Repairs on the Rosenstrasse in Ochtrup  (Northrhine-Westphalia – NRW) – HaTelit ^®  asphalt-reinforcement grids standing the test of time –  
Ochtrup is a municipality located in the northwest of the Münster region (Northrhine-Westphalia) bordering the Netherlands. Rosenstrasse, in Ochtrup, runs to the east of the town centre and as a through road leads directly to the border crossing to the Netherlands.  
A by-pass was built with the aim of reducing the considerable amounts of heavy-goods traffic in the town. On completion of the by-pass in January 2005, the former District Road 57 was downgraded into a municipal road, but even today, people who are familiar with the area frequently use the shorter route along the Rosenstrasse as an alternative to the by-pass.  

Initial repairs in May 1996 Damage to the road's substance in the form of map cracking was established along the entire width of the road before repair work on Rosenstrasse commenced in 1996. The plan to repair the road provided for the removal and replacement of the 50 mm layer of asphalt wearing course. However, once the top layer had been removed, extreme cracking was discovered in the binder and base courses, which were found to be in a very poor condition (see Fig. 1).  

 

This meant that it would have been irresponsible to only renew the wearing course as this would have soon allowed cracks from the binder course to progress through to the top layer thus making repairs necessary again after a short period of time.  
The time factor also played a major role in deciding which method of repair to use. A total prolonged closure of the Rosenstrasse would not have been desirable in view of its role as a through road to the Netherlands.  
The renewal of the entire upper structure would also have caused considerable additional costs. Hence,  it was decided to employ the HaTelit^® asphalt-reinforcement system (initially as a short-term measure). The aim was to use HaTelit^® to prevent cracks in the binder course from progressing through to the top layer with the intention of keeping repair costs low, extending the time between repairs and allowing the condition of the repaired road to be maintained at a high level for longer.  
These benefits were decisive in the decision to use the HaTelit® asphalt-reinforcement system to effect repairs on this road. The surface remaining after the wearing course had been removed was, in accordance with the installation guidelines, sprayed with bitumen emulsion. The asphalt-reinforcement was then placed on this surface and covered with a 50 mm trick 0/11 asphalt-concrete layer.    

Project course
June 2002
Six years after the repairs were carried out, the HUESKER company asked the Steinfurt District's Chief Executive for a condition report on the Rosenstrasse. In his answer, the responsible clerk commented as follows: "(..) I'm happy to inform you that the repairs at the time to Kreisstrasse 57, Rosenstrasse, using HaTelit^® 30/13 have fully stood the test of time. The use of the asphalt-reinforcement system under the 0/11 asphalt layer has meant that, to this day, no cracks have appeared in the asphalt-concrete surface. This method was chosen at the time to avoid the necessity of the additional work required for the binder and base course (...)"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             April 2009
Almost 13 years after repairs using the asphalt-reinforcement system were undertaken, the people responsible at HUESKER met with representatives of the municipality of Ochtrup for a site inspection. Still, no cracks were found on the road surface.  
The clerk responsible at Ochtrup municipality confirmed in a letter dated 2 April 2009, "I am happy to inform you that the repairs carried out at the time using the asphalt-reinforcement system have stood the test of time and no map cracking has appeared in the asphalt-concrete surface to this day."    
August / September 2009 Condition assessment by TÜV Rheinland LGB Bautechnik GmbH, NL Weimar With the permission of Ochtrup municipality, HUESKER commissioned TÜV Rheinland LGA Bautechnik GmbH to record the cracking and assess the condition of Rosenstrasse along the length repaired in 1996.  The appraisal also compared the current condition with the condition that existed before repairs were carried out in 1996. This comparison permitted conclusions to be drawn about whether the use of the HaTelit^® asphalt-reinforcement system is able to delay the occurrence of cracks propagated from the lower courses. On 24. August 2009, a visual inspection was undertaken in accordance with Working Paper No. 9 by the Forschungsgesellschaft für Strassen und Verkehrswesen (FGSV – Research Association for Road and Transport) . The LGA used the image documentation of the construction measures prepared in May 1996 as the basis for its assessment. The construction supervisor employed by the Steinfurt District at the time also provided additional necessary information.  
Result After 13 years of use, the cracking condition value (ZWRIS) for the section of the road repaired with HaTelit^® in 1996 was determined as being excellent. According to the LGA, the visual inspection of the road surface revealed almost no damage to the substance. Two repair sites were recorded over the entire section; these, however, were due to work carried out on the drainage system. A few lateral cracks were discovered at one point on the outer edge of the built-up road. Small cracks along the road surface were also found at a few other points on the outer edges (see Figs. 2 and 3).

The photos documenting the condition of the site in 1996 (see Fig. 4 and 5) show that the distance between the HaTelit^® system and the road edge was always around 150 - 300 mm. TÜV Rheinland LGA Bautechnik GmbH also confirmed: "The entire remaining road area is free of cracks."  

Conclusion
The condition assessment by TÜV Rheinland LGA revealed that the Rosenstrasse in Ochtrup has in spite of constant heavy traffic, remained in a good condition to this day. The deployment of the asphalt-reinforcement system to effect repairs has completely stood the test of time. This measure has again shown that HaTelit^® considerably delays the propagation of cracks from under the road surface and that the condition of repaired roads may be maintained at high levels over extended periods of time.