BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. Kazakhstan plans to improve the quality of bitumen used in road construction, Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev said at a meeting on reforming the road sector chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in Astana, according to the press service of the Kazakh government.
Sauranbayev reported that the Ministry of Transport, together with the Ministry of Energy and KazMunayGas, had conducted an inventory of the bitumen transportation and storage system.
Based on the findings, approaches have been developed to improve product quality, ensure more balanced utilization of plant capacity, and transition to the production of polymer-modified bitumen with enhanced properties.
He noted that the CASPI BITUM and Pavlodar Petrochemical plants are ready to produce grades 50/70 and 70/100, as well as polymer-modified bitumen, subject to the receipt of relevant orders.
The meeting also addressed ways to improve the quality of road construction and plans to develop a modern highway network in line with the objectives outlined in President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's annual Address on October 28.
The prime minister was shown the main causes of cracks, rutting, and other road surface defects. Participants also reviewed proposals to update technical standards to take into account regional climatic conditions and actual traffic loads.
The proposed measures to improve road surface quality include the use of narrowly graded cubical crushed stone, base bitumen, and modification methods to ensure flexibility. They also envisage increasing the resistance of different types of modified bitumen to rutting and cracking.
In addition, the proposals include the use of non-destructive testing methods and new technologies to extend road surface service life, as well as improve the quality of reflective road signs and road markings.
The meeting also covered new road construction technologies, including Superpave (Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements) and the use of polymer-modified asphalt concrete, as well as measures to ensure the quality of materials and strengthen laboratory testing.
Participants exchanged views on raising quality standards for road construction and maintenance, ensuring adherence to construction technologies at every stage of handling road construction materials, and strengthening contractors' responsibility for the durability and quality of road surfaces. They emphasized the importance of improving construction and maintenance practices.
Other issues discussed included the organization of road construction, the development of roadside services, the modernization of road border crossing points, and the introduction of digital monitoring tools.
