Sustainable Innovative Surfacing Treatments for Low-Volume Roads

All maintenance and construction projects on New Zealand public roads are contracted out. In combination with constrained budgets limiting resurfacing treatment lengths, contracting out has encouraged substantial investment by industry in new developments and innovation to extend the road maintenance budget. A number of cost-effective, innovative surfacing treatments have been developed in New Zealand for low-volume roads. A sample of these innovative surfacing treatments is presented. Ultra-high-pressure watercutting is being used to improve both macrotexture and microtexture of surfacings on low-volume roads, thereby extending the life of those surfacings. Modern computer-controlled sprayers have been developed to apply bitumen at rates that vary transversely across the lane width. These sprayers are also used when chip seal surfaces have insufficient macrotexture in the wheel tracks, as well as a preventive measure for binder rise in the future. Ultrathin textured gap-graded hot mixes are being used in high-stress, high-trafficked areas. The monitoring of the treatments includes skid resistance, texture depth, performance, and safety (numbers of accidents) for 6 years or more. The performance to date of these treatments and strategies is discussed. In addition, a research project under way is aimed at developing more robust guidelines for selecting binder grade on the basis of climatic conditions to improve the performance of surfacings. Interim results of this project are discussed. Combining the wide range of state-of-the-art surfacing treatments with best practice in asset management in a cost-effective sealing and maintenance program has resulted in significant improvements in road safety, reduced accident costs, and improved performance and substantially reduces the potential for accidents.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/1989-20
• 
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Sustainable+Innovative+Surfacing+Treatments+for+Low-Volume+Roads&author=B.+Pidwerbesky&author=J.+Waters&publication_year=2007
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Public/Blurbs/158926.aspx
• Authors:
  • Pidwerbesky, Bryan Dale
  • Waters, Jeff C
• Conference:
  • 9th International Conference on Low-Volume Roads
  • Location: Austin Texas, United States
  • Date: 2007-6-24 to 2007-6-27
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 173-180
• Monograph Title: Low-Volume Roads 2007. Volume 1
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 1989
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asset management; Best practices; Bitumen; Innovation; Low volume roads; Macrotexture; Microtexture; Seal coating; Sprayers; Surface treating
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sustainable maintenance; Ultra high pressure waterjetting; Ultrathin wearing course
• Geographic Terms: New Zealand
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01050887
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309104647
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 5 2007 10:50AM