Pavement Preservation Journal, Winter 2013, Vol. 6, No. 4
Elie Y. Hajj, Ph.D., Luis Loria and Peter E. Sebaaly, Ph.D., P.E.
The application of a single slurry seal immediately after or one year after construction of the asphalt layer is not effective in terms of both the benefit to the users and the benefit cost ratio for the agency, our research found. For uniformity purposes, we recommend agencies apply slurry seal three years after the construction of the asphalt layer for both new and overlay constructions.
Local agencies and the Regional Transportation Commission in northern Nevada use slurry seal as a main preventive maintenance for their flexible pavements. However, due to the lack of a standard specification, the time of slurry application to asphalt pavements has been according to the project engineer’s standard of practice, which resulted in an inconsistency in the timing of application between and even among the agencies themselves.
Recognizing the significance of optimal time at which a roadway would most benefit from a preventive maintenance treatment, in 2010 RTC sponsored research at University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) to evaluate and assess the optimum time of slurry seal application on asphalt pavements within the RTC region.
