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AssigneeMP Materials Corporation
InventorMorris R. Jeppson
Estimating the term…
A microwave energy reflecting zone (12, 12a, 12b) is provided below the surface of a pavement (11, 11', 11a, 11b) at a depth that is less than the maximum depth that such energy can penetrate into paving materials. The reflective zone, which is formed of electrically conductive material (16, 16a to 16h), results in energy and cost savings in subsequent paving or pavement repair operations that involve microwave heating of thermoplastic pavement and in which it is not necessary to heat down to the full depth to which such energy can penetrate paving materials. The heating is concentrated or localized within a predetermined upper portion of the pavement. The energy concentrating pavement may, for example, be more economically resurfaced when that becomes necessary by microwave heating followed by remixing and recompaction of the heated upper portion of the pavement material. The microwave reflective zone may be arranged to transmit a limited portion of downwardly propagating microwave energy to assure good bonding of the heated overlayer to the underlayer of paving material. Different microwave heating patterns, ranging from a highly uniform heating to heating which increases with depth, may be arranged for by locating the reflective zone at different depths.
In a pavement which extends along a surface of the ground to form a roadway or the like thereon wherein at least an upper layer of the pavement that extends along said ground surface is formed of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material and wherein the material below said upper layer is also of a type into which microwave energy can pentrate, the upper layer having a thickness that is smaller than the maximum distance that microwave energy can penetrate into said paving materials, the improvement comprising:
In a pavement wherein at least an upper layer of the pavement is formed of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material and wherein the material below said upper layer is also of a type into which microwave energy can penetrate, the upper layer having a thickness that is smaller than the maximum distance that microwave energy can penetrate into said paving materials, the improvement comprising:
In a pavement wherein at least an upper layer of the pavement is formed of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material and wherein the material below said upper layer is also of a type into which microwave energy can penetrate, the upper layer having a thickness that is smaller than the maximum distance that microwave energy can penetrate into said paving materials, the improvement comprising:
In a pavement wherein at least an upper layer of the pavement is formed of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material and wherein the material below said upper layer is also of a type into which microwave energy can penetrate, the upper layer having a thickness that is smaller than the maximum distance that microwave energy can penetrate into said paving materials, the improvement comprising:
A microwave energy concentrating pavement forming a roadway or the like that extends along a surface of the ground comprising:
In a method of paving a roadway or the like that extends along a surface of the ground which includes the step of laying an overlayer of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material over an underlayer of roadway material that is also penetratable by microwave energy, the overlayer having a thickness that is less than the maximum thickness of said thermoplastic paving material that can be penetrated by microwave energy, the improvement comprising:
In a paving method which includes the step of laying an overlayer of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material over an underlayer of non-thermoplastic concrete material that is also penetratable by microwave energy, the overlayer having a thickness that is less than the maximum thickness of said thermoplastic paving material that can be penetrated by microwave energy, the improvement comprising:
In a paving method which includes the step of laying an overlayer of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material over an underlayer of material that is also penetratable by microwave energy, the overlayer having a thickness that is less than the maximum thickness of said thermoplastic paving material that can be penetrated by microwave energy and wherein a deteriorated pre-existing pavement is utilized to form said underlayer, the improvement comprising:
In a paving method which includes repaving of a joint between two pre-existing separately laid areas of pavement by laying an overlayer of microwave absorbent thermoplastic paving material over an underlayer of material that is also penetratable by microwave energy, the overlayer having a thickness that is less than the maximum thickness of said thermoplastic paving material that can be penetrated by microwave energy, the improvement comprising:
A paving method for a roadway or the like on a surface of the ground comprising the steps of:
A method of repairing roadway pavement or the like that extends along a surface of the ground wherein at least the upper portion of said pavement is microwave absorbent thermoplastic concrete and wherein the material below said upper layer is also penetratable by microwave energy, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.