Category Archives: Solutions

Bitumen-polymer roll materials are used in roofing operations. Their contents include modifiers (usually polymers). The modifiers help to avoid some of the disadvantages typical for bitumen materials.

The base of bitumen-polymer materials is often made of glass fabric, fiber glass mats or elastic polymer fibers. Regulatory documents specify durability and stretching as quality factors for roofing bases.

The most widely spread is glass fabric roofing. It possesses high rupture and needle tear strength. Glass fiber does not burn or rot and is bio- and waterproof. To provide glass-cloth with proper hardness, it is impregnated with special substances preventing impact of bitumen at high temperatures.

To produce high quality roofing material, glass fabric should have fabric weight of at least 160 g/m2. Reliable adherence of bitumen binding to the base is ensured due to saturation of the latter with the covering or penetrating bitumen.

Bitumen-polymer materials are more expensive than bitumen, but require less layers when applied. Besides, bitumen-polymer materials serve 5 to 10 times longer.

Appearance of bitumen-polymer materials gave start to principally new construction materials with higher economic and environmental efficiency. In terms of roofing, we need to mention the so called shingles, also known as roofing slates.

Slate tiles, cut of polymer-bitumen material, allow light and good-looking roofing on 12% slopes. Shingles ensure long life high elasticity which are not common for most currently known roofing materials.

A sealant layer is applied to a new roof before application of shingles to enhance tightness. If the slope exceeds 18%, the sealing coat is applied only in the most critical places, e.g. side end parts of roofing, roof canopies, etc.

Most often a shingle is a flat mat made by pressing and cutting from rolled bitumen-polymer. The surface of this mat is covered with mineral chips. Shingles are waterproof and do not require any specific maintenance; they also generate less noise in rain.

Colour and texture of the surface depend on tje type of applied mineral material. That is why the customer can buy material of any colour. Roofs made of shingles resembles roofing made of slate or wood. It is more durable than similar materials, service life of which is limited by loss of plasticity.

Shingles do not require elasticity required of roll materials, as they don’t create a uniform coat and deformations do not lead to loss of uniformity.

Modified bitumen is a material with properties changed by injection (addition) of special substances (modifiers). It is used in road and civil construction. In the latter case, modified bitumen is an element of roofing.

Atactic polypropylene (APP) and artificial rubber Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) are used most often for bitumen modification.

APP is used to satisfy the following conditions:

• availability of modern equipment compatible with bitumen;
• strictly following the technology process;
• high quality mixing of components.

Polypropylene, according to its chemical nature, is thermoplastic. Due to APP properties, the resulting modified bitumen confers durability to high temperature and ultraviolet rays, as well as cyclic stress, to the roofing materials.

Materials based on APP-modifiers received good feedback from roofing contractors. Possible repair difficulties are solved due to good adhesion and high stability to thermal expansion and contraction.

SBS modifiers are  required to confer cold temperature flexibility to bitumen. Compared with APP, SBS has much lower heat endurance. Bitumen modified with artificial rubber has good adhesion, ensuring high durability and reliability of roofing coat.

As for flexibility, if SBS-modifier is applied, it can achieve 1500-2000%. This means that cyclic stress durability is quite high.

The process of making quality polymer modified bitumen is difficult. However, the UVB-2 plants produced by GlobeCore make it much easier, since they allow working with various forms of modifiers: powders, granules, etc.

Emergence of polymer-bitumen materials was an important innovation in the development of roofing technologies. Unlike products of similar purpose, bitumens modified with polymers are corrosion-proof and retain their chemical stability. Due to the above, roofing service live can be significantly extended. In this case glass-fabric, fiberglass mats or polyester are used as a base.

Polyester is the most expensive but tends to be preferred in most cases. Durability of this material is higher than durability of glass-fabric, and this property is very important for soft roofing materials. Around the joints, there is usually a lot of heat expansion and contraction, that’s why the base must not tear in such conditions. The higher its stretchability, the longer the service life of roofing.

Thickness of polymer-bitumen materials usually equals 3 to 5 mm; hence, one or two layers are enough. If the traditional technologies are applied, the required number of layers is four or five.

Key advantages of applying modified bitumens for roofing are the following:

• reduced labor costs;
• reduction of pores in covering;
• lower emissions of carbon oxide and soot;
• instead of pouring hot bitumen, the lower layer is heated with a propane burner.

For bitumen modification, atactic polypropylene (APP) and Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) can be used. In the first case, the material shows high resistance to ultraviolet exposure and doesn’t require roofing sand. If SBS modifier is applied, plasticity is better, but lower ultraviolet resistance requires a top cover. This material possesses particular flexibility properties at low temperatures and shows high cold durability and good adhesion, as well as durability under cyclic stress.

Modified bitumen is a substance that has passed the procedure of its properties improvement by means of adding special additives (modifiers).  Bitumen modifier is selected on the basis of the functions which should be performed by the pavement laid on the basis of this material.   Among the most common bitumen modifiers the following should be mentioned: polymers, rubber granules, sulfur and adhesive additives.

The first practical application of modified bitumen dates back to the 1930s.  It was then that a number of Western European countries tried to use this material for experimental plots of asphalt concrete pavement.  Natural rubber was used as the first modifying additive.  After twenty years in the United States and Canada latex was used for a similar purpose.  It was obtained as an emulsion of synthetic rubber and water.  The first results of modified bitumen application were positive, because road surfaces could withstand heavy traffic.

Another surge of interest in modified bitumen occurred in the 1970s,  again, in Western Europe.  This time the material was quite successfully used in the device for surface treatment and preparation of asphalt mixtures.

Early 80s brought an intensification of studies of modified bitumen by US scientists who gladly used the experience of their European colleagues.  The list of applied modifiers is expanding.  Now for improving the performance properties of oil bitumen the following materials are used: rubbers, thermoplastic resins, sulfur, rubber granules, organic-manganese compounds and thermoplastic rubbers.

In our time, modified bitumen is widely used for:

• Road pavement construction;
• Preparation of bitumen mastics for different types of road repairs.

Experience in the use of this material has shown that the total expenditures for construction and maintenance can be reduced, which is achieved by increasing the overhaul time of pavements.

Creating durable, cost-effective, environmentally friendly roofing and waterproofing materials is one of the most urgent tasks of civil and road construction.  In the past years, a variety of methods were used to try to solve this task, until the application of bitumen emulsions came to the fore.  Their popularity in roofing, waterproofing and road works was caused by a number of advantages over the technologies that had been used previously. In particular, we are talking about the following:

• The possibility of applying to wet surfaces, which extends the calendar period of construction works;
• No need for heating.  This saves energy and labor resources;
• Fire safety;
• Saving bitumen due to low viscosity of the material, good wetting ability of surfaces and enveloping of a mineral additive;
• Environmental safety.

Nevertheless, the use of bitumen emulsions in roofing and waterproofing work implementation has not yet acquired a mass character.  This is caused by a relatively small range of products, but the problem has a solution. GlobeCore produces UVB-1 plants, designed to produce bitumen emulsions for roofing and waterproofing applications.  The equipment is available with different capacity (starting from 1 m3/hour), so both large asphalt plant operators, as well as small repair contractors will be able to choose a suitable plant for their needs.  The produced emulsion is fully consistent with all international standards for roofing and waterproofing materials.

GlobeCore suggests using its laboratory UVB-1L plant for the development of innovative formulations of bitumen emulsions intended for roofing and waterproofing.  It allows obtaining experimental samples bitumen emulsions for further study of their performance.  Such equipment is indispensable in the case when it is necessary to obtain bitumen emulsion in accordance with local requirements.  The developed formulations are used in the future without any problems for industrial production of bitumen emulsions using GlobeCore UVB-1.

Depending on the conditions of the future use, the equipment can be manufactured in different versions:

• Frame
• Container
• Container with sandwich panels.

Probably everybody has had the idea to start his own business at least once. However, most potential businessmen face hardship even at the first stage when they need to choose a field of future activity. It is clear that one should pay more attention to new and untapped business. In this case chances of success are much higher.

In this article we would like to discuss how to go into business of making modified bitumen and using it. This material is now  used much more often than before in construction and repairs of automobile roads. But if this area is quite developed by other businessmen, application of modified bitumen in waterproofing industry it not. In this field it is known as “liquid rubber”.

Liquid rubber is a liquid bitumen modified with polymers, emulsified in water. It is a perfect waterproof coating. Besides, this material is characterized by good adhesion to almost any surface, resistnat to temperature difference, doesn’t flow down the surfaces and doesn’t peel.

Curiously enough, even in spite of all the above advantages, liquid rubber is not applied very often. Even in big cities the situation is almost the same so a newcomer businessman has a perfect niche for his future activity.

Because of lack of awareness among potential customers, the demand for liquid rubber is not high so far, but a proper marketing campaign can easily close this gap. First, you need to find out about all the competitors in your city. It may be that some companies have already tried or are trying now to provide services related to liquid rubber application. It won’t hurt to evaluate the existing offers, this will help to build up a proper concept of struggle for the same customer in future.

Any business begins with registration of a business entity. This allows operation of a separate company providing waterproofing services.

If you understand from the very beginning that you do not possess the required skills in roofing and waterproofing operations, you need to hire experts. Those can be both common builders and people who know how spraying tools work.

Now a logical question is raised: where you can get modified bitumen? The ideal option is the UVB-2 series unit produced by GlobeCore. This equipment can produce modified bitumen based on almost all currently known polymers in the form of powder, granules, etc.

When you have more orders, you can hire more personnel as one or two workers will not be able to cope with many orders.

Speaking about advertising, we think the most effective method is the so called “word-of-mouth marketing”. Other strategies should not be neglected too. But you need to understand that bush telegraph can work both for and against the newly-minted businessman.

The marketing campaign should be based on customer education, which means the delivery of information regarding all advantages of liquid rubber as waterproofing material to the potential customer. Leave promo leaflets in construction material stores, with the agreement of their owners, of course.

Another good idea to attract new customers is your own corporate web-site. But it will be feasible only if you work in a big city. Otherwise website maintenance expenses may not be covered by orders received by from it.

Initial capital investments and payoff are estimated separately for each particular case.

Of course, everyone thought about starting a business at least once in  their life. The prospect of working totally for yourself, not for someone else, is tempting. But only some dare to open their own business. Some do not have sensible ideas, some are afraid to take risks and to take loans, although the financial aspect, as important as it is, does not have a critical point on future business. As they say, a good idea is the key to success.

It all starts with an idea

In this article we will try to figure out how to start a business for production of bitumen emulsions. Why are we talking about bitumen emulsions? It’s simple. It is a product that is promising now, and will remain so in ten, fifteen or even twenty years. Thus the bitumen emulsion business has a long-term perspective.

Every year the amount of freight vehicles and passenger cars is growing, and, as a consequence, the load on roads is increasing. It is clear that the existing hot bitumen based asphalt pavement weakens and roads degrade prematurely. That’s why the use of bitumen emulsions is very profitable: they improve the quality and durability of pavements.

A very important point is that bitumen emulsions are used not only for construction but also for repair of roads! Thus, there is no doubt in long-term business outlook for the production of bitumen emulsions. Now it is time to write a business plan.

Business plan

First of all, it is necessary to define goals and objectives, and the order of action:

1. Getting a loan or investment;
2. Signing contracts with customers;
3. Organizing production of bitumen emulsions and other related products, for example, bituminous mastics.

The number of employees should be determined next. Initially 10-12 hired workers are sufficient.

Additional tasks could be considered:

• Extending service life of asphalt concrete pavement;
• Protection of the environment (use of bitumen emulsions does not cause harmful emissions);
• Reducing energy consumption when producing asphalt mixtures based on bitumen emulsions;
• Strategy to enter a new market.

It is also necessary to define the target market, including all the road-building companies of the country, businesses producing roofing materials, construction companies and oil and gas enterprises.

Competition analysis cannot be neglected. The competitors have already been working in the market for a certain period of time and managed to secure a market position. Assessing the factors that helped the competitors get their share will help to outline the first steps. Note, that you should be better than your competitors in every possible way! Only such approach will help to gain a foothold in the market of bitumen emulsions, and not close the business in the first months of operation. Here you will need an element of novelty. There can be many options. For example, you can offer the buyer a reduction in energy consumptions in production of asphalt mixtures based on bitumen emulsions.

Equipment

When selecting equipment for production of bitumen emulsions, it is necessary to use the criterion of value for money. It is not worth chasing cheaper bitumen emulsion plants, because, as you know, if you buy cheaply, you pay dearly.

GlobeCore has the necessary equipment with different production rates. The UVB-1 plants produce bituminous emulsions with 1 – 22 m3/h capacity.

This equipment is intended for both cationic and anionic bitumen emulsions. In the future it will be possible to purchase the latex injection unit, to produce latex-modified bitumen emulsion.

Note that GlobeCore Company manufactures other equipment used in the road construction industry: bitumen storage tanks, sprayers and polymer modified bitumen production units.

GlobeCore specialists are always ready to advise and make recommendations regarding the optimal configurations of a bitumen emulsion plant.

Funding

If you are a novice businessman, you are unlikely to finance the project out of your own means. Therefore it is necessary to consider combining your start-up capital with loan money.

The term “bitumen” is derived from the Sanskrit word “jatu”, and then Latin “gwitu-men” which at that time meant pitch-producing (referring to resinous trees). Ancient Greeks used a slightly different word – “asfales”, which meant “certain”.

The latter fact is not accidental, because bitumen is the most ancient building material of all currently known to mankind. Our ancestors noticed the amazing durability of this material. Historical evidence shows a surviving swimming pool lined with natural asphalt five thousand years ago in Pakistan (Mohenjo Daro). In Syria there are waterproofed tunnels under the Euphrates, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were waterproofed in the 4th century BC .

Bitumen is mainly composed of three groups of substances: oils, resins and asphaltenes. The material is a complex disperse system in which the dispersion medium is oils and resins, and the dispersed phase is the asphaltene.

The fields of application of bitumen are construction, roofing and road paving. For many years, the material satisfied all requirements, but over time the situation has changed. Traffic intensity, load on roads and climatic conditions have significantly intensified. With all these factors, bitumen is no longer providing the necessary durability, crack resistance, elasticity and frost resistance.

Builders and roofers need either a completely new material with better performance, or improvement of an existing one. The studies agree not to reject bitumen but to adjust its properties through the introduction of special additives – modifiers.

The modern concept of bitumen modification is aimed to improve its properties by combining with polymer additives. A proper selection of polymer modifier gives bituminous materials a greater heat and frost resistance, elasticity, increased resistance to fatigue and durability.

General properties of polymer-modified bitumen:

• wide range of operating temperature;
• low-temperature flexibility and elasticity;
• reduced softening at high temperatures;
• high resistance to fatigue under cyclic loading and temperature changes;
• good adhesive properties;
• fast stress relief interlayer.

For the production of modified bitumen GlobeCore recommends the UVB-2 unit. It allows:

• bitumen modification production rate of 4 – 40 m3/h;
• works with virtually all polymers known to date;
• uses various forms of polymers: powders, granules, etc.;
• implements any technological process of bitumen modification;
• introduces additional amount of polymer in transfer mode;
• introduces additional plasticizing additives that improve adhesion;
• reduces electricity bill with oil heating system.

The roof is one of the most important elements of the building, ensuring protection against adverse weather conditions and creating aesthetic appearance. Therefore, the design of the roof is very important. No less important is the selection of roofing material; in fact, it forms the future protective coating.

In building construction literature, there are several classifications of roofing. Depending on the form, they are divided into:

• Roll (asphalt, rubber, plastics, bitumen-polymer);
• Sheet metal (iron, copper, slate, corrugated);
• Piece (tile, soft tile);
• Monolithic (mastic, liquid).

Technology of roofing:

• mechanically attached;
• fixed with ballast;
• glued;
• hot-air welded;
• direct laying;
• combined methods

Polymer-bitumen roofing materials

First, the roof should perform two important functions:

1. reliably protect the building from adverse weather conditions;
2. perform well regardless of current season (cold, hot, rainy, etc.).

Based on these considerations, a roofing material is selected. A lot of them are now available in the market, but the real difference is achieved with polymer-bitumen materials with synthetic basis.

Polymer-bitumen materials contain special modifiers which eliminate or substantially reduce the drawbacks of bitumen.

The thickness of these materials is generally from 3 to 5 mm, so it is possible to reduce the number of layers of coating to one or two from four or five, as is the case with the traditional techniques.

Among other advantages, polymer-bitumen roofing provides:

• Reduction of work complexity;
• Reduction of the number of pores in roof tiles;
• Reduction of carbon monoxide and soot;
• Replacement of hot bitumen with heating the lower layer of the material with a burner;
• Compatibility with bituminous waterproofing materials, which allows to repair old roofs.

Modification of bitumen

Bitumen modification is a purposeful influence on properties of the material with special modifier additives. If the selection of additives is correct, the roofing material becomes elastic, heat and cold resistant, durable, and gains the ability to resist fatigue loads.

Today, the modifiers of roofing materials are:

• Atactic polypropylene (APP);
• Styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS);
• mixture of atactic and isotactic polypropylene.

Materials modified by APP show a high resistance to UV radiation, acids and alkalis. They have good adhesion to metals and glass, and have greater heat endurance than the materials modified with SBS.

SBS-modified roofing has high elasticity, resistance to frost and is able to take the shape of roof surface. The low heat resistance in some cases does not allow to attach the material by hot welding.

Given the performance characteristics of both roofing materials, APP-modifiers are recommended for use in the southern regions, and SBS – in the north.

Note that polymer-bitumen materials are more expensive than conventional asphalt. But their service life is 5-10 times longer. Experience has shown a 2-3 times reduction of repair costs.

SBS modifier

SBS is an elastomeric polymer that gives bitumen good flexibility at low temperatures.

Modification of bitumen with SBS is characterized by creation of polymer matrix (a three-dimensional grid), in which the bitumen is dispersed.

To produce quality modified bitumen with SBS, it is necessary to:

• ensure the compatibility of bitumen and polymer;
• use special equipment.

For the production of polymer-bitumen roofing materials it is advisable to use UVB-2 units by GlobeCore. They work with any form of polymer: from fine powder to granules.

APP modifier

APP has physical and chemical properties that attribute it to the class of thermoplastics. Due to its high melting temperature, APP gives roofs high heat resistance, UV-resistance, and good flexibility.

The UVB-2 unit by GlobeCore can also be used for APP modified bitumen production. The unit implements almost any method of modification and introduces an additional amount of polymer in transfer mode, and also reduces electricity costs due to using an oil heating system.