SEAL COAT EVALUATION PROCEDURE

A QUICK AND INEXPENSIVE METHOD OF MEASURING THE CONDITION OF SEAL COATS IS REPORTED. THE PURPOSE IN MAKING A CONDITION SURVEY OF SEAL COATS IS TO DETERMINE TO WHAT DEGREE THE SEAL COAT IS PERFORMING THE TASK FOR WHICH IT WAS INTENDED. BITUMINOUS SURFACE TREATMENTS SHOULD PERFORM THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS: (1) PREVENT ENTRANCE OF MOISTURE AND AIR INTO THE UNDERLYING ROAD SURFACE, (2) DEVELOP A SURFACE TEXTURE MORE RESISTANT TO SKIDDING THAN THE EXISTING SURFACE, (3) ENLIVEN AN OLD DRY OR WEATHERED SURFACE WITH FRESH BITUMINOUS BINDER, (4) REINFORCE OR BUILD UP A WEAK OR INADEQUATE PAVEMENT, (5) IMPROVE THE LUMINOSITY OF THE PAVEMENT OR THE NIGHT-DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROAD, (6) PROVIDE DEMARCATION BETWEEN ROAD SEGMENTS, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN DRIVING SURFACE AND PAVING SHOULDERS, (7) IMPROVE SURFACE IRREGULARITY AND OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE PAVEMENT SURFACE, AND (8) PROVIDE AN ABRASION-RESISTANT SURFACE. SEAL COATS ARE ALSO FREQUENTLY PLACED PRIMARILY FOR IMPROVING THE APPEARANCE OF THE PAVEMENT SURFACE, ESPECIALLY ON SURFACES THAT HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY PATCHED. IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE SUCCESS OF A SEAL COAT IN PERFORMING THE MAJOR FUNCTIONS FOR WHICH IT WAS INTENDED, FIVE FACTORS MUST BE RATED INDEPENDENTLY: (1) CHIP RETENTION, (2) SKID RESISTANCE, (3) UNIFORMITY OF APPLICATION, (4) TRACKING, AND (5) BLEEDING. NUMERICAL RATINGS FOR EVALUATING EACH OF THESE FACTORS ARE DESCRIBED AND THE FORMS USED IN RATING ARE PRESENTED.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 24, pp 40-52, 23 FIG
• Publication Date: 1966

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Highway Research News

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abrasion resistant coatings; Bituminous materials; Bleeding; Chippings; Condition surveys; Evaluation; Luminosity factor; Retaining walls; Seal coats; Skid resistance; Surface treating; Tracking systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Tracking
• Old TRIS Terms: Bituminous surface treatments; Chips; Luminosity; Retaining
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218470
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 3 1994 12:00AM