BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

CHAPTER 2

HIGHWAY MATERIALS:
Design of Chip Seals
 BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

CHIP SEAL

Also known as seal coat or surface dressing or surface treatment.

The application of a thin layer of bituminous binder onto a primed coating road
base or existing road surface and immediately covered by the application of
aggregate.
The aggregate is rolled to embed into the binder.
After accomplishing of the chipping, excess aggregate must be swept off to
minimize whip-off by traffic.

The main purpose of the bituminous
binder is:
• to seal the fine cracks in the
underlying pavement’s surface
• to prevent the ingress of water
• to hold the covered aggregate
The purpose of the aggregate is:
• to protect the binder from damage
by vehicle tires
• to provide a high skid resistance
surface for vehicles
BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

(1) Binder application (2) Aggregate spreading

(4) Sweeping (3) Rolling

 BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

Chip seal is a non-structural layer, therefore, chip seal does not contribute to the
strength or bearing capacity in pavement thickness design.
However, the application technique of chip seal is relatively simple and fast and
involves relatively low construction cost.

Extends the life of the pavement by preventing water from seeping

into the base and subgrade.
Improves skid resistance by providing a coarse macro-textured
surface.
Capable of rehabilitating weathered asphalt surface.
Provides dust-free running surface for newly constructed road with
low to medium traffic load.
 BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

Multiple Chip Seal (Double / Triple Chip Seal)

Single Chip Seal 2nd coat

1st coat

- Recommended for bituminous - Recommended for non- bituminous

layers layers (unbound layers)
- Aggregate size of 2nd coat is half the
size of the aggregate used for 1st coat
 BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

Stress Absorbing Membrane (SAM)

Stress Absrobing Membrane Interlayer (SAMI)
- similar to chip seal, but with rubber modified binder
- applied for specific purpose, i.e. to retard the rate of reflection cracking in a
new overlay
 BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

AGGREGATES FOR CHIP SEAL

Clean - Bituminous binder will not “wet” and stick to dirty and dusty
chips.
Criterion: For chip with nominal size of 9 mm and above, the
amount of material passing 4.75 mm sieve is not more than 2
percent. Alternatively, some agencies expressed that not
more than 2 percent passing 75 micron sieve as cleanliness
requirement.
Cubical - Flakey chips may not lie flat and can crush against each other,
leaving a non uniform surface.
Criterion: The ratio of Average Greatest Dimension (AGD) and
Average Least Dimension (ALD) should not be more than 2.3
is normally applied. If this ratio is greater than 2.3, the chip is
considered as too flakey. In this situation, improve crusher or
a larger size should be tried.
Another shape requirement is that the portion by weight of
aggregate particle retained on a 4.75 mm sieve should have at
least two fracture faces.
However, for road with low traffic volume, some road agencies
allow the use of natural (uncrushed) gravel.
 BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

AGGREGATES FOR CHIP SEAL

Strong - Able to withstand the crushing of traffic loads.

Criterion: Los Angeles Abrasion should be less than 30%, or
maximum aggregate crushing value 20 for high and 35 for low
traffic volume
Durable - Able to withstand all weathering effects such as rain, drying
and heat without disintegrating.
Single size - Oversize chips can be pulled out because not enough binder to
hold them, whilst undersize chips may be swamped by
bitumen.
Criterion: at least 60% of chips should be within ALD ± 2.5
mm.
BFC 31802 HIGHWAY ENGINEERING Lecturer: ROSNAWATI BUHARI

Least
Crushing
Dimension
(thickness)

Greatest
Dimension
(length)

Flakey Chips
Cubical chip
Aggregate Size and Gradation

Aggregate Gradation Requirement

Sieve Designation Percentage passing by weight for the
(mm) following nominal sizes
20 mm 14 mm 10 mm 6 mm
25 100
20 95 – 100 100
14 0 – 30 95 – 100 100
10 0–2 0 – 30 95 – 100 100
6.25 - 0–5 0 – 30 95 – 100
4.75 0–2 0–2 0–8 -
2.36 0–2 0 – 15
1.18 0–8
Range of Average Least Dimension 9.5 – 12 6.4 – 9.5 3.5 – 6.4 2.5 – 3.5
(mm)
 Single Chip Selection Criteria

Nominal size
Existing Surface and traffic (mm)
Soft surface, such as Penetration Macadam with < 1000 20 mm
vehicle per day
Soft surface with > 1000 vehicle per day per lane 14 mm
Medium surface, such as rolled asphalt with < 1000 10 mm
vehicle per day
Hard surface, such as Portland Cement Concrete or 6 mm
Asphalt Concrete with > 1000 vehicle per day per lane
 Double Chips Selection Criteria

Existing Surface and traffic Nominal size

1st + 2nd seal
(mm)
Soft to medium surface with < 1000 vehicle 20 + 10
per day
Hard surface with > 1000 vehicle per day per 14 + 6
lane
Method of Determining
Size, Shape and
Grading of Chipping
Aggregates

Method A
ALD is derived from the
nomograph using the
median size (from sieve ALD = 9 mm
analysis – size where
50% of sample passes)
and flakiness index.
Method B

This method includes manually measurement of individual chip for ALD and
groups of aggregate for AGD.

A representative sample of about 100 chipping aggregates is prepared. ALD

can be measured using either a pedestal-mounted dial gauge or an ordinary
caliper whereas individual chip is measured on the face which gives minimum
thickness.

Dial
gauge

Chipping
aggregate
AGD is measured using AGD-through whereas a group of chips are lined up
end to end in their longest direction.

Chipping aggregate

AGD measuring through

During the measurement, examine each chip in the sub-sample whether it has
at least two distinctly separate fractured faces. Record the number of chips
which comply in this respect.
 ALD 
 Median size  Tally within size range
 Number of chips

Expresse the calculated ALD to the nearest 0.01 mm. Then, calculate percentage
of chips within 2.5 mm of ALD to the nearest 1%.

AGD 
 Number of chips
 Total length in the measure through (mm)
BITUMINOUS BINDER

Pen-grade 80/100 bitumen has been considered a general purpose binder for
chip seal.
Cutback bitumen and bitumen emulsion also used.
Polymer modified bitumen is also used for higher performance chip seal.

SELECTION OF BINDER
Factors which influence binder selection include:

(1) Temperature of road surface at the time of application

Low viscosity bitumen is suitable for road with low surface temperature,
high viscosity bitumen at low surface temperature may become too stiff to
wet the aggregate.
High road surface temperature requires high viscosity binder because
low viscosity binder at high surface temperature might become too fluid
so that binder may drain off the surface before the binder get cured and
hold the cover aggregate.
(2) Geometry of road
Bitumen emulsion may not suitable for roads with steep cambers and
vertical alignment because the emulsion will drain off the road before the
emulsion sets.

(3) Traffic condition

Sites with heavy traffic may require the use of a binder that allows the
opening of the road as quickly as possible.

(4) Construction safety

Cutback bitumen is always sprayed a temperature above its flash-point.
Any ignition source may produce an explosion. Therefore, safety
precaution must be taken properly, otherwise bitumen emulsion may be a
better choice.
The figure shows surface
temperature and suitable binder for
chip seal.
As shown in this figure, binders that
correspond to a viscosity at road
temperature of between 1.5 x 104
to 6 x 105 centiStokes are generally
suitable for a wide range of
expected temperature of between
320 to 600 C.
The figure indicates that pen-grade
80/100 is suitable to be used as a
basic binder for this range of
temperature.
Kerosene can be added to adjust the viscosity according to the site requirement
as show in the table below:

Shade Air Proportion of Spraying

Temperature (0C) Kerosene to blended temperature (0C)**
to 80/100 pen-grade
(PPH)*
17.5 13 151
20 11 157
22.5 9 162
25 7 167
27.5 5 172
30 3 171
32.5 1 182
> 34 0 185

* PPH: Part of kerosene per 100 part of bitumen (at 150C)

** Spraying temperature is determined to give a constant viscosity of 65 censtiStokes
when bitumen passes through the spray nozzles.
Single Chip Seal / First Coat for Double Chip Seal

The method introduced by Hanson in 1930 probably is the first rational design
of chip seal. The method assumes that after construction and further
compaction by traffic, 70% the remaining 20% void between aggregate should
be filled with bitumen.

Based on this assumption, basic binder application rate will be:

70 20
   ALD
100 100
 0.14 ALD  / m 2
 Void about 50%
Average height of chips

Chips dropped at random on the binder – Initially showing small area of binder exposed

Void about 30%

Average height of chips

Chips after initial compaction – Chips turn over and fully cover the surface – Binder higher upside of chips
Average seal thickness
= ALD Void about 20%

Chips after trafficking – Chips oriented with Least Dimension Approximately Vertical

Depth of macro texture to be filled with bitumen

Bitumen to fill surface macro texture to be considered in binder application rate design
After a number of trials in 1964, where texture depth of road surface and traffic were
considered, the binder application rate is determined as follows:

Rate of application of residual binder, R:

R  (0.138 ALD  e) Tf  / m2
where,

e = bitumen needed to fill road surface (i.e surface texture depth)

Tf = factor to allow an increased application rate for low traffic volume
to delay durability failure

In case of kerosene blended bitumen is used, the residual application rate, R,

should be increased by the following proportion to compensate for the edition of
kerosene, which will later evaporate, in the binder:

100  Kerosene PPH 

 100 
 Sand Circle Diameter* Bitumen needed to fill Traffic in lane Tf
(mm),  surface void (l/m2), “e” (vpd/lane)
150 0.49 5 1.596
160 0.45 10 1.523
165 0.39 20 1.451
170 0.37 30 1.409
175 0.34
180 0.32 40 1.379
185 0.30 50 1.356
190 0.29 75 1.314

Second Coat for Double Chip Seal

The binder application rate for nominal size 6 mm chip of second coat over 13
mm nominal size first coat is simply the lowest spray rate that a bar sprayer can
spray evenly and retain the cover chip aggregate; that is 0.8 l/m2 at sprayed
temperature.

The same rate of application is applied for second application of double seal with
nominal size of 10 mm second coat over 20 mm nominal size first coat.
Theoretical aggregate rate of application can be determined using the following
equation:

C  (1  0.4V )  ALD  G  E
where,
C = Chips or cover aggregate (kg/m2)
V = Void in loose aggregate (%)
ALD = Aggregate Average Least Dimension (mm)
G = Aggregate Bulk Specific Gravity
E = Wastage factor, to account for loss of aggregate due to whip-off and
handling (1.05 to 1.15, depends on local experience)
TRL (2000) provides a simplified formula based on assumption that chip
aggregates have a loose density of 1.35 Mg/m3:

C  1.364  ALD kg / m2

NAASRA (1984) proposed another simplified formula of aggregate spread rate

as follows:
ALD
C m3 / m 2
666

Although all of the above formulae have a rational theoretical background, at

best, they should be regarded as a rough guide.
Another method of estimating the rate of chipping is by means of a simple
laboratory experiment (Overseas Road Note 3).

A single layer of chips is spread on a tray of known area. The chips are then
weighed; the process is repeated ten times, and the mean values are
calculated. An additional 5 to 10 percent are added to cover whipping off and
loss on handling.

The actual rate of chips is best judged by eye. When the single size chips are
initially spread, prior to rolling, make sure that small areas of about 30% of
the bitumen should appear exposed.
Then, when the chips are rolled, no bitumen should be left over.
A slight excess of chips is expected; some of this excess chips will fill gaps
left between the chips and the rest will be whipped off by traffic later.
Nevertheless, if more than 5% of the chips are not bounded by bitumen,
then the application is considered as too many.
 Effects of Chips Spread Rate
Isolated chips may easily Large space between chips means
dislodge binder not forced up to around chips
Too few chips

Over crowding prevents chips laying

flat with least dimension vertical

Over-chipping

Excess chips completely

loose Crushing between
chips Excessive chipping

Room for chip to lie flat

Correct chip application before
rolling

Chip well held by binder; least dimension

in vertical position; locked in shoulder to
shoulder
Correct chip application after
rolling
Measurement of TEXTURE DEPTH using Sand Patch Method

1 The pavement surface selected for test must be dry.

If the pavement has not been subjected to traffic, scrub the test surface with a wire brush to
remove any loosely bound particles or curing compounds that will be worn away by a small
amount of traffic. Otherwise, the pavement surface should be swept with a soft hand brush.

2 Fill the metal cylinder to the top with the natural silica sand and gently tap the
base of the cylinder three times on a rigid surface. Add more sand to fill the
cylinder again to the top and level the top with a straight edge.

3 Pour the measured sand on the test surface and spread it into a circular patch
with the surface depressions filled to the level of the peaks.
4 Measure the diameter of the sand patch at four or more equally spaced
locations and record to the nearest 5 mm.

CALCULATION

Determine the texture depth, T (mm) as

follows:
4V
T
 D2
Where,

V = the exact volume of the metal cylinder (in ml)

D = the average diameter of the sand patch (in
mm)

NOTE:
A volume V of 45 ml can be obtained by a
cylinder 25 mm in inside diameter and 91.7 mm
in height.