Pavement cold in-place recycling with hydraulic binders: the state of the art in France

The French road network, 95% of which consists of flexible and semi-rigid pavements, lends itself a priori well to in-place recycling. This article provides a summary of existing knowledge and rules of best practice with respect to the technique of cold in situ pavement reclaiming using hydraulic binders. The various aspects of this process are described in detail. The first approach is structural, it includes pavement mechanics and protection against frost/thaw. The second approach relates to the geometric rehabilitation of the facility. Lastly, the very significant sustainable development aspects are developed. For each of the aspects mentioned above, the general principles, the selection criteria for recycling equipment and binder, the assessment and control methodology are presented. The know-how specific to the various fields of applications is detailed. Typical examples are given.