Bike traffic is increasing dramatically, so is the load on bike lanes

The Netherlands is already a cycling country by nature. Due to increased environmental awareness, the advent of electric bicycles and the increasing cost of driving a car, more and more people are taking to their bikes. It is therefore logical that the load on bicycle paths is also increasing. To ensure comfortable and safe cycling, it is important that the right top layer is applied. A good top layer lasts a long time, gives a good grip and protects the underlayers.

Possehl Spezialbau from Oosterhout can call itself an international expert in top layers for roadways, bicycle paths, runways, industrial floors and many more applications. For more than 30 years the company has been successful with their product Thermoflex. Erik de Leeuw, director at Possehl: "Thermoflex is a product of the first hour that is subject to constant evolution. It grows with the wishes and requirements of the time."

Excellent features

Thermoflex possesses excellent properties that can even be called unique. "The product is plastic and can be applied tension-free. This means that it adheres to the road surface for a long time. The lifespan after it is applied averages 20 years. This also makes Thermoflex an extremely durable product. We carried out our first project in the Netherlands some 35 years ago, in the municipality of Tilburg. There we applied a bicycle suggestion strip on asphalt, as an alternative to the then common red markings. These red markings are known to wear away quickly. The municipality knew us from the coatings we had applied to the asphalt of the runways at Gilze-Rijen Air Base. The logical thought must have been: if it's good for planes, it's certainly good for cyclists. And they were right."

Environmentally friendly

As a sustainable product, Thermoflex is also environmentally friendly because of its low loss of microplastics. "Nowadays we are fully aware of the negative impact microplastics have on our environment. Precisely because Thermoflex is applied tension-free and adheres very well, the problem of microplastics is significantly smaller than with traditional marking. In addition, we now have a bio-based variant in our program. In this, 15% of the chemicals have been replaced by biological substances."

Possehl works with natural rocks, as well as recycled dusting material, such as glass. "The advantage of working with recycled glass is that we can color it. Combine biobased Thermoflex with glass as a dusting material and you immediately build a nice bridge to the 2030 goals, when 50% of our building materials must be circular in nature." The glass is supplied by a specially designated recycling partner. The staining is applied with water-based epoxy.

Safety first

Those who choose Thermoflex also choose safety, it turns out. "At the front of the chain it may be slightly more expensive, at the back of the chain it is per m² cheaper, because it lasts longer than red markings on bike paths," Erik outlines. "Thermoflex has been tested for skid resistance and water holding capacity and scores high. It is not for nothing that Thermoflex was recently chosen for the construction of the Hovenring in Eindhoven. An iconic bicycle bridge that is even safer thanks to Thermoflex."

Experience Center

Anyone interested in learning more about the possibilities Thermoflex has to offer is welcome to visit Possehl's Experience Center, in Oosterhout, starting in early 2022. "There we will show which materials and colors can be applied. I estimate that we can show there more than 90 colors in dusting materials. From natural rock to coated glass. Thermoflex is a 'living material' that grows with the times. Our goal is to work with biobased raw materials for 70% within now and three years."

Want to know more about Thermoflex? Then visit the website of Possehl.