Abstract
Micro-surfacing since its formal introduction in 1980 has proved to be the number one treatment option for maintenance and preservation of pavements. This paper reviews the design and equipment practice, construction process, benefits, limitations and worldwide state of the practice of micro-surfacing. Two implemented project examples are also included to corroborate why micro-surfacing is a better preservation maintenance strategy. The general consensus from the literature is that micro-surfacing is a cost effective and eco-friendly treatment but more research needs to be done to validate and quantify the less environmental impacts and energy usage it offers unlike other treatments. Suggestions like standardization of the mixture design and whether rolling of the micro-surfacing surface adds value are future research topics that will greatly improve its effectiveness. It is my hope that through this review, more developing countries under strict budgetary constraints can take up this practice and enjoy the many benefits that micro-surfacing offers.
Highlights
Micro-surfacing is one of the most flexible treatments available for the maintenance and preservation of roads
Dr Frederick Raschig formerly introduced micro-surfacing to the rest of the world in the 1980’s at the International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) convention were he presented his slurry system called Ralumac [3, 4]
The main difference is that slurry seals are applied in a monolayer and cures through a thermal process while microsurfacing always contains polymers, capable of being laid in multiple layers and cures quickly through a chemical reaction which allows the surface to be trafficked in a short time after application [4, 5]
Summary
Micro-surfacing is one of the most flexible treatments available for the maintenance and preservation of roads. Micro-surfacing was developed in Germany in the late 1960’s when German scientists started experimenting with emulsion and aggregate mixes so as to find a way of filling deep wheel ruts in thicker layers without destroying the expensive road markings in the autobahns. They discovered that if coarser aggregates were carefully selected and combined with emulsion containing polymers a resulting stable mix could resist deformation.
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