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Information
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) uses microsurfacing as preventive maintenance on deteriorated roads that are not yet bad enough to warrant full reconstruction.
Background
Microsurfacing is a design mixture of polymer-modified emulsified asphalt, mineral aggregate, mineral filler, water, and other additives proportioned, mixed, and uniformly spread over a properly prepared surface.
The mixture is made by a specialized machine and placed on a continuous basis by mixing the materials simultaneously in a pug mill. Figure 1 shows the process in the microsurfacing machine, which results in a free-flowing composite material spread on the underlying pavement using a spreader box. The mixture’s consistency permits even spreading over the pavement, forming an adhesive bond to the pavement.
It is used as a pavement preservation and maintenance treatment to improve the functional characteristics of the pavement surface and extend its service life. It can be used on pavements suffering from the following conditions:
- Loss of skid resistance
- Oxidation
- Raveling
- Surface permeability
- Rut damage
Advantages
- Reduces life-cycle cost 25-45% compared to traditional resurfacing methods.
- Reduces greenhouse gases by 44% and energy use by 54% or more compared to traditional resurfacing methods.
- Reduces raw material by 35% or more compared to traditional resurfacing methods.
- Return to traffic within one hour
- Adds 6-8 years or more when applied for optimum preservation performance.