DIGEST 2006 - Sabita

The role of Agrément in South Africa:
Accreditation of thin bituminous
surfacings in SA
John Odhiambo
Manager
Agrément South Africa
In late 2005, the Board of
Agrément South Africa
approved the Guideline
Document for the Assessment
and certification of thin
bituminous surfacing systems 1
developed by an industry task
team 2 . This development
follows the success of other
initiatives to expand the range
of road products Agrément
South Africa is able to
evaluate.
These include, but are not limited
to, the following:
• bridge deck joints (criteria
drawn up in 2001 – eight
joints are currently certified
including two elastomermodified
bitumen plug
expansion joints);
• road additives (criteria drawn
up in 2004 – no products
certified to date); and
• thin bituminous surfacings
(also termed ultra-thin
friction courses UTFC),
defined as proprietary
bituminous products with
suitable properties to provide
a wearing course that is laid
at a nominal thickness of up
to 40 mm and is
predominantly intended as a
functional layer.
The approval of the guideline
document has paved the way for
manufacturers of non-standard
proprietary UTFC’s to now have
their products evaluated and
certified as ‘fit-for-purpose’. One
proactive manufacturer is in the
final stages of evaluating his
system which, once successfully
completed, will result in
certification.
Seven stage process
The assessment and certification
process is undertaken in six
stages, followed by monitoring, as
follows:
• Assessment of the applicant’s
data;
• Assessment of production
control;
• Laboratory testing;
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