for the cities of Oakwood and Brookville, two other historic towns. He finds municipalities in historical areas like the look. "They want to keep the ornamental look in place,” he says “and it is extremely cost effective.”'

Butler Asphalt innovatively took the imprinting process a step further toward efficiency when their crew began using pavers to place the material on the driveways they've imprinted. Poynter says the change has streamlined the work and shortened the crew's time on the job.

“In a typical driveway, vehicles can leave power steering marks on the asphalt. But we though we could put Gilsonite into the mix to strengthen it. The additive hardens quickly, so the crew has to pave quickly, but the process works,” says Poynter.

A grid is laid on top of the fresh asphalt, the grid is rolled over, and an impression is made, he explains. The crew then uses soap and water to cleanse the imprinted surface. They wait three or four days for the imprint to set, and the come back with the StreetBond material.

Before the crew adopted the use of the paver, a load of hot mix was dumped onto the driveway surface, and hand raked. A meticulous process, it involved a lot of manual labor. “We wanted a paver on the driveway so we could achieve a better grade and lessen segregation,” Poynter explains, adding that in order to continue the pattern around structures, such as walls and planters, a hand trowel must still be used.

There are other challenges to using the StreetBond process. One is convincing area municipalities of its merits. “It's difficult to get the word out about the product,” says Poynter. “These cities are on a tight budget, and we're hoping this is the year StreetPrint is considered.”

Getting the Green Light.

The City of Boyertown, Pa., likes StreetPrint, too, since contractor Gable Construction convinced the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to allow them to try the product. "It was a combination of factors,” Says Dave Martin, president of Gable, a division of Martin Stone Quarries Inc. '”"the area needed work, it had high traffic, and it was representative of small-town east-coast America.”

Martin says Gable already had a resurfacing contract with the city, which allowed them to try the process. “The process has to be seen,” says Martin. "We wanted the opportunity to educate officials to process.” Pennsylvania officials tested the finished product for density and skid resistance, and gave it a thumbs-up for state projects. They are not allowed to spec patented products though, says Martin. "The thumbs-up is the best encouragement.

“The participation that PennDOT has given in this short time is great,” he says. “The product has sparked a lot of enthusiasm and curiosity, and we are very encouraged.”

And, the city found it had a much more pleasing product than before, says Ann Kelhert, director of marketing for Gable Construction. “The finished product experiences no freeze-thaw problems, no discoloration and no staining. And no grass grows through, because there are no cracks in it as in cobblestone or brick pavements,” says Kelhert.

“The potential is unlimited, because the templates can be custom made,” she adds Integrated Paving has designed templates in the form of numbers, as well as common objects, all of which can be imprinted into the pavement surface.

Kelhert says sales figures for StreetPrint have been astronomical when compared to initial expectations, and she perceives the trend will continue because the product is in its infancy. Martin agrees. "We're sure the durability is good, and the more people see the process, the more they will use it.”