Cooee Ecotrax
The invention component of the Cooee Ecotrax product is a natural additive, made of food-based products, which allows bitumen to easily mix with cold water. The additive (dubbed FT50) serves no purpose by itself however when mixed with bitumen and cold water, it becomes a bitumen-based, hydrophobic binder called Cooee Ecotrax which can be blended into the road-base or sprayed on the surface of unsealed roads and paths by a normal water truck to strengthen the road/pathway. Science, biology in particular, continues to be his passion and his scientific knowledge still serves him well in developing environmentally friendly products through his company. In particular, he is fascinated by the relationship between water and the human body given that a large part of the human body is composed of water. As an extension of his fascination with water, Tony is always looking to use water in making new environmentally friendly products.
In the 1990s, Tony was the founder and owner of a large computer company which he sold a few years ago. He made a handsome profit which has allowed him to indulge his passion, that is, to establish a business aimed at finding alternative solutions for common problems looking at things from a different angle, Tony says.
His business philosophy now is we want to make a difference while also making money and, as such, his Cooee company has been working in a number of areas including road construction products like Ecotrax. The company has also produced non-toxic termite protection.
The invention is actually an additive, dubbed FT50, which allows bitumen to be mixed easily with cold water to produce Cooee Ecotrax. water repelling binder) when applied to road base and the like. As a result, Ecotrax will act as a shield against water ingression which is the main cause of road deterioration and potholes.
Other products are available which do a similar job but have significant disadvantages. Ecotrax is also more versatile than the others in that it can be used not only in road construction but also for dust suppression and even timber coating.
The other great advantage of Ecotrax is that it can be applied with existing council equipment making it a much cheaper alternative. Ecotrax is simply added to the water in the water truck.
Ecotrax was specifically developed so that no extra process is required to apply the product. When a road is constructed or repaired it is usually ripped up (or tyned) to a depth of 100mm. Water is added from a water truck and mixed in to get the gravel to the moisture content that enables the strongest compaction. The road is then rolled and asphalt applied if it is a sealed road.
Road Construction: Ecotrax can be mixed into a water truck and applied to road material during construction or routine maintenance. The bitumen and water is then blended into the road material and compacted. The bitumen coats the particles and binds them together while also filling the voids left between the particles reducing the permeability of the compacted road material.
Importantly, the bitumen can then be rinsed from the water truck leaving no residue (as long as the truck is rinsed out within approximately two hours before the bitumen sets).
Tests by a number of NATA approved soil labs have consistently shown significant increases in strength in road gravels with Ecotrax added as well as a 100 fold reduction in permeability. A field trial is under way at Gladstone City Council.
Timber Coating: The inventor says that bitumen is a great sealer because, as a water based product,hermes belt, it is a lot easier and safer to use than current products. The Biological Framers Association has given Cooee a registration for the product's usage on Organic Farms.