Seal Coat Systems in Canada: Performances and Practice

This paper describes how seal coat systems have been used in Canada and other countries for many decades. In fact, the development of the seal coat system is closely associated with the increased usage of the automobile. Today, seal coating it is the most common type of roadway surfacing in Canada. Seal coat is a thin wearing course made of superimposed layers of aggregate and bituminous binder. This type of treatment may be used to restore the surface characteristics of existing worn out roadway or to waterproof and preserve an existing roadway. They may be applied onto an existing bound material or an unbound road base. This type of treatment forms an impervious thin overlay over an existing bound or unbound surface. Seal coat systems may be divided into two families of treatments: the chip seal system and graded seal systems. Chip seals combine the application of a layer of calibrated chips onto a layer of a cationic rapid setting bitumen emulsion while the graded seals are systems that combine the application of a dense graded or gap graded aggregate onto a layer of anionic high float type bitumen emulsion. Each system may be applied as a single application or a multiple application. Seal coat systems may be applied at spread rates that range from 14 kg/m2 for a single chip seal applied onto an existing bituminous surface to 40 kg/m2 for a double high float seal treatment applied onto an unbound granular base. Many parameters such as the traffic and the existing surface conditions must be taken into account in the design of a specific seal coat system for a given roadway. Field adjustments are also very important; field conditions such as ambient temperature, the time of the year, the sun/cloud conditions must be taken into account as well. The success of this type of treatment is not only associated with the selection of an optimal design but also with the close attention to the local conditions during the field application. This paper presents an overview of the seal coating technologies and a discussion on the state of the practice including, design practices, construction procedures of these surface treatments in Canada and abroad. In addition, the paper introduces new concepts related to the selection of seal coating systems as well as the emerging chip sealing systems now available in North America.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9781551872064
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Croteau, Jean-Martin
  • Linton, Peter
  • Davidson, J Keith
  • Houston, Gary
• Conference:
  • 2005 Annual Conference of the Transportation Association of Canada
  • Location: Calgary , Canada
  • Date: 2005-9-18 to 2005-9-21
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: Transportation – Investing in Our Future

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Base course (Pavements); Bituminous binders; Chip seals; Pavement design; Pavement distress; Pavement layers; Pavement maintenance; Pavement performance; Pavements; Seal coating; Seal coats; State of the practice; Subbase (Pavements); Surface course (Pavements); Surface treating; Surfaces; Texture
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01041640
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9781551872064
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 30 2007 1:32PM