Dr. Abd El Halim a Civil Engineering professor at Carlton University in Ottawa Canada:
Carleton invention may pave the way to better roads
[From: "This Week At Carleton"]
Ever wonder what causes potholes and cracks to form in the roads?
Dr. Abd El Halim says road damage isn't because of cold weather, as many people believe. Damage and cracking can also be seen on roads of countries with warm climates.
"Everything starts with the compaction of the asphalt mix," says Halim. "The process creates very thin cracks in the asphalt pavement, and in cold weather when the temperature drops, those cracks open up and becomes big cracks. After a while, water enters the cracks, freezes and then the asphalt breaks apart."
Halim is the creator of the Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller (AMIR), a "revolutionary" machine used to compact asphalt to prevent this type of surface cracking of the pavement.
He says rolling asphalt is much like making a pie which involves making the dough, spreading it and rolling it to make it even and compact.
"Asphalt coming out of the plant is hot - it's soft like a dough," explains Halim. "It needs to be spread evenly and it needs to be strong so you can drive on it without causing any damage."
Halim started working on the idea of AMIR in 1982 while finishing his Ph.D. in civil engineering at the University of Waterloo. The following year he came to teach at Carleton, where he began to build the prototype for the machine.
"Carleton has retained a minor royalty position in the sale of the technology," says Elizabeth White, Director of Carleton's Technology and Research Development office, "so, Carleton will hopefully benefit in a small way from any commercial applications of the machine."
Halim was also given help on building the prototype from IRAP and IRC of the National Research Council of Canada and from Ain Shams University in Egypt, his native country.
Dougall Broadfoot and Ian Rickards of Pioneer Road Services, a large and aggressive Australian paving company, have been following the AMIR project for several years. They recognized its potential, and decided to ship the prototype from Canada to Australia last year, where their staff is now modifying and upgrading it under the name "HIPAC".
Halim says Pioneer will be selling the new roller worldwide within the next two years. The new AMIR, or HIPAC, will be completely different from the asphalt compactors that are currently on the market. The existing machines are built with round, pin-shaped rollers made of very stiff material, which is the reason for the cracks that take place during compacting.
"We replaced the round shape of the drum with a flat surface and replaced the rigid, stiff material of the compactor, originally made of steel, with a special type of rubber," Halim explains. "The rubber is softer and gentler, yet still applies the same energy due to a much longer period of contact."
Halim also says that since the AMIR will compact asphalt strong enough to last 15 to 20 years, rather than the present average of three to four years, it will provide both the government and the taxpayers with "tremendous savings".
He adds the new roller will result in even more savings for contractors because it can do the same job that now requires two or three different types of compaction equipment.
"Each machine for the contractor costs from $150,000 to $200,000 for a total cost of almost a half-million dollars" says Halim, "whereas with the new compactor, they will need only one machine costing about $200,000. In addition, they will need only one operator."
Halim says the invention of an innovative machine like the AMIR has caused Carleton to be "recognized as one of the leading experts in the world in the field of asphalt and roads." More than 40 articles have been published about AMIR in national and international academic journals and conference proceedings.
But he stresses that on a project of this size he is "only the tip of the iceberg," and needed support from Carleton's administration, faculty, staff and students.
"The AMIR was my idea, but many ideas die even before they are born if they are not given the right environment and the right care," says Halim, "Without Carleton, I wouldn't have been able to get AMIR to where it is today."
A lot of people are confused with persian, turkish, egyptian, and berber achievements. Please name the specific Arab country to avoid confusion....
There is no such confusion, they are all linked to Arabs by blood, and should all be considered Arabs.
