Shell Bitumen is pushing limits
Our specially tailored racetrack formula uses science to help create record-breaking racing for Formula One™ fans around the world.
Pitstop crew changing up worn tyres for better grip
Shell Bitumen’s road surfacing products enable millions of commuters to go about their business every day. The functionality and purpose of our products fly under the radar most of the time – and that’s good news because when roads are in good condition you are not supposed to notice them.
The one exception: world-class racetracks, where performance and safety are in the limelight. Enjoyed by roughly 500 million fans around the world, Formula One™ is full of excitement, high energy, rivalries and drama. And its enduring popularity is aided by the safe and durable racetracks made possible by Shell Bitumen innovations like Shell Cariphalte®.
Racetrack Application
To date, we’ve partnered with 17 leading motorsport circuits around the world, including Silverstone in the United Kingdom, Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, and the Nürburgring in Germany.
Just like the finely tuned vehicles and highly-skilled drivers, the racetrack plays a vital role when it comes to world-class racing. Our Shell Cariphalte® binder is a high-performance modified bitumen, specifically developed to meet the demands of these professional circuits.
A nightscape of busy traffic speed lights
Making tracks in Singapore
Maintaining busy urban roads in any country is difficult, but in Singapore, Shell Bitumen was brought in to help with a particular challenge: to provide the surface for a normal city road by day, and a Formula One™ Grand Prix racetrack by night (a first of its kind!).
As drivers fly through the turns of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, they face temperatures in excess of 30°C and humidity levels above 70%. In order to meet safety standards, the track surface must remain constant despite the challenges of the tropical climate and the constant wear from everyday users as well as the race cars.
Shell Cariphalte® is the ideal choice because of the tough three-dimensional polymer network within the bitumen that gives it an increased stiffness at high temperatures. It also has a substantially increased elasticity which helps to reduce cracking, and all these qualities combined make it ideal for the extreme heat and humidity of the Singapore circuit.
Marina Bay Street Circuit
Down the straight
Formula One™ cars can reach speeds of up to 340km/h, and tyres can reach temperatures of 130°C – that’s when the rubber starts to tear. Shell Cariphalte® helps to increase the stiffness of the road surface, meaning better resistance to shear cracking which is vital for roads which need to withstand extreme speeds and force.
The racing line
Drivers take the fastest route – the racing line, which means more wear and tear in a concentrated area. This is the opportunity for drivers to go at full-throttle, causing the surface to lift. Shell Cariphalte® improves the resistance to surface deformation meaning a longer life for the road.
Into the chicane
Drivers take some corners at full speed, and the G-force experienced at 300km/h can cause stones to chip out of track, making for a bumpier ride and a huge threat to the safety of the driver. To mitigate this, Shell Cariphalte® can increase the resistance to fretting from surface shear stress helping make the track more durable and safer.
Braking
Brake discs can reach temperatures of 1,000°C which puts stress on the tyres. Combined with humidity and moisture, it’s a challenge to stay on track. Grip is everything. The durability of Shell Cariphalte® helps to avoid degradation of the surface, helping give drivers the grip they need.
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Shell Cariphalte - Singapore F1 Track Maintenance
Title: Shell Cariphalte_Long
Duration: 3:06 minutes
Description:
With the annual Formula One™ Night race in Singapore, Shell, partnering together with United E&P, has developed a solution that enables high cohesive strength that can withstand the strong forces of the race car. Shell Cariphalte is an engineered product that has been designed in order to improve the performance of the road, and has been a trusted partner for many years.
Shell Cariphalte_Long
[Background music plays]
Dynamic Shell music
[Text on screen]
DEMANDS ON
21ST CENTURY ROADS
[Video footage]
Timelapse of Singapore at night
[Text on footage]
ARE HIGH
[Video footage]
Timelapse of Singapore at night
[Video footage]
Cars driving in the rain
[Text on footage]
EXTREME
WEATHER
[Video footage]
Plane landing on runway
[Text on screen]
EXTREME
STRESSES
[Video footage]
Race car driver putting down helmet visor
Race car driving on track
[Video footage]
Timelapse of Singapore at night
[Text on screen]
HIGH PERFORMANCE
BITUMEN
IS ESSENTIAL
[Video footage]
Yvonne Phua interview
[TITLE]
YVONNE PHUA
CLUSTER BUSINESS MANAGER
SHELL
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
The Singapore F1 ™ Circuit is a very unique track.
[Video footage]
Street cars driving on road during the day
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
It's a regular road by day...
[Video footage]
Yvonne Phua interview
F1 Circuit racetrack at night
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
...and a race track by night.
[Video footage]
Cars on road
Race car on track
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
It has to be able to handle the stresses of daily traffic,
and at the same time withstand the strong forces generated by the race car.
[Video footage]
Yvonne watching cars driving on circuit in daytime
Yvonne Phua interview
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
If the shearing force is too great, and pieces of asphalt get dislodged, that could be very dangerous.
[Video footage]
Race cars driving on racetrack
Yvonne watching road
Shell Cariphalte worker in lab
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
For the Singapore Marina Bay Circuit...
[Video footage]
Shell Cariphalte worker in lab
Yvonne Phua interview
Close up of bitumen being tested in lab
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
...we have developed Shell Cariphalte. It’s an engineered product that enables high cohesive strength that can withstand the strong forces of the race car.
[Video footage]
Bitumen truck pulling up to loading bay
Working filling bitumen into truck
Truck leaving Bitumen depot
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
In Shell, we have stringent quality control to ensure that the product does not leave our facility unless it is quality assured, to meet specifications.
[Video footage]
Yvonne Phua inerview
Yvonne checking asphalt quality
Yvonna and Elvin talking
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
The performance of the roads very much depends on the binder and the asphalt quality mix.
Shell has a very good partnership with United E&P for a number of years.
[Video footage]
Yvonne Phua inerview
Yvonne and Elvin walking and talking
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
They trust in our capability to help them come up with a solution that will serve their needs.
[Video footage]
United E&P truck pulling up
Elkin Koh interview
Yvonne and Elvin having a discussion
Mixer machine
Bitumen being poured out into holder
Worker checking temperature of bitumen
[Dialogue: Elvin Koh]
Shell Cariphalte’s supply is very reliable.
With the help of Shell, we have come up with the mix of the right quality that can meet all the specs.
[TITLE]
ELVIN KOH
CEO
UNITED E&P
[Video footage]
Floating platform and Singapore skyline shot with construction work
Close up of bitumen laying on the road
UE&P truck
Graham Castle interview
Road resurfacing works
Steamrollers on road
[Dialogue: Graham Castle ]
Today, we’re at the Singapore floating platform. We’re resurfacing certain parts of the track based on feedback from the drivers of the actual race.
[TITLE]
GRAHAM CASTLE
OPERATIONS MANAGER
UNITED E&P
[Video footage]
Road resurfacing works
Elvin Koh interview
[Dialogue: Elvin Koh]
The mix is very high quality, like airport standards, and we are really happy with the results.
[Video footage]
Graham talking to Shell counterpart
Graham Castle interview
Bitumen laying shots
[Dialogue: Graham Castle ]
We have a very good partnership with Shell. We’re not just buying a binder or a product from Shell, we’re buying the whole package.
[Video footage]
Yvonne walking along street and looking at the road
Yvonne Phua interview
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
Watching a race on a track that I’ve helped build, makes me feel very very proud because I know that it has been built using Shell Cariphalte bitumen.
[Video footage]
Yvonne feeling asphalt on the road
Yvonne Phua interview
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
Shell Cariphalte has been a trusted product for many years, and we have over 1,600 customers across the world, operating in almost 28 countries.
[Video footage]
Plane taking off on runway
Frankfurt airport shots
F1 car on race track
Yvonne Phua interview
[Dialogue: Yvonne Phua ]
It has been used in some of the world’s most iconic projects and locations, like Frankfurt airport, the F1™ circuits in Bahrain and as well as our Singapore Changi Airport.
[Video footage]
Graham shaking hand with Shell counterpart
Graham Castle interview
F1 drivers walking on track
Race car being pushed
[Dialogue: Graham Castle ]
We know we’re getting very good quality from Shell, and more importantly our clients know that they’re getting quality by using Shell products.
[Video footage]
Race car going through pit stop
[Text on screen]
SHELL CARIPHALTE
MAXIMISE PERFORMANCE
SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES
[Background music ends]
[Shell Pecten Logo]
[Audio]
Shell mnemonic
[Text displays]
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© Shell International 2018
Racetracks rejuvenated
With the circuit in Singapore, durability was vital given the road’s dual use as busy urban street by day, Formula One™ track by night. However, the hard-wearing nature of Shell Cariphalte® was also key for one of our most recent projects involving the rejuvenation of the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in the Netherlands, which has been out of the racing scene for 36 years.
The Circuit Zandvoort will host the Dutch Grand Prix in 2021 and its location poses a very unique challenge when resurfacing the track. The site is situated on the coast, nestled among sand dunes and very close to the sea. The abrasive sand of the dunes coupled with sea salt are unfavourable conditions that would accelerate wear and tear of the track.
Shell Bitumen created an adapted binder for this project with support from our advanced testing laboratory in Strasbourg. A special Shell Cariphalte® asphalt mixture was designed for its ability to withstand rutting, cracking, stripping and ageing, which made it the perfect solution for the coastal environment, but also for its workability in low temperatures, as the track was laid in very cold conditions.
When Circuit Zandvoort is fully up and running, it will join a long list of racetracks paved with Shell Cariphalte® that excel under the pressures of the world’s best-loved motorsport.
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
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Providing bitumen solutions and technical expertise for iconic engineering projects that help keep the world moving.
Shell Bitumen is a powerhouse at 100
Taking stock of one hundred years of industry firsts, global reach and local touch.
Shell Bitumen is paving forward
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