Several aspects of polyurethane road repair are helping the environment. Roklins products do not release toxic vapors, and are inert when fully reacted. The repairs do not erode into chunks like asphalt and get into water run-off, do not have Volatile Organic Compounds like asphalt, and because there is no removal of damaged concrete or asphalt, do not contribute to landfills.
According to a report by the Riverside County Community Health Agency Department of Public Health, Office of lndustrial Hygiene conducted for a Hazmat Manager at Caltrans, Roklins products FloMix, FlexSet and Concrete Welder are safe to breathe. "Sample results indicate that airborne MDl levels are well below the levels permitted under CAL-OSHA Standard Title 8, California code of Regulations (CCR) 5155."
In mixing Roklins polyurethane asphalt and concrete repair products, an "a" side and a "b" side are combined to form a reaction that becomes solid. This solid polyurethane material is completely inert.
Repairs completed with Roklins products are not subject to breakdown like asphalt. Asphalt and concrete are not able to withstand water exposure indefinitely. Many factors contribute to asphalt and concrete breakdown. Asphalt will break down into small particles that ultimately end up in water runoff.
"Organic and inorganic contaminants in stormwater runoff can impair receiving water quality and disrupt ecosystem health," stated a paper entitled "A Review of The Contaminants and Toxicity Associated With Particles in Stormwater Runoff," prepared for the California Department of Transportation by scientists from University of California, Irvine, University of California, Riverside, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, and University of California, Davis. The paper states that potential contaminants in roadway runoff include suspended solids, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, indicator bacteria and pathogens, and deicing salts.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to vaporize and enter the atmosphere. Because of existence of VOCs in some forms of asphalt, Illinois EPA has regulations for the use of cutback asphalt in the ozone season. Because of asphalts need for sealants, coatings, caulks, or other finishing products, emissions are often higher than that of just asphalt. Polyurethane repairs have no VOCs.
Not only are polyurethane road repair materials safe to apply but they do not contribute to landfills. Many standard asphalt and concrete repairs require dig-outs of damaged material. Damaged asphalt is sometimes re-used, but most often it ends up in a land-fill. Concrete that has been removed often finds the same fate. Using FloMix, FlexSet and Concrete Welder eliminates the need to remove damaged asphalt and concrete.
A polyurethane product doesnt automatically evoke visions of green or eco-friendly products but Roklins products have proven themselves to be just that.
