Soter History

 

Founded in 1988, Canadian company Soter is an industry leader at home and abroad. Since its inception, Soter has constantly pioneered significant innovations in the road maintenance industry by developing highly sophisticated methods and equipment.

Among the innovative techniques developed by Soter, two are based on the foamed bitumen principle and stem from extensive research.

Foamed bitumen denotes a scientific operation in which cold atomized water is injected with certain additives under controlled conditions into a hot penetration grade bitumen before application through specially designed nozzles and spray bar. Through this process, bitumen that is foamed in such a manner can expand to 10 to 15 times its original volume. When combined with cold and humid aggregates, it produces a truly unique mix. The significant volume expansion reduces the bitumen viscosity and helps distribute it in the mix while lending it tremendous adhesive properties. The surface tension of the foam is such that the aggregate surface humidity can be moved, creating a strong physical bond.

This process eliminates the need to dry and heat the aggregates before mixing. In addition, the foamed bitumen mix remains easy to handle until it is compacted, resulting in, after the curing period, comparable properties to those of the hot-mix process. Only the water needed for compaction is added to the mix, which substantially reduces the curing period normally associated with emulsions. Another significant advantage: foamed bitumen helps apply the hot-mix bituminous surface course in a shorter period and decreases traffic disruption.

Soter is a major presence on the international scene. Its foamed bitumen systems are available in many countries including the United States, Germany, England, Australia, Japan, Mexico as well as some African nations. The excellent performance of foamed bitumen in the foamstab and foamix processes in numerous international projects attests to the quality of Soter’s equipment.