Analysis of Emulsion and Hot Asphalt Cement Chip Seal Performance
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 3
Abstract
The study collected both design and performance data on 342 chip seal projects worth nearly $30 million that had been completed in the Texas Department of Transportation’s Atlanta District since 1996. One hundred sixty five of these projects were emulsion projects utilizing CRS-2P as the binder and 177 were asphalt cement projects using AC15-5TR binders. The external variables were minimized as Atlanta District had used the same seal coat contractor, Area Office, construction season, asphalt suppliers, and aggregate on all its districts chip seal projects for the past 12 years. The one difference in the aggregate was that the AC15-5TR used a lightweight aggregate that was precoated unlike the emulsion seals’ lightweight aggregate that was not precoated. Thus, the comparison of the two binders can be made in a very direct manner, and the results can be viewed as specific to the engineering properties of the binders themselves without the need to qualify the conclusions based on independent parameters that could not be mathematically removed from the data. The study found that the emulsion chip seals performed as well as the hot asphalt cement seals and were the more cost effective of the two alternatives. Emulsion chip seals also furnished a better long-term friction course as measured by the skid number.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writers would like to warmly acknowledge the support provided for this study by the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturer’s Association, especially the efforts by AEMA members Alan James of Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry, LLC and Bill O’Leary, of Prime Materials without whom the study would never have gotten off the ground. They reserve a special thanks to E. John Baker, Jr., PE, Area Engineer for the TxDOT Atlanta District who assembled the data, helped them in its proper interpretation, and ensured that the report was consistent with TxDOT practice and terminology.
References
Benson, F. J., and Gallaway, B. M. (1953). “Retention of cover stone by asphalt surface treatments.” Bulletin 133, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, Texas A&M Univ. System, College Station, Tex.
Connor, B. G. (1984). “Asphalt surface treatment and sealing parameters.”Rep., Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Fairbanks, Alaska.
Elmore, W. E., Solaimanian, M., McGennis, R. B., Phromson, C., and Kennedy, T. W. (1995). “Performance-based seal coat specifications.” CTR Research Rep. No. 1367-1, CTR, Austin, Tex.
Epps, J. A., Chaffin, C. W., and Hill, A. J. (1980). “Field evaluation of a seal coat design method.” Research Rep. No. 214-23, Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M Univ. System, College Station, Tex.
Epps, J. A., Gallaway, B. M., and Brown, M. R. (1974). “Synthetic aggregate seal coat research.” Rep. No. 83-2F, Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M Univ. System, College Station, Tex.
Gallaway, B. M., and Harper, W. J. (1966). “A laboratory and field evaluation of lightweight aggregates as coverstone for seal coats and surface treatments.” Research Rep. No. 51-2, Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M Univ. System, College Station, Tex.
Garcia-Diaz, A., and Cediel-Franco, F. (1988). “Evaluation of in-house maintenance contract costs for guardrail, rest areas, pavement marker, striping, and seal coats.” Research Rep. No. 380-1F, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Tex.
Gransberg, D. D., Senadheera, S., and Karaca, I. (1999). “Analysis of statewide seal coat constructability review.” Texas Dept. of Transportation Research Rep. No. TX- 98/0-1787-1R, Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, Tex.
Hank, R. J., and Brown, M. (1949). “Aggregate retention studies of seal coats.” Proc., Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, Vol. 18, Minneapolis.
Hanson, F. M. (1935). “Bituminous surface treatments of rural highways.” Proc., New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, Christschurch, New Zealand, Vol. 21.
Harris, J. R. (1955). “Surface treatments of existing bituminous surfaces.” Proc., Symp. on Seal Coats and Surface Treatments for Existing Bituminous Surfaces, Technical Sessions of the Associations of Asphalt Paving Technologists, Vol. 24, New Orleans.
Holmgreen, R. J., Epps, J. A., Hughes, C. H., and Gallaway, B. M. (1985). “Field evaluation of the texas seal coat design method.” Research Rep No. 297-1F, Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M Univ. System, College Station, Tex.
Huang, Y. H. (1993). Pavement analysis and design, Prentice–Hall, Edgewood Cliffs, N. J., 546–582.
Jackson, D. C., Jackson, N. C., and Mahoney, J. P. (1990). “Washington state chip seal study,” Transportation Research Record, 1259, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
Janisch, D. W. (1995). “Reevaluation of seal coating practices in Minnesota, in seal coats and asphalt recycling.” Transportation Research Record, 1507, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
Janisch, D. W., and Gaillard, F. S. (1998). Minnesota seal coat handbook, Minnesota Local Road Research Board, Office of Minnesota Road Research, Maplewood, Minn., 3.2–3.4.
Ksaibiti, K., Cole, M., and Farrar, M. (1996). “Evaluation of surface treatment practices in the United States.” Transportation Research Record, 1545, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 26–34.
McLeod, N. W. (1960). “Basic principles for the design and construction of seal coats and surface treatments with cutback asphalts and asphalt cements.” Proc., Technical Sessions, The Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, Supplement to Vol. 29, Memphis, Tenn.
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). (1991). Design and construction of seal coats, Materials and Research Lab, Maplewood, Minn.
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). (1989). “Evolution and benefits of preventative maintenance strategies.” Synthesis of highway practice No. 153, NCHRP, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C.
Shuler, S. (1990). “Chip seals for high traffic pavements.” Transportation Research Record, 1259, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 24–34.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). (1993). “Standard specifications for construction of highways, streets, and bridges.” TXDOT, Austin, Tex.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). (2001). Analysis of PMIS skid data, Rep., Construction Division, Pavements Section, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin, Tex.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). (2002). Managing Texas pavements: Basic concepts and data interpretation for TxDOT’s pavement management information system (PMIS), Rep. Prepared for Design Division, Pavements Section, TXDOT, Austin, Tex.
Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). (1981). “Field manual on design and construction of seal coats.” Research Rep. No. 214-25, Texas A&M Univ. System, College Station, Tex.
United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (1991). Hot mix asphalt paving handbook, Vol. UN-13, Washington, D.C., 1–10.
West, T. M., and Riggs, J. L. (1986). Engineering economics, 3rd Ed., TxDOT, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 781–789.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 3 • March 2005
Pages: 229 - 238
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 20, 2003
Accepted: Mar 15, 2004
Published online: Mar 1, 2005
Published in print: Mar 2005
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.