Evaluation of Different Surface Treatments to Extend Pavement Life

Abstract

When applied at the right time, pavement preservation treatments can restore a smooth, safe driving surface while delaying the cost for rehabilitation, resulting in reduced life cycle cost. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of three preventive maintenance treatments applied to US 301 in Sussex County, Virginia, to extend pavement life. This paper documents the installation of a Cape seal application of fiber-reinforced chip seal (with microsurfacing on top) over an existing asphalt pavement. A performance comparison was made with more conventional surface treatment options: regular Cape seal (modified single chip seal with microsurfacing), and microsurfacing without a chip seal. Five years after the treatment application, a visual survey complemented by automated distress data from the Virginia Department of Transportation Pavement Management System showed that the section with fiber-reinforced chip seal and microsurfacing performed well with very little reflective cracking. The modified single chip seal with microsurfacing (i.e., regular Cape seal) also performed well, but reflective cracking was higher compared with the fiber-reinforced section. The control section (microsurfacing only) showed extensive cracking after 5 years. This study showed that pavement preservation activities such as the use of fiber-reinforced chip seal with microsurfacing and modified single seal with microsurfacing improved both the pavement condition and the surface characteristics in a very cost-effective manner (based on initial cost). However, long-term performance data are needed to evaluate the benefit/cost of each treatment.