Service lives of thin surfacing systems in the UK

During the 1990s, various categories of thin surfacing system were introduced into the United Kingdom. Because of their short-term properties, thinasphalt surfacings gained a substantial share of the surface course market in all parts of the UK road network. An extensive programme of monitoring involving 132 sites (27 with paver-laid surfacing dressing, 48 with thinasphalt concrete , 48 with thin stone mastic asphalt, 6 with multiple surface dressing and 3 with micro-surfacing of which 27 have been resurfaced and 52 are still being monitored) is underway on a range of some early sites. The objective is to review the latest evidence on performance and update the earlier assumptions about the service life for these products. The findings from the monitoring are that thin surfacing systems can routinelybe constructed successfully to provide a safe surfacing with adequate skid-resistance, texture and visual condition and that these properties are maintained in service. There is a considerable scatter of service lives, but the hot mix asphalts generally have longer service lives that the thinner surface treatments, with thin asphalt concrete and thin stone mastic asphalt system types being capable of lasting 15 years. For the covering abstract of this conference please see ITRD E133040.

• Authors:
  • NICHOLLS, J C
  • CARSWELL, I
  • WILLIAMS, J T
  • GIBB, M
• Publication Date: 2007-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Serial:
  • PROCEEDINGS OF THE 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE BITUMINOUS MIXTURES AND PAVEMENTS, HELD THESSALONIKI, GREECE, APRIL 2007 - VOLUME1
  • Issue Number: p25-32

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bituminous mixtures; Conferences; Durability; Hot coated materials; Life cycle analysis; Mastic asphalt; Seal coats; Surfacing; Thickness
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 4967: Bituminous mixture; 8525: Conference; 5910: Durability; 4997: Hot coated material; 5950: Life cycle; 2984: Surface dressing; 2972: Surfacing; 5933: Thickness; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01054994
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Aug 6 2007 2:14PM