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NCHRP Synthesis 342: Chip Seal Best Practices
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A chip seal consists of a layer of asphalt binder that is overlaid by a layer of embedded aggre- gate that furnishes, among other things, protection to the asphalt layer from tire damage and a macrotexture that creates a skid-resistant surface on which vehicles may safely pass. A chip seal’s main purpose is to seal the fine cracks in a pavement’s surface and prevent water intru- sion into the base and subgrade. The use of chip seals and similar surface treatments began in the 1920s, and consisted primarily of providing one or more wearing courses in the con- struction of low-volume gravel roads. Since then, the use of chip seals as preventive mainte- nance (PM) treatments has been a successful surface treatment on both low- and high-volume pavements. Their popularity owes to their favorable cost in comparison with thin asphalt and other factors as a technique to extend the life of the underlying pavement structure.
A chip seal is a frequently used PM treatment on flexible pavements. It must be recog- nized that successful chip seals are a function of their application on underlying pavements that have not suffered structural failure. To achieve the pavement preservation benefits of a chip seal, an agency must apply it on roadway surfaces when the level of pavement distress is low. Thus, pavement selection becomes the first and perhaps the most critical factor in an agency’s chip seal program.
D Gransberg; DMB James; Transportation Research Board - Personal Name
978-0-309-26966-7
NONE
Management
English
2005
1-121
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