Neoloy® Enables Reliable & Sustainable, Heavy-duty Mining Haul Roads, Indonesia

Neoloy® Enables Reliable & Sustainable Heavy-Duty Mining Haul Roads

Heavy tropical rains can cause severe damage to haul roads due to soil saturation.

PRS Neoloy® Tough-Cells were successfully implemented to stabilize the soil and reinforce the road base. Haul truck speeds, cycle times, and productivity were significantly improved, while plate load testing confirmed superior road performance with low maintenance requirements.

PROJECT CHALLENGES

Heavy tropical rainfall and saturated clay soils present significant challenges for mining haul roads.

Roads are prone to rutting and potholes, reducing their load-bearing capacity and leading to structural deterioration. These conditions limit truck speeds, increase the risk of vehicle damage, require frequent maintenance, and negatively impact overall mining productivity.

NEOLOY® TOUGH-CELLS SOLUTION

PRS Neoloy® Tough-Cells were selected for their proven engineering, environmental, and economic advantages.

Unique Performance Properties (Novel Polymeric Alloy – NPA)

• High dynamic modulus (>500 MPa @ 60°C)
• Tensile strength (>19 kN/m)
• Resistance to permanent deformation (<2%)

Validated Reinforcement Performance

• Reinforcement factors validated through onsite QA testing
• Supported by field studies and published research
• Designed in accordance with international engineering standards

Long-Term Durability

• Increased bearing capacity for heavy-duty traffic
• Reduced rutting and settlement
• Lower maintenance requirements throughout the design life

Additional Advantages

• Innovative solution for expansive and saturated soils
• Reduced environmental impact and carbon footprint
• Improved operational safety
• Faster rehabilitation and minimal disruption to mining activities
• Increased operational efficiency and productivity

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

The project involved the rehabilitation of two heavily deteriorated haul roads:

• A 30 m wide heavy-duty haul road designed for 180-ton haul trucks.
• A 16 m wide road designed for 200-ton double-trailer trucks transporting bulk materials.

The exceptional mechanical properties of PRS Neoloy® Tough-Cells, particularly their high tensile strength (19 kN/m), enabled superior reinforcement under intensive heavy-duty traffic.

These properties delivered:

• High surface stiffness
• Reduced rutting
• Lower pavement deflection
• Stable performance under approximately 1,800 heavy truck passes per day
• Significantly reduced maintenance requirements

Pavement Structure

Heavy-Duty Road

• Dual Neoloy® layer
• Total pavement thickness: 520 mm

Double-Trailer Road

• Single Neoloy® layer
• Total pavement thickness: 320 mm

Type B aggregate was used as infill material, while Type A aggregate formed the wearing course.

The Neoloy® Tough-Cell system was installed directly over the prepared existing road surface, eliminating excavation and disposal of the original pavement.

Construction was completed one lane at a time, minimizing disruption to ongoing mining operations.

Performance Improvements

The Neoloy® solution achieved:

• More than 20% reduction in pavement thickness
• More than 2.4× reduction in surface deflection
• 85% increase in surface modulus on the double-trailer road

PERFORMANCE VALIDATION

Performance was evaluated using a modified Static Load Plate Test (ASTM D-1195) performed by an independent laboratory.

Results confirmed that Ev2 modulus values significantly exceeded design expectations.

Testing demonstrated:

• More than 3.48× increase in Ev2 modulus on the double-trailer road.
• Similar performance improvements on the heavy-duty haul road.

BENEFITS

• Superior pavement performance compared to unreinforced road structures
• Low maintenance throughout the design life
• No heavy vehicle speed restrictions
• Faster haul cycles and improved productivity
• Safer operating conditions
• Reduced stress on heavy equipment
• Sustainable construction with optimized material usage
• Cost-effective long-term infrastructure solution

This project demonstrates how PRS Neoloy® Tough-Cells deliver durable, high-performance reinforcement for heavy-duty mining haul roads, improving structural capacity while reducing maintenance, material consumption, and lifecycle costs.

PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Application

Heavy-duty mining haul roads

Subgrade / Soil

Saturated clay soils

Region

Southeast Asia

Neoloy Solution

• PRS Neoloy® 330
• Cell height: 120 mm
• Category C

Installation

2024

ABOUT PRS

PRS Geo-Technologies is a global engineering, manufacturing, and technology company specializing in advanced soil stabilization solutions through its innovative Neoloy® Tough-Cells technology.

By combining proprietary Novel Polymeric Alloy (NPA) technology with specialized geotechnical engineering expertise, PRS delivers proven solutions for heavy-duty infrastructure worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1996, PRS has successfully implemented thousands of projects in more than 80 countries, supporting roads, railways, ports, airports, retaining walls, mining operations, and other critical infrastructure applications.