Pulverization is a process that consists of breaking up the existing asphalt pavement and mixing it with a predetermined thickness of material from the underlying granular base. The blended materials are then stabilized through the incorporation of a bituminous binder and, if necessary, a hydraulic binder such as cement or hydrated lime. They are subsequently compacted and serve as a new granular base that can later be covered with a new pavement surface.
This process offers many advantages. Indeed, this recycling technique provides structural improvement without increasing the pavement thickness, slows the appearance of cracks, and delivers performance equivalent to, or even better than, a newly constructed or reconstructed roadway, all at a lower cost.