Starting from the year 2004 the company Novotrade Invest AS has conducted a series of research studies in collaboration with the leading scientific institutions. The aim of the researches was to investigate the usage of petroleum polymer resin in the road construction industry as an efficient substitute of the natural bitumen gilsonite and adhesion additive for road bitumen (used for the production of road bitumen mixtures) as well as the modification of low-viscous road bitumen. The results of the research show that the usage of petroleum polymer resin in the construction industry will facilitate the increase of the quality of the asphalt concrete and the regulatory indices of its durability. Moreover, it increases the lifetime of roadway coverings.

Petroleum polymer resin allows the asphalt to retain its quality for 10-15 years instead of 3 to 4 years.

In the year 2006 there was a partial road renovation on Merivälja road, conducted by the company Aspi AS (now called Nordecon Infra AS). It was performed with the use of polymeric petroleum resin HCR-105, produced by Novotrade AS.

After two years laboratory tests of the bitumen`s quality were carried out. They were conducted by Teede Tehnokeskus AS. The tests were supervised by the representative of Teede Projektijuhtimise AS.

There was a conclusion made that the polymeric petroleum resin HRC-105 is a good substitute for natural bitumen gilsonite. The results of the test showed that if identical concentrations of gilsonite and polymeric petroleum resin HRC-105 are taken, the Marshall rigidity of the bitumen complex is higher with the use of resin HRC-105.