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Thin Surfacing Road Design and Benefits

Thin surfacings fit between the traditional wearing courses (1 to 2 of asphalt concrete, stone mastic asphalt [SMA] or porous asphalt) and the chip seal treatments ( to of chip seal or slurry seal). Typically, they are laid in a thickness between in and 1 , sometimes thicker when used for re-profiling an existing road surface.

1 - 2 40-50mm

Normal wearing course

15-35mm - 1

Thin surfacing

Chip seal
The three types (traditional, chip seal and thin surfacings) are shown schematically in Figure 1. Thin surfacings are paver-laid materials and compacted using conventional rollers. To ensure good adhesion to the underlying layer, a tack coat of binder is always used when laying thin surfacings.

2000-2006 BP p.l.c.

Originally, thin surfacings were restricted to specific urban applications as a cost-effective alternative to full-depth surfacing replacement in urban situations where there were curb and drain height restrictions. In these cases, a thin surfacing could be used as an overlay, provided the road was structurally sound. Over the years, many different types of thin surfacings have been developed which has led to their increased use worldwide. To be successful in a wide range of road applications, thin surfacings need to fulfill the following requirements: Be workable in a paved thickness from to 1 ; Be impermeable to protect the underlying pavement (unless the design is to be porous) Be resistant to permanent deformation Be resistant to low temperature cracking Be resistant to fatigue Provide appropriate surface texture and be skid resistant Provide even-ness and ride comfort

In demanding thin layer applications, polymer modified asphalts (PMA) can offer distinct advantages over conventional asphalts in that they can be used to: Improve the adhesion of the thin layer to the underlying structure where the sprayed binder (tack-coat) is polymer modified, Improve the durability of the mixture by minimizing raveling and also improving the resistance to rutting as well as fatigue and low temperature cracking.

The principal benefits of using thin surfacings are that they: Restore the skid-resistance and provide some regulating ability. However, they should only be used where the existing pavement is structurally sound Can be laid quickly minimizing traffic disruption Provide good surface characteristics of texture and skidding resistance Can lead to a reduction in noise and spray (depending on the mix type chosen) Give a good longitudinal profile and ride quality Do not suffer from chipping loss (as chip seal) and reduce the usage of high quality aggregates (unlike porous and AC mixes) Can overlay concrete as well as asphaltic materials

2000-2006 BP p.l.c.

Thin Surfacing Paving Trial - South Bend, Indiana


In 2000, BP collaborated with the City of South Bend, IN along with Bit Mat Products and Walsh & Kelley to do a paving trial of a proprietary thin surfacing material. The Public Works Department of South Bend considered thin surfacings as a potential cost effective maintenance option for covering a greater proportion of their streets in their annual maintenance program without compromising on either performance or durability. Because of the high frequency of the winter freeze-thaw cycles, a thin paverlaid dense surfacing was chosen for its durability. High quality aggregates and aggregate grading with a high coarse (nominal 3/8) gap-graded skeleton provided for a strong stone-on-stone contact. This skeleton was then filled with a mortar, comprising a high percentage of both filler and binder, which provided for a very dense low voids content mixture. The resultant mixture was designed to be very rut-resistant from its stone skeleton, and very durable from its low voids high mortar volume. A polymer modified asphalt binder, supplied to a nominal PG grading was chosen to resist drain down and provide good cohesion and adhesion. The optimum binder content from the laboratory mixtures was approximately 16% by volume, with a void content in the range 2 to 3 % by volume. Asphalt Pavement Analyzer rutting tests completed on this mixture gave slightly more than 1mm rut depth which indicates it should provide excellent rutting resistance. In September 2000, paving trials using these mixes were completed at two different locations in South Bend. The site chosen for the first trial was Jacob Street which is a two-lane road carrying approximately 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles a day, of which approximately 1000 are heavy trucks. A second trial was also conducted on Indiana Street, which is a more heavily trafficked road. The nominal lift thickness used for both trials was 1. Both paving trials were deemed successful, although lessons learned from the first trial led to improved mixing and laying operations for the second trial which resulted in an overall better appearance and generally a quieter riding surface. Although there is some transverse cracking after more than five years of use, both roads continue to perform well with little deterioration and no rutting. Overall, the trial highlighted that dense paver-laid thin surfacings could be laid successfully and provide a cost effective maintenance option without compromising performance or durability.

2000-2006 BP p.l.c.

Image 1, Mixing Plant Walsh & Kelley

Image 2, Site Equipment

2000-2006 BP p.l.c.

Image 3, Paving Operations

Image 4, Finished Surfacing

2000-2006 BP p.l.c.

Image 4, Close up of Finished Surfacing


Acknowledgements BP wishes to gratefully acknowledge the co-operation of the Asphalt Institute, Bit-Mat Products, Chicago Testing Laboratory Inc., City of South Bend Public Works Department and Walsh and Kelley in the testing, production and laying of the thin surfacing materials.

2000-2006 BP p.l.c.

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