Seal Coat and Surface Treatment Manual: Strip or Spot Sealing

♦Manual Notice 2024-1
►1. General Principles
- ►1. Overview
  - ►Pavement Preservation
- ►2. Functions of Surface Treatments and Seal Coats
  - ♦General
- ►3. Factors Influencing Performance
  - ♦General
- ►4. Principal Faults or Defects in Seal Coats and Surface Treatments
  - ♦General
  - ♦Loss of Aggregate
  - ♦Poor Adhesion or Bond to Road Surface
  - ♦Streaking
  - ♦Flushing
  - ♦Surface Treatments Defects�
▼2. Guidelines for Treatment Selection
- ►1. Seal Coats as a Preventive Maintenance Technique
  - ♦General
- ►2. Selecting Pavements for Seal Coat Treatment
  - ♦General
  - ♦Pavement Distress Types
- ►3. Traffic Volume Considerations for Seal Coat Treatment
  - ♦Overview
  - ♦Short-Term Aggregate Loss
  - ♦Vehicular Damage
  - ♦Tire Noise
  - ♦Prolonged Traffic Control
- ▼4. Strip or Spot Sealing
  - ♦General
- ►5. Surface Treatments
  - ♦General
- ►6. Fog Seal
  - ♦General
►3. Material Selection and Plan Preparation
- ►1. Communication and Coordination
  - ♦General
- ►2. Selection of Binder
  - ♦General
  - ♦Asphalt Cement
  - ♦Cutback Asphalt
  - ♦Emulsified Asphalt
  - ♦Specification Tests
  - ♦Weather Conditions
- ►3. Selection of Aggregate
- ►4. Planning and Contracting
  - ♦Calculate Quantities
  - ♦Estimate of Materials
  - ♦Preparing Plans
  - ♦Estimating Cost
►4. Binder and Aggregate Application Rates
- ►1. Modified Kearby Design Method
  - ♦General
  - ♦Laboratory Tests
  - ♦Determining Design Rates
- ►2. McLeod Design Method
  - ♦General
  - ♦Design Procedure Components
  - ♦McLeod Seal Coat Design Equations
- ►3. Transversely Varying Asphalt Rates
  - ♦General
  - ►Considering Why and When to Require TVAR�
►5. Duties of Inspector or Crew Chief
- ►1. Authority of Inspector
  - ♦General
  - ♦Inspection of Materials and Work
- ►2. Duties of the Inspector or Crew Chief
  - ♦General
  - ♦Duties
- ►3. Specifications and Plans
  - ♦General
  - ♦Standard Specifications
  - ♦Special Specifications
  - ♦Special Provisions
  - ♦Plans
- ►4. Safety
  - ♦General
►6. Pre-Seal Coat Activities
- ►1. Overview
  - ♦General
- ►2. Repairs and Patching
  - ♦General
  - ♦Timing
  - ♦Types of Repairs
- ►3. Stockpiling Aggregate
  - ♦General
  - ♦Supplier
  - ♦Aggregate Sampling and Testing
  - ♦Stockpile Locations
  - ♦Contamination
  - ♦Area Preparation
  - ♦Proper Stockpile Techniques
- ►4. Preconstruction Meeting
  - ♦General
  - ♦Meeting Objectives
  - ♦Attendees
►7. Equipment Inspection
- ►1. Introduction
  - ♦General
  - ♦Provisions for Inspection
  - ♦Inspecting for Leaks
  - ♦Safety
- ►2. Rotary Broom
  - ♦General
  - ♦Identifying Data
  - ♦Safety Markings
  - ♦Bristles
  - ♦Brush Controls
  - ♦Older Model Brooms
- ►3. Asphalt Distributor
  - ♦General
  - ♦Asphalt Binder Tank
  - ♦Distributor Heating System
  - ♦Distributor Circulation and Pumping System
  - ♦Filter Screens
  - ♦Distributor Spray Bar
  - ♦Hand Sprayer
  - ♦Distributor Controls and Gauges
- ►4. Aggregate Spreader
  - ♦General
  - ♦Truck Hitch
  - ♦Receiving Hopper
  - ♦Belt Conveyors
  - ♦Discharge Hopper
  - ♦Discharge Gates
  - ♦Discharge Roller
  - ♦Wheels and Tires
  - ♦Brakes and Clutch
  - ♦Tailgate Aggregate Spreader
- ►5. Haul Trucks
  - ♦General
  - ♦Size
  - ♦Condition
  - ♦Hoist
  - ♦Tailgate
  - ♦Hitch
  - ♦Identifying Numbers
  - ♦Bed Measurements
  - ♦Volume of Truck Bed with Deduction for Hydraulic Ram Cover
  - ♦Acceptable Size
- ►6. Rollers
  - ♦General
  - ♦Identifying Data
  - ♦Weight Certification
  - ♦Pneumatic Rollers
- ►7. Front-End Loader
  - ♦General
  - ♦Identifying Data
  - ♦Visual Inspection
- ►8. Heater and Storage Unit
  - ♦General
  - ♦Temperature
  - ♦Safety
  - ♦Storage Tank
  - ♦Heater
  - ♦Pump Unit
  - ♦Heater Unit Location
  - ♦Recording Thermometer
  - ♦Transporter and Booster
  - ♦Identifying Data
  - ♦Manifest
  - ♦Cleanliness
  - ♦Contamination
  - ♦Booster Tanks
  - ♦Insulation
►8. Seal Coat/Surface Treatment Application Process
- ►1. Overview
  - ♦General
- ►2. Weather
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Temperature
  - ♦Humidity
  - ♦Wind
  - ♦Rain
- ►3. Traffic Control
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Pre-Positioning
  - ♦Displaying Signs
  - ♦Traffic Cones
  - ♦Flaggers
  - ♦Pilot Vehicle
  - ♦Repositioning Traffic Control Devices
  - ♦Intersections
  - ♦Arrow Boards
- ►4. Removing Pavement Markers
  - ♦General
- ►5. Cleaning the Pavement
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Safety During Sweeping Operations
  - ♦Sweeping Pattern
  - ♦Sweeping Distance from Operation
- ►6. Placing Temporary Tabs
  - ♦General
- ►7. Setting the Rock Lands
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Purpose
  - ♦Calculating the Length of Rock Land
  - ♦Marking the Rock Lands
- ►8. Setting the Asphalt Shots
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Asphalt Application Rate
  - ♦Distributor Capacity
  - ♦Calculating the Length of Asphalt Shot
  - ♦Marking the Asphalt Shot
- ►9. Checking the Loader Operation
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Loader Operation Checklist
- ►10. Placing Paper Joints
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Equipment
  - ♦Beginning of Asphalt Shot
  - ♦End of Asphalt Shot
  - ♦Subsequent Asphalt Shots with Multiple Distributors
- ►11. Shooting the Asphalt
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Distributor Preparation
  - ♦Blow the Nozzles
  - ♦Check Spray Bar Height
  - ♦Final Equipment Check
  - ♦Paper Joint Check
  - ♦Transverse Alignment
  - ♦Applying the Asphalt
  - ♦Timing for Aggregate Application
  - ♦Additional Distributors
- ►12. Strapping the Distributor
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Determining Asphalt Application Rate
- ►13. Spreading the Aggregate
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Aligning the Spreader Box
  - ♦Truck Hookup
  - ♦Test Strip
  - ♦Spreading the Aggregate
  - ♦Truck/Spreader Separation
  - ♦Rock Land Marker
  - ♦Visual Checks
  - ♦Recording Truck Loads
  - ♦Asphalt on Tires
- ►14. Timing for Aggregate Application
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Immediate Aggregate Application
- ►15. Rolling the Aggregate
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Rolling Pattern
  - ♦Checking the Rolling Pattern
- ►16. Patching or Hand Work
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Immediate Repairs
  - ♦Delayed Repairs
- ►17. Intersections and Irregular Shapes
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Transitions
  - ♦Radii at Intersections
  - ♦Crossovers on Divided Highways
  - ♦Driveways and Private Roads
  - ♦Problems with Hand Work
- ►18. Brooming Excess Aggregate
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Timing
  - ♦Equipment
  - ♦Procedures
  - ♦Inspection
- ►19. Opening to Traffic
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Traffic Volume
  - ♦Truck Traffic
  - ♦Traffic Speed
  - ♦Asphalt Type and Weather Conditions
  - ♦Changing Lanes
- ►20. Temporary or Permanent Pavement Markings
  - ♦General
  - ♦Temporary Markings
  - ♦Permanent Markings
- ►21. Placing Raised Pavement Markers
  - ♦General
- ►22. Cleanup
  - ♦Joint Paper
  - ♦Spilled Asphalt
  - ♦Stockpile Area
  - ♦Signs and Barricades
  - ♦Repairs to Damaged Property
►9. Public Perception and Complaints
- ►1. Handling Complaints
  - ♦General
- ►2. Public Perception and Education
  - ♦General

Section 4: Strip or Spot Sealing

General

Strip sealing or spot sealing is typically performed by maintenance forces. This type of maintenance treatment is used to address specific pavement conditions such as:

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longitudinal or transverse cracking

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early signs of alligator or block cracking

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flushing

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low skid resistance

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segregated spots in asphalt concrete.

It is critical that strip/spot seal work is done as soon as these specific conditions arise. If these conditions are not addressed quickly, they will degrade to the point that major repairs are needed.

Spot seal coats may be applied over spot base repairs or level-ups as an added measure of ensuring that no surface water penetrates into the base.