The Obstacles
So if it yields equivalent or better construction quality, yet costs substantially less, one would think that asphalt recycling would be mainstream. The fact is that many still do not even consider the process.

One obstacle is the perception that asphalt recycling only involves the road's top layer of asphalt and thus, cannot be directly compared to conventional construction methods. Though this misconception has been mostly overcome in the last 30 years, it should be reiterated that fulldepth asphalt recycling is total reconstruction of a road. Because the process goes down to the sub-grade, the two methods are quite comparable.

Other misconceptions stem from the lower cost of recycling. Many contractors and government agencies don't believe that something which costs less can actually do the same or better job than conventional methods. The belief that spending more money results in a better quality product is still quite prevalent.

Additionally, the fact that recycling is still perceived as a "new" process is another problem. There is nothing more difficult than trying to convince someone that something new could be better when an established method is the norm.

Additives have also been a point of contention in the acceptance of recycling. There are a large number of additives on the market - some good, some bad - and many times they are sold as being able to do something that they cannot. When the wrong additive or incorrect dilution is used, the entire recycling process is jeopardized. If this occurs, it's often the process that receives the blame, not the additive.

The only "true" limitations to recycling are concrete and brick. In some cases, asphalt roadways have bases constructed of concrete or are overlays of previous brick streets. An asphalt recycler cannot handle such materials. Again, a core sample would indicate the presence of such materials, but this would be the one situation where excavation and conventional reconstruction would be the only option.

The Future
Though the asphalt recycling process may appear too good to be true - offering the benefits of conventional reconstruction at a fraction of the cost - many counties and states have experienced tremendous success with the recycling option. Acceptance is still a work in progress, but when twice as many roads are being rebuilt for the same taxpayer’s dime, the results are becoming harder to ignore. As more and more decision makers learn about and gain confidence in the process, asphalt recycling will steadily win acceptance as a practical, lower-cost solution to road reconstruction.