CRITERIA FOR SEAL COATING BITUMINOUS SURFACES

THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY INDICATE THAT THE BEST CRITERION FOR DETERMINATION OF THE NEED FOR A SEAL COAT ON A BITUMINOUS SURFACE IS AN INSPECTION OF THE SURFACE CONDITION OF THE PAVEMENT. ALMOST ALL STATEMENTS ON THE EFFECT ON SEALS APPLY TO SAND AND SEALS, AS WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS. TO SUMMARIZE BRIEFLY, THE MAIN PAVEMENT CONDITION WHICH MAY BE IMPROVED BY A SAND SEAL IS SURFACE WEAR, TERMED "DUSTING," OR A SEVERE STAGE OF WEAR, APPROACHING ABRASION. ALSO, SOME ARREST AND REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF CLASS 2 CRACKING (ALLIGATOR CRACKING) MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED. HOWEVER, A SEAL SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A CORRECTION FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF TRANSVERSE CRACKS OR EXTENSIVE LONGITUDINAL CRACKING NOR AS A MEANS OF AN IMPROVEMENT FOR THE ABRADED CONDITION OF SUCH CRACKS. A SEAL WILL FILL OR COVER POPOUT HOLES, AND IT WILL TEMPORARILY CHANGE THE APPEARANCE OF THE SURFACE AND MAY MAKE IT MORE UNIFORM, BUT THESE ARE NOT CONSIDERED AS IMPORTANT ITEMS. /AUTHOR/