Key takeaways:
Sustainability is at the forefront of current events as we strive to preserve our existing way of living for current and future generations. When it comes to creating pavements, asphalt is the most environmentally friendly material. Even though asphalt pavement is a very sustainable material, additional preservation strategies may be used to produce a more sustainable environment. This blog by Doctor Asphalt LLC will discuss a few of those asphalt preservation techniques.
Asphalt preservation treatment reduces the detrimental effects of aging and degradation on a pavement surface layer. Treatment also safeguards the underlying pavement structure and increases the useful life of your asphalt.
The most prevalent damage that might emerge on your asphalt surfaces is cracking. As a result, crack sealing is a standard approach for asphalt preservation. If you have cracks in your asphalt surfaces, you should fix them quickly to prevent water infiltration. Water penetration may hasten the degradation of your surfaces, resulting in potholes and potential base collapses. Sealing and filling cracks prevent water from accessing the pavement and prevent future damage by keeping debris out of the gaps.
It is critical to understand that this asphalt preservation procedure will not work if your pavement has serious structural issues. Severe rutting, base failures, and fatigue cracking, often known as alligator cracking, are instances of this. Although crack sealing may not improve structural damage, it can prevent it from developing.
If sealing cracks is the best way to maintain your asphalt surfaces, be aware that traffic should only be allowed on the sealed cracks once they have cured. In addition, these services cannot be performed if it is wet outside due to weather conditions. The ideal time to seal and fill pavements is when temperatures exceed 40 degrees. Fahrenheit; however, if it gets too cold, the pavement will contract and open up again.
This method handles your old, cracked, and loosened surfaces. Chip seal, aka tar and chip or oil and chip, helps limit the water penetrating your asphalt surface. Many countries worldwide employ this technique, including Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The key to properly completing a chip seal service, as with any other construction, is to employ high-quality materials.
A chip seal’s essential components are asphalt cement and fine aggregate chips, thus the term chip seal. The cement acts as a glue-like binding agent, holding the aggregate to the pavement surface. This layer of asphalt cement and aggregate chips is applied to the existing asphalt in a single layer and thickness. If you want a thicker chip seal, you must apply additional coats.
This asphalt preservation technique involves applying a thin pavement coating to an existing milled or leveled surface. This treatment can enhance skid resistance, rideability, and minor cross-section issues (including rutting and wear). A thin overlay may be the ideal answer if your pavement has mild cracking, friction loss, aging, and rutting issues.
However, suppose your asphalt surfaces suffer from fatigue cracking, severe pavement damage, or considerable rutting. In that case, this asphalt preservation strategy is not the ideal option.
This technique entails applying a thin asphalt mixture three-fourths of an inch to an inch thick on top of your current asphalt surface. Before applying this overlay, ensure that any cracks larger than 0.25 inches are filled.
This approach is comparable to chip seal treatment. The surface is treated with a thick, asphalt-like liquid, but the difference is in the “scrub.” A squeegee-like sequence of brushes operating from different angles is pushed behind the distributor truck to guarantee that the liquid asphalt seals all fractures properly.
Scrub seals are a useful technique for fixing highways with extensive cracking. The best results are obtained after carefully cleaning the cracks and correctly adjusting the brush assembly for highway cross-slope.
The slurry seal asphalt preservation technique was developed in Germany in the 1930s. Unlike chip seals, which blend the asphalt and aggregates individually, the slurry seal technique applies both to the surface simultaneously. When aggregate and asphalt emulsion are combined, they form a sludge or slurry-like substance, thus the name slurry seal.
Slurry seals are primarily used to seal the surface of old asphalt, slowing the oxidation process and sealing off any water. Since it is not particularly thick, this approach cannot be utilized to replace little depressions in your asphalt surfaces and would reveal any existing flaws.
Micro-surfacing is one of the most adaptable asphalt preservation procedures because it may be used to tackle a wide range of problems. Micro-surfacing is essentially an improved slurry seal. Instead of merely aggregate and asphalt emulsion, micro surfacing incorporates a polymer-modified asphalt emulsion, water, mineral filler, and other additives that are subsequently combined.
This approach is employed on many pavement types for a variety of reasons. Low-volume residential streets, high-volume motorways, interstates, and airport runways are examples.
This technique is comparable to the micro seal or micro-surfacing process. It contains smaller asphalt chips, which are a grittier sort of aggregate. It may enhance the wearing surface of any highway.
Fog sealants can slow the aging process and seal minor age-induced fissures, extending the pavement’s life. Emulsion rejuvenation can even soften old binders and help reverse the aging process.
With preventative maintenance, your asphalt surface will age more slowly. Crack filling and asphalt sealcoating consume far less energy each year and are far more cost-effective than replacement. Using preservation strategies, you can prevent substantial structural overlays and reconstruction rehabilitation.
Doctor Asphalt LLC, serving Fitchburg, WI, can assist you if your asphalt surfaces want some TLC. We have extensive experience and can assist you in determining what sort of preservation measures your asphalt requires.