April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com
54
road technology
|
by Chris Hill
|
ChrisHill@randallreilly.com
Slurry and microsurfacing boost pavement preservation
SEAL THE DEAL:
S
lurry seals and microsurfac-
ing each represent a different
side of the same coin when it
comes to pavement preservation,
and offer owners and agencies
an inexpensive repair until road
reconstruction is needed.
Slurries have been in play for
roughly 80 years, while microsur-
facing treatments started gaining
traction 40 to 50 years ago. Both
have a similar base makeup, in-
cluding asphalt emulsion, aggre-
gate and water, but microsurfacing
adds a polymer.
For application, microsurfacing is
beefi er and used for more serious
defects – such as rutting – than a
slurry. It can be placed in multiple
lifts, unlike the general single lift
limitation of a slurry.
Both methods generally see a re-
surgence when economies weaken.
Due to their low cost, municipali-
ties and local governments turn to
them in their roads programs. That
cyclical nature, however, has cre-
[ ]
A Seattle Department of Transportation crew
placing a microsurfacing mix. Hand work is
needed at times to smooth out imperfections.
