Evaluation of effectiveness of Seal Coat Treatment using field data from Long-Term Pavement Performance Program
Date
2020-12
Authors
Bhandari, Sushmita
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Abstract
Over time, pavement deteriorates due to many factors such as weather, traffic, water
infiltration, and degradation of the material. Pavement preservation treatment such as
chip seal or seal coat treatment is a cost-effective alternative for extending the service life
of asphalt pavement without the need for costly rehabilitation and reconstruction.
However, many highway agencies in the United States do not use this potential approach
to pavement maintenance. Therefore, there is a need for field performance-based study to
develop a more fundamental understanding of the best practices for a seal coat treatment.
Several factors such as asphalt binder and aggregate application rates, condition of
existing pavement, amount and type of traffic, and environmental and drainage condition
can significantly impact seal coat treatment performance. The thesis study analyzes and
compares the effectiveness of chip seal treatments utilizing data obtained from the LongTerm Pavement Performance (LTPP) database in the United States and AUSTROADS
database in Australia. A comparison between the United States method and Australia
method is performed to evaluate the best chip seal design practice. The study further
investigates the effectiveness of chip seal application and evaluates the effect of various
parameters on chip seal performance. The study has identified that chip seal performance
is mostly affected by key factors, which are underlying pavement condition, weather, and
pavement age. Statistical methods are employed to conduct quantitative comparisons of
performance before and after chip seal treatments and understand the significance of
influencing factors on the performance.
Description
Keywords
Seal Coat Treatment, Field data, Performance study, Effectiveness, LTPP data
Citation
Bhandari, S. (2020). <i>Evaluation of effectiveness of Seal Coat Treatment using field data from Long-Term Pavement Performance Program</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.