≈ 8y 6m
8.56 YRS
Service Life Extension
Per Lane Mile
$27,877
Deferred Rehabilitation Value
Per Lane Mile
$9,152
Reclamite® Project Cost
City of Cape Coral, Florida
Second Largest City in Florida
Case Study
The Importance of Pavement Preservation
Asphalt pavement begins aging immediately after placement. Oxygen, UV exposure, moisture, and temperature cycling gradually alter the asphalt binder. Maltenes oxidize and evaporate, binder stiffens, flexibility declines, and micro-cracking initiates. Long before widespread distress becomes visible, chemical aging is already underway.
Most agencies intervene only after deterioration becomes measurable through visible cracking or declining Pavement Condition Index (PCI) values. By that stage, more costly corrective rehabilitation is often required—restoring the surface, but at significantly higher lifecycle cost.
Pavement preservation shifts the timing of intervention by targeting deterioration earlier in the pavement lifecycle. Rather than reacting to distress, preservation strategies slow oxidation and maintain flexibility while the pavement remains structurally sound.
Reclamite® Asphalt Rejuvenator is the original Maltene Replacement Technology (MRT), designed as an early-stage preventative treatment to restore and preserve asphalt by penetrating the pavement surface and replacing maltenes lost to oxidation. Reclamite’s goal is not structural reconstruction but extending pavement life through early rejuvenation and surface protection.
RECLAMITE® ASPHALT REJUVENATOR
When applied early in the pavement lifecycle:
• Provides an in-depth seal to reduce water intrusion
• Replaces maltenes lost to oxidation Improves binder flexibility
• Strengthens the asphalt–aggregate bond
• Slows oxidation-related deterioration
In this study, performance was evaluated using RMT’s Pavement Lifecycle Management System, which leverages a multi-sensor hardware suite to collect real-time pavement condition data as vehicles travel the roadway.
This case study examines whether early Reclamite® application measurably slows deterioration and extends pavement service life under real-world conditions.
Study Design summary
Road
Verona Lane
Monterey Road
Colonial Drive
Paved Year
1998
2002
2022
Treatment Year
1999
2003
2023
Test Site Overview
To evaluate the impact of early-stage preservation, RMT conducted a controlled field evaluation in Eastern Tennessee.
Three asphalt roads had a section treated with Reclamite approximately one year after paving as well as an adjacent untreated control section. This ensured both segments experienced identical traffic loading, environmental exposure, subgrade conditions, and construction variables to isolate the performance effect of the preservation treatment.
Performance Measurement & Analysis
Using RMT’s Pavement Lifecycle Management System, real-time pavement condition data — including surface distress and ride quality metrics aligned with ASTM-based PCI modeling — was collected and analyzed. For this study, the data was modeled to quantify deterioration rates, project PCI performance, predict remaining surface life, and forecast rehabilitation timing.
Illustrated below, the modeled life extension was then translated into economic value by converting inflation-adjusted rehabilitation costs into deferred capital value and subtracting the preservation treatment cost to determine the net lifecycle benefit.
Lifecycle Value
Rehab Cost ÷ Pavement Lifecycle = Annualized Rehab Cost
Capital Deferral
Annualized Rehab Cost x Years Deferred = Deferred Rehab Value
Economic Return
Deferred Rehab Value — Treatment Cost = Net Benefit
Study Cost Assumptions
The amounts shown reflect the cost assumptions used to compare Reclamite to a Mill & Overlay rehabilitation. Expressed in 2026 dollars, these figures highlight the significant cost gap due to inflation between a preventative treatment and major rehabilitation.
Cost of Mill & Overlay
$123,200
$17.50/SY
Per lane mile
Cost of Reclamite
$9,152
$1.30/SY
Per lane mile
Verona Lane
Performance Observation
With the longest performance history in the study, the treated section demonstrates sustained resilience, maintaining +11.2 PCI by 2025 and declining more gradually over time. At failure (PCI 30), the treatment provides approx. 8.6 additional years of pavement life.
Paved in 1998 | Treated in 1999
Results
Service Life Extension
8.56 YRS
≈ 8y 6m
Deferred Rehabilitation Value
$27,877
Per Lane Mile
Projected Failure Without Treatment (PCI 30)
APR 2036
37y 10m from June 1998
Reclamite® Project Cost
$9,152
Per lane mile
Projected Failure With Treatment (PCI 30)
NOV 2044
Postpones reconstruction to 2044
Normalized Annual PCI Deterioration Rate Over Time
This graph shows the percent of pavement condition lost per year across each Pavement Lifecycle Stage (Years Since Construction). On the oldest roadway in the study, the treated section consistently deteriorates more slowly than the untreated lane at every stage. The performance gap increases as the pavement ages, demonstrating that the treatment reduces the annual rate of decline.
The difference between the treated and untreated sections establishes the initial proof that preservation modifies the deterioration curve rather than simply improving condition temporarily.
UntreatedTreated
Life-extension economics per lane mile
Life-Extension Economics
When adjusted to 2026 dollars, this earliest paved section demonstrates the long-term financial impact of timely preservation. Roads constructed in the late 1990s were built with longer expected surface lives than many roads constructed today. Even under more favorable historical construction conditions, early treatment extended service life, deferred major rehabilitation, and generated a strong net benefit. Preservation is not routine maintenance; it is capital optimization.
Monterey road
Performance Observation
Performance separation becomes pronounced over time, with the treated lane maintaining a +12.2 PCI advantage by 2025 and following a significantly flatter deterioration curve. Projected to PCI 30, the treatment postpones failure from 2035 to 2041, delivering 6.2 years of added service life.
Paved in 2002 | Treated in 2003
Results
Service Life Extension
6.17 YRS
≈ 6y 2m
Deferred Rehabilitation Value
$23,332
Per Lane Mile
Projected Failure Without Treatment (PCI 30)
JAN 2035
32y 7m from June 2002
Reclamite® Project Cost
$9,152
Per lane mile
Projected Failure With Treatment (PCI 30)
MAR 2041
Postpones reconstruction to 2041
Normalized Annual PCI Deterioration Rate by Age
Using the same normalized PCI methodology, the 2002 section demonstrates that the performance gap not only persists but becomes more pronounced as the pavement ages. The treated lane maintains a moderate rate of decline while the untreated section accelerates in later years.
This reinforces that early preservation does not create a short-term effect, but produces sustained lifecycle performance improvement.
UntreatedTreated
Life-Extension Economics
In 2026 dollars, the benefit continues to be evident as rehabilitation costs escalate over time. Each additional year of deferred rehabilitation avoids a significantly higher future construction expense. As pavements age and replacement costs rise, preservation becomes progressively more valuable, not simply as a costsaving measure, but as a financial risk avoidance strategy against construction inflation.
Colonial Drive
Performance Observation
At an early stage in its lifecycle, the treated lane already demonstrates measurable separation, holding +0.8 PCI (98.2 vs. 97.4) in 2025 and modeling a flatter long-term deterioration curve. Projected to a PCI 30 failure, the treatment adds roughly 4.6 years of service life.
Paved in 2022 | Treated in 2023
Results
Service Life Extension
4.59 YRS
≈ 4y 7m
Deferred Rehabilitation Value
$36,296
Per Lane Mile
Projected Failure Without Treatment (PCI 30)
JAN 2038
15y 7m from June 2022
Reclamite® Project Cost
$9,152
Per lane mile
Net Lifecycle Benefit
$27,144
ROI = 297%
Projected Failure With Treatment (PCI 30)
AUG 2042
Postpones reconstruction to 2042
Normalized Annual PCI Deterioration Rate by Age
On the newest roadway, normalized deterioration rates again confirm slower condition loss in the treated section. Because preservation was applied early, the pavement begins its service life aging more gradually, preventing the rapid acceleration typically observed in untreated asphalt.
Together, the results across construction years show that the performance impact is repeatable and independent of original paving date.
UntreatedTreated
Life-Extension Economics
When evaluated in 2026 dollars, Colonial Drive shows the highest net benefit. This is largely due to two compounding factors: today’s roads are typically constructed with shorter estimated surface lives than those built 20+ years ago, and major rehabilitation activities such as mill and overlay have experienced substantial cost inflation. Treatments like Reclamite have not escalated at the same rate. The widening gap between preservation costs and full rehabilitation costs amplifies the economic return, resulting in a significantly higher net benefit for newer pavements.
Avarage
Performance Observation
Overall Performance
This graph represents the average pavement performance observed across all three test roads. After normalizing by pavement age, the treated pavement consistently deteriorates more slowly, maintaining a higher condition level throughout its lifecycle.
Results
Service Life Extension
6.45 YRS
Across 3 modeled roads
Deferred Rehabilitation Value
$27,726
Per Lane Mile
Projected Failure Without Treatment (PCI 30)
28.66 YRS
Modeled from untreated lane data
Reclamite® Project Cost
$9,152
Per lane mile
Projected Failure With Treatment (PCI 30)
35.11 YRS
Modeled from treated lane data
22% Increase in Remaining Surface Life (4.57 Years)
Using RMT’s modeling and PCI projections, Remaining Surface Life (RSL) was defined as the years until pavement reached PCI 60, the point where preservation options begin to narrow.
Across all sites, treated lanes reached PCI 60 later than untreated lanes, demonstrating a clear preservation benefit: a gain of about +4.57 years (+22%) of additional preservation window.
Baseline RSLAverage RSL extension
Aggregate performance of Reclamite
~30-40% Slower Condition Decline Over the First 20 Years of Service Life