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Performance Evaluation Report on Rural Roads Constructed Using CRRI-Bitchem Cold Mix in Different District of Assam during 2008-2009

1.10 History of Cold Mix Technology –

Bitumen Emulsion was developed for the first time in the early 1900s and its use in pavement applications started
in the 1920s as cold mix binder. The early use of bitumen emulsion was restricted to only spray applications and as
dust palliatives. Over the years, with development of new types, grades, specifications, and availability of
improved construction equipments and practices, emulsion based cold mix technology offered a wide range of
solutions for construction and maintenance of road.

In India, bitumen emulsion found its use only in the 1970s. The entire world used 12 million tonnes of emulsion
during mid seventies; India consumed only 20,000 tonnes till 1996, out of the total bitumen consumption of about
2 million tonnes. However, there has now been a steady rise in the use of bitumen emulsion recently and
significant growth in demand of emulsion has been observed after 2005. At the present time, practically all the
road construction and maintenance requirements can be met with the use of Cold Mix Binder by way of cold mix
technologies. Judicious selection and appropriate use of these technologies can yield significant economies,
environmental benefits and energy security as far as construction and maintenance of roads are concerned.
Results obtained from field trials conducted by CRRI and oil companies on cold mixes by cold mix binder based
applications under different traffic and climatic conditions have been found to be encouraging.

In India, CSIR-CRRI first developed the cold mix technology 20 yrs back. This development of cold mix
technology by CSIR-CRRI was limited to their R & D level only, demonstration and commercialization of this
novel technology was very tough as no private or Govt. Sector came forward to accept this technology allaying
fears that this cold mix binder has water.
In 2008, Bitchem came forward to accept this green technology, coordinated and co-operated CSIR-CRRI to
th
commercialize the technology. BitChem under guidance of CSIR-CRRI set up of the R&D centre at 9 mile,
Killing Road, Meghalaya, tried job mix formula of cold mix with the various aggregates of Assam and NE, got
trial run and demonstration of road construction with cold mix in active association with CSIR-CRRI.

1. CSIR-CRRI granted Exclusive License to BitChem on Cold Mix Technology for maintenance and
construction of roads in Assam and North East India for a period of 2008-2011.

2. Further, CSIR-CRRI awarded Exclusive License to BitChem on Cold Mix Technology for maintenance and
construction of roads in East India apart from NE India for a period of 2011-2012 for different applications like
OGPC, Seal Coat, BM, SDBC, MSS, Slurry Seal, Micro Surfacing & Patch Repairing

3. Depending on the performance of BitChem Cold mix in road construction, CSIR-CRRI granted the License to
BitChem on Pan-India basis for a period of 5 years from 2013 in different applications like OGPC, Seal Coat,
BM, SDBC, MSS, Slurry Seal , Micro surfacing and patching Mixtures.

Finally, it came under commercialization from 2008 and till date more than 2000 KM of roads are constructed
with CRRI-BitChem Cold Mix Technology and performance evolution are made through reputed institutions
like IIT & CSIR- NEIST etc. The roads are found better durable than Hot Mix bituminous road as
per their evaluations. Already CSIR Cold mix technology has explored to Sikkim, Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh, Nashik and in the line up to promote in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

QSP/MR/19/ ACED/BTCM/214/2013 CSIR-NEIST/CNP-462