MALAYSIA NATIONAL CASE STUDY REPORT FOR REAAA PAVEMENT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

A Cold Mix Standard For Pothole Patching

1. INTRODUCTION
Road Engineering Association of Malaysia is an active member of REAAA since its establishment
in 1996 (previously known as REAAA Malaysian Chapter) and also PIARC National Committee
since 2014 has play a pivotal role on the fostering road engineering practices in Malaysia through
its initiatives and documentation produced by its members consisting of government and private
sectors. Through its Technical Committee Group, REAM had produced a number of technical
documentations for the benefit of road industry player in Malaysia. With active participations
from industry player in Malaysia, the idea of producing standard for cold mix was based on the
needs of the industry to capitalize the potential of cold mix in hope of game change on addressing
pothole on Malaysian roads. Therefore, REAM Technical Committee for the term 2017 – 2019 had
initiated the effort to established the standard for cold mix to address the long overdue issue. The
effort was halted due to Covid-19 on the year 2020 - 2022 but the group managed to complete
the documentation on 2022. The document then was launch during Kuala Lumpur International
Pavement Seminar in Kuala Lumpur on 7th March 2023.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE INITIATIVE

As been stated in the document and paper presentation during KLIPS 2023, the objectives of this
initiative, was to develop a standard of cold mix that could be refer by road industry in Malaysia.
The objectives derived from the known fact that there was no standard of cold mix to be refer at
the time and besides various specification offered by manufacturers. A clear directive of the
initiative is establishing crucial parameters for cold mix, establish a set of testing method that
suitable and practical for industry and to escalate the standard to become comparable to hot mix
thus qualified to perform permanent patching works.

3. TEAM MEMBERS
There were 2 tiers of team members in producing the document. The first-tier team members
were the applicator of cold mix in their daily operations. The applicator of cold mix is those from
the concessionaries of road and contractors that involve in road maintenance activities. There
were also representatives of Public Works Department of District Offices that also applying the
cold mix in order to fast response on pothole occurrences. The first-tier group contributed on the
issues that they are facing in applying cold mix to address the pothole. At the end of the day, the
team managed to established 5W1H on the cold mix application thus having a clear direction
towards the intended document.
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The second-tier group was the manufacturer of the cold mix. Based on the input of the first-tier
group, there were more than 20 numbers of local and international cold mix manufacturer in
Malaysia that actively produce the cold mix for local usage. During a series of discussions and
engagement, there were 6 major cold mix manufacturers that actively participate and contribute
their personnel, time, resources and reference towards the initiative. Their names and companies
were recorded on the document as a gesture of appreciation.

4. METHODOLOGY
Upon forming the committee which partly the second-tier group, mutual agreement on the
methodology has been set. The members shall share on their resources and reference to achieve
an acceptable and agreeable cold mix standard. They must be willing to discuss and accept any
shortcomings from their manufactured cold mix and level up to the agreed standard. However, in
order to upkeep with their proprietorship, the committee agreed not to intrude with their mixing
but only to the performance of their products.
As a kickstart to standardization, manufacturers had listed all the properties of their products.
Committee then were to find the similarities and differences between them thus establishing a
based parameter. Since the proprietorship was not the focus but the performance itself,
committee then were looking at the benchmark parameters that could be use to set the
performance standard. The main parameters then been set are workability, stability, adhesive
properties and stiffness. Nevertheless, the basic properties such as aggregate and bitumen were
also discussed and standardized. All cold mix products then been tested for the parameters above
and the results were used to established the acceptable standard.

5. CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Challenges has been with the committee along the way in establishing the document, thus it shall
be discussed in this report. One of the major challenges of this initiative were the reference that
could be use to guide the committee to established the standard. Since this is a new document
for Malaysian road industry, there were no local reference except literature that could be used as
guide. Committee then reached an agreement to modify the Marshall Method to derive for the
intended properties of the cold mix. It turned out to be acceptable in terms of the method and
results. Another major challenge faced by the committee was to set the acceptable value of the
proposed performance parameters. There were cold mix products that getting testing results off
the chart. Further discussion on the method or steps in performing the method were discussed.
At the end of the day, committee achieved mutual understanding on the acceptable value to
establish the standard. There were other obstacles and challenges as well, but it has resolved with
the shared goals between committees towards the objectives.

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 Laboratories work and meeting sessions among the committees.

6. ENGAGEMENT SESSION
REAM has set a condition to organize an engagement with industry player for any new technical
documents that intended to be published. Therefore, an engagement session was carried out on
25th November 2021 with interested personnel consist of other cold mix manufacturers, road
authorities, road consultants, road contractors, researchers and government agencies. 80
numbers of participant had registered to share their input on the drafted standard before
finalized. Opinions and concerns from the participants were recorded to be further discuss
between committees. In a nutshell, participants were excited to have the standard as it will be a
game changer in addressing pothole issue. Furthermore, it will be boost up the marketability of
cold mix thus creating bigger industry for the players.

Engagement session on 25th November 2021.

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7. THE DOCUMENTS
The final draft of the document then completed on April 2022. The document entitled “REAM
Guidelines on Cold Mix Standard for Permanent Pothole Patching”. The first batch of printed
document was ready for industry player on December 2022 after gone through proof reading and
other related printing procedures despite hurdles during movement control order. It is available
in hard copy at REAM office in Shah Alam, Malaysia at the price of RM20 per copy.

8. THE LAUNCHING OF THE DOCUMENTS

Committee Members of PIARC TC4.1 Pavement had organized the TC member meeting in Kuala
Lumpur thus organizing Kuala Lumpur International Pavement Seminar (KLIPS2023) from 7-9
March 2023. The committee had opined that it was a good opportunity for the new document to
be launched during the event. REAM President has handed over the document to Director
General of Public Works Department of Malaysia as a symbol of launching thus further promotes
the document to national and international participants. Deputy Minister of Works Malaysia had
witnessed the launching together with representatives from PIARC Technical Committee and
REAAA Technical Committee. In the same event, a paper entitled “Formulating Cold Mix Standard
For Pothole Patching Works in Malaysia” has been presented on describing the formulated
standard and the journey in establishing it. One of the cold mix manufacturers also presented
their product that complied with the standard entitled “Performance of All-Weather Cold Mix
Asphalt Reinforced with Aramid and Polyolefin Fibers”

The launching of the Malaysia Cold Mix Standard.

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9. CONCLUSION
The committee would like to thank all individuals and organizations that directly and indirectly
contributed towards the development of this document. It was a good journey and shared
experiences for the committee to established a new technical document for cold mix application.
It is hope that the document shall further open up opportunities in enhancing cold mix
capabilities to game change in road maintenance activities.

Prepared by :
Ir Hamzah Hashim
For REAAA Pavement Technical Committee
August 2023.