Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR)

When a road has failed all the way through the base, milling and resurfacing only buys a season or two. Full-Depth Reclamation fixes the structure itself: we pulverize the old asphalt and the underlying base together, blend in cement or lime, and rebuild a uniform, stabilized foundation in place. The result is a stronger road section than the original, with no spoil to haul off and no virgin aggregate trucked in. Timothy Rose Contracting has self-performed heavy-civil work on Florida's Treasure Coast since 1984. We own the reclaimers, the stabilization spreaders, and the rollers, and we run our own crews on every FDR job from pulverization through final compaction. That means one accountable contractor for the whole reclamation, predictable schedules for Indian River, Brevard, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee owners, and a finished base built to FDOT standards.

How full-depth reclamation works

FDR rebuilds the road in place in a single, controlled pass sequence. Our reclaimer pulverizes the existing asphalt and a measured depth of underlying base into a uniform blend, typically 8 to 12 inches deep depending on the failure and the design section. We then introduce a stabilizing additive, cement or lime depending on the in-situ soils and moisture, mix it to grade, bring the material to optimum moisture, and compact it into a tight, load-bearing base. Because 100 percent of the existing pavement is recycled on-site, there's no excavation-and-haul cycle, no import of new stone, and far less truck traffic through the corridor. Once the stabilized base is cured and proof-rolled, it's ready for a new asphalt surface course.

Where FDR is the right call

Full-depth reclamation is built for roads that have failed below the surface, not just at the top: alligator cracking that keeps coming back, base failures and pumping, deep rutting, and pavements that have been overlaid so many times the curbs and drainage no longer work. It's a strong fit for municipal arterials and collectors, residential subdivision streets, county roads, and industrial and commercial lots across Indian River, Brevard, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee. On the Treasure Coast, where high water tables and sandy subgrades undermine thin sections, the cement or lime stabilization step is what turns a marginal base into one that holds up. We've performed this work for Vero Beach, Fellsmere, Palm Bay, Viera, and Melbourne.

Why Timothy Rose Contracting

FDR is unforgiving of guesswork; reclamation depth, additive rate, moisture, and compaction all have to be right, and they all have to be controlled by people who do this for a living. We've been a self-performing heavy-civil contractor on the Treasure Coast for more than 40 years, we're FDOT-certified, and we carry $100M in bonding capacity, so we can take on full corridor and municipal-scale reclamation. We hold CGC #052940 and RU #0066532, and we self-perform every phase in-house rather than handing the critical stabilization work to a sub. Public agencies in Vero Beach, Fellsmere, Palm Bay, Viera, and Melbourne keep bringing us back because the base we hand off passes inspection and carries traffic.

What to expect on your project

We start by evaluating the existing section and subgrade and matching the FDR design, depth, additive type, and stabilization rate, to the actual road, not a one-size template. From there our crews handle pulverization, additive spreading and mixing, grading, moisture conditioning, and compaction, with density and grade checked as we go. Because the work stays on-site and recycles the existing pavement, we can phase the corridor to keep lanes and access open and minimize disruption to residents and businesses. You get one contractor accountable from the first pass to a proof-rolled, paving-ready base, scheduled and built to FDOT standards.

Frequently asked questions

Is full-depth reclamation cheaper than digging out and replacing the road?

Almost always, yes. FDR recycles 100 percent of your existing asphalt and base in place, so you avoid the cost of excavating and hauling off the old material and trucking in new aggregate. Fewer trucks and less material also mean a faster job and less disruption. The exact savings depend on the road's depth, condition, and additive design, which we determine when we evaluate your section.

How long until the road can carry traffic again?

After we mix, grade, and compact the stabilized base, it needs a short curing period before the new asphalt surface goes down, with the exact timing driven by the additive used and the weather. In many cases we can phase the work to keep limited or local access open during construction. We'll give you a realistic, road-specific schedule before we mobilize so you can plan around it.

Will the rebuilt base hold up in Treasure Coast conditions?

That's exactly what the cement or lime stabilization step is for. Our sandy subgrades and high water tables are hard on thin, unstabilized sections, so we match the additive type and rate to your in-situ soils and moisture to build a base that resists water and carries load. We've used FDR to rebuild roads for Vero Beach, Fellsmere, Palm Bay, Viera, and Melbourne, and we self-perform and inspect every phase to FDOT standards.