Control of Grasses and Weeds Growing in Asphalt Pavements

Abstract

Abstract Herbicides offer the engineer a means for controlling vegetation involving asphalt surfaces. The plants may arise from seeds or plant parts in the base material, by encroachment of plants from outside the pavement, or from seeds that become lodged in cracks or seams in the pavement. Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) and many associated plants can be controlled with either pre-surface or post-surface application of herbicides. Pre-surface treatment just before the prime coat effectively prevents the penetration of the new surface by plants growing from the base material. Post-surface treatments are applied on a programme basis beginning with the start of plant growth in the spring. Subsequent treatments are applied when the plants again become green, usually 30 days after the initial treatment. A trichloroacetic acid (TCA) application at 200 lb/ac is used for each post-surface treatment. Research is stilt seeking effective post-surface treatment for a mixture of annual and perennial broad-leaved an...