Did you know that the typical lifespan of an untreated road is 20 years? Over the first 15 years of a road’s life, the quality will drop by 40%. Having an effective Pavement Preservation program is very important in order to maintain safe roads and maximize the life of these assets.
It’s always a good idea to begin maintenance on something before it is too late; this is definitely true for pavement. There are many different treatment strategies that can be employed based upon the types of distresses encountered and the Pavement Condition Index value. Pavement Preservation is “a program employing a network level, long-term strategy that enhances pavement performance by using an integrated, cost-effective set of practices that extend pavement life, improve safety and meet motorist expectations.” Source: FHWA Pavement Preservation Expert Task Group. G3 Quality is a big advocate for the preservation and maintenance of California roads because we believe in maximizing the value of our infrastructure, while preserving the quality and safety of the traveling public.
The Benefits of Pavement Preservation
Pavement preservation is a very important part in maintaining safe and effective roadways. In preserving these roads and continuing with maintenance, the long term cost decreases significantly and the taxpayers money goes much further than it would without these maintenance strategies. Needless to say, we’re big advocates of pavement preservation; at the very least, damaged roads don’t make for a comfortable drive, and in worse-case scenarios, can be a safety hazard.
In choosing to implement pavement preservation, the environment is also positively affected! Emission of greenhouse gases decreases, the use of energy goes down, and the process as a whole significantly saves time during the application process compared to other methods.
Preservation Options
- Rejuvenating Fog Seal: delays the process of road decomposition and contains a proven road rejuvenator to improve the flexibility of the asphalt surface as well as increasing durability.
- Crack Seal: adhesive sealant is applied to cracks in the road, sealing these cracks prevents further damage as well as the infiltration of moisture and debris.
- Slurry Seal: Slurry seal is similar to the fog seal as it is a surface treatment. The slurry is a mixture of asphalt emulsion, aggregate, and additives that adds skid resistance, prevents moisture intrusion and protects against further oxidation.
- Micro Surfacing: this process is applied using a polymer modified emulsion that chemically “breaks” allowing the roadway to be opened to traffic much sooner than traditional Slurry Seal.
- Cape Seal: Roadway surface treatment consisting of a chip seal which is then covered by a slurry seal or micro surfacing. The chip seal can use polymer modified binders as well as paving grade asphalt or emulsions.
All of these options for pavement preservation can be used to extend the lifespan of a road, for years – or even decades.
G3 Quality
At G3 Quality, we are industry leaders who are always embracing change and excellence. We are an elite team of engineers and professionals who provide world-class quality management, pavement engineering, materials design, construction inspection, and testing on infrastructure projects throughout California and the Western United States.
To learn more about how G3 Quality can contribute knowledge, expertise, consulting, and professional services to your project, contact us.
Resources:
https://www.csuchico.edu/cp2c/index.shtml
