In order to build or maintain a road network, it is essential to mobilize large quantities of natural materials or materials treated with a binder such as bitumen to make bitumen gravel, or cement to make cement gravel. This classic process of pavements construction or maintenance requires extraction of materials, their elaboration in the form of aggregates and their transport to the construction site for laying. This process has negative effects on the environment: depletion of natural stone resources, pollution due to transport. However, it is possible to limit these impacts by recycling and recovering the materials present in the pavement to be treated. The technique of cold in-place recycling of degraded pavements is carried out thanks to a cement with close dosage called Hydraulic Road Binder (HRB).
In this context, CETEMCO has carried a development project entitled LHR (HRB acronym in French) – MOROCCO in 2014/2015. This project is part of the general interest activities of the Center and has received a funding support from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and Digital Economy through the Support Fund for Technical Centers “FACET”.

The project aimed at supporting the cement industry in the development of a new hydraulic road binder “LHR-Morocco” which is economical, adapted and usable for the improvement of in-place soils, the improvement of added materials or the in-place recycling of degraded pavements. This LHR-Morocco was tested and studied in CETEMCO’s laboratories in order to be optimized and implemented on a large scale.

The project was carried out according to the following main actions:

– State of the art and development of a new economic hydraulic binder adapted and usable in the recycling of pavements in place

– Production of “LHR Morocco” by a Moroccan cement manufacturing plant for use in a section of a secondary road during its maintenance by the Ministry of Equipment

– Sizing and feasibility study in other road applications

– Elaboration of a draft standard on the variants of the “LHR-Morocco” and promotion of the “LHR-Morocco” at a national level. This standard is currently “NM 13.1.289” approved.

APC (French Acronym): Professional Association of Cement Manufacturers.
CNER (French Acronym): National Center for Road Studies and Research.
The Ministry of Equipment, Transport and Logistics Directorate of Roads

– Adoption of a new Moroccan standard: NM 13.1.289 “Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavement and gravels treated with high performance hydraulic binders Definition, composition and classification
– Adaptation of the public contracts specifications allowing the use of HRB for the recycling of pavements
– Elaboration of a technical guide on cold in-place recycling of degraded pavements
– Participation in the African Congress on Maintenance, Road Heritage Preservation and Technical Innovation at the « Palais des Congrès » in Marrakech in May 2016.