Farmers may have another market for their soybean and canola crops in a product they can drive their vehicles on and is not hard on the environment.
RePlay is a soy and canola-based preservative said to extend the life of asphalt surfaces including roads and parking lots by protecting them from the freezing and thawing cycles of Canada’s harsh winters.
“We’re very excited about being able to distribute that product across Canada,” said Gordon Oliver, chief executive officer of Bio Protection Solutions, the Edmonton-based company that owns distribution rights for RePlay and related soy bean bioproducts.
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“It means farmers have another opportunity for an outlet for their products.”
RePlay is manufactured in the U.S. and was developed by BioSpan Technologies Inc.
“This is our first selling season for these products in Canada. Once we achieve certain volumes, we’ll be able to manufacture the product in Canada,” said Oliver.
Freeze-thaw cycles occur where water penetrates into asphalt and freezes. This weakens the asphalt, leading to pavement disintegration, and eventually potholes.
“Other than sealing the asphalt completely there’s no other way to avoid it.”
Oliver said RePlay seals the voids in asphalt, preventing water from penetrating. It penetrates about 1.25 to 1.5 inches deep and has no effect on the skid resistance, he said.
The significant difference between RePlay and petroleum based sealants is the level of penetration.
“Because RePlay sinks into the matrix of the asphalt, it has the same freeze-thaw temperatures, but a surface sealant will freeze and thaw at different temperatures than the underlying asphalt,” he said.
The best time to apply RePlay is at least 30 days after applying fresh asphalt. Curing takes 15 to 30 minutes on a sunny day.
Once cured, Oliver said the asphalt is sealed for three to five years. By comparison, traditional petroleum-based products keep roads closed longer, track oil residues, break down faster and potentially allow for runoff.
“If we do some work on maintaining what we have instead of letting it dilapidate and then having to resurface or repave it, there’s significant savings.”
He estimates the cost to apply RePlay is less than $2 per sq. metre depending on the age of the asphalt.
“This product enables you to have a perpetual road. Not only will it be a road that you can keep, instead of having an eight to 10 year life for asphalt, we’re talking 20 to 25 year life for asphalt.”
However, Oliver said RePlay is not a miracle cure.
“This isn’t a fix-all-your-problems product because if you’ve got underlying issues in the subsurface of the road, there’s no way that a surface sealant is going to solve it.”
