Bituminous Asphalt Chip Seals
Bituminous Asphalt Chip Seals have been used for generations on lower volume secondary roadways. They offer a lower cost pavement preservation strategy for all categories of road agencies, private, home owners associations, municipal, state, etc. chip seals offer several benefits, some are listed below for your convenience.
Alternative to traditional Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)
Home owners can reap the benefits from chip seals giving their property a unique and pleasing appearance. A country or cottage look can be achieved with aggregates ranging in a variety of colors and size that coordinate with existing or planned landscapes.
Skid-resistant surface
Traditional asphalt surfaces may become slippery over time because of aggregate polishing due to wear and over sealing the surface with coal tar products. Chip seal aggregate is exposed and results in a great friction/wear course when compared to traditional asphalt surfaces. Upon completion the chip seal surface offers a waterproof layer that prevents the intrusion of water/moisture into the underlying base. Oxidation is reduced to the existing pavement surface.
Construction of Bituminous Asphalt Chip Seals
Every project begins with the proper equipment and experienced crew members in all aspects of the application procedures. Chip sealing equipment is very costly to purchase and to maintain. Initial investments can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, the importance of modern equipment with metering devices is crucial. Prior to chip sealing an existing pavement large cracks should be filled/sealed, "crocodile backed" cracking and severely broken asphalt should be removed and replaced with new asphalt material then compacted into place. Pot holes, low areas and divots should also be repaired with new asphalt materials. Once the necessary repairs are completed the chip seal application can be started. The restored pavement can be utilized again for years of service. The asphalt distributor truck should have metering devices and must be carefully calibrated to assure the liquid bituminous asphalt material is properly applied at the required rate and temperature. The correct angle of the spray nozzles and spray bar height is essential to achieve the proper overlap of liquid bituminous asphalt materials. A dedicated aggregate chip spreader should also have metering devices for proper placement of the specified aggregate at the required rate.
