Construction of Slurry Seal (SS)

Physical Requirements:
 Slurry seal is a mixture of mineral aggregate, slow setting cationic bitumen emulsion,
water, and additives.
 Slurry seals are used for preventive maintenance and renewal treatment as substitute to
surface dressing, premix carpet or mix seal surfacing for low traffic roads.
 Different types of slurry seal and their applications:
Type I
Items (2 to 3 Type II (4 to 6 mm) Type III (6 to 8 mm)
mm)
Filling Filling of surface cracks 1 to Filling of surface cracks 3 to
Application of hair 3 mm and preventive/renewal 6 mm and preventive/renewal
cracks treatment (up to 450 CVPD) treatment (up to 1500 CVPD)
Quantity of slurry
4.3 to
(by weight of dry 8.4 to 9.8 10.1 to 12
2 6.5
aggregate), kg/m
Residual binder
(% by weight of 10 to 16 7.5 to 13.5 6.5 to 12
dry aggregate)
 Emulsified Bitumen:
o Shall be a cationic slow setting type (SS 2).
 Aggregates:
o The mineral aggregates shall be crushed stone dust, clean, sharp, hard, durable,
uncoated dry particles and shall be free from soft pieces and organic and other
deleterious substances.
o The aggregates shall satisfy the following physical requirements:
 Sand equivalent value: 50% (Min.)
 Water absorption: 2% (Max.) [if water absorption exceeds 2% but is less than
4%, same may be permitted subject to conformity of soundness test and wet
stripping test]
 Soundness with Sodium Sulphate: 12% (Max.)
 Soundness with Magnesium Sulphate: 18% (Max.)
o Aggregate gradation:
% passing (min. layer thickness)
Sieve size, mm
Type I (2 to 3 mm) Type II (4 to 6 mm) Type III (6 to 8 mm)
9.5 100 100 100
6.3 100 100 90-100
4.75 100 90-100 70-90
2.36 90-100 65-90 45-70
1.18 65-90 45-70 28-50
0.6 40-65 30-50 19-34
0.3 25-42 18-30 12-25
0.15 15-30 10-21 7-18
0.075 10-20 5-15 5-15
 Filler:
o Mineral filler shall be ordinary portland cement.
o The quantity of filler shall be in the range of 0.5 to 2% by weight of dry aggregate.

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 Water:
o Water shall be potable, free from harmful salt and contaminants.
o The pH should be in the range of 6 to 7.

 Additives:
o Chemical additives may be used to accelerate or retard the break-set time of the slurry
or to improve the resulting surface finish.
o The quantity of additive, if used, shall be determined by mix design and to be adjusted
as per site/climatic conditions.
o The additive and emulsion shall be compatible with each other.

 Percent passing each sieve shall not vary by more than the tolerance limits shown in the
following table and shall remain within the gradation band.
S. No. Description Tolerance
1 Aggregate passing 4.75 mm  5%
2 Aggregate passing 2.36 mm, 1.18 mm, 0.6 mm  5%
3 Aggregate passing 0.3 mm  4%
4 Aggregate passing 0.15 mm  3%
5 Aggregate passing 0.075 mm  2%

Mix Design:
 The compatibility of aggregate, emulsion, filler and additive (if needed) shall be verified
by mix design for a selected type and grading of aggregate.
 Mix design criteria for slurry seal:
o Mix time: 180 s (Min.)
o Consistency: 3 cm (Max.)
o Wet cohesion: 20 kg-cm (Min.)
o Wet stripping: 90% (Min.)
o Wet track abrasion loss (one hour soak): 800 g/m2 (Max.)
 The final mixture, after addition of water and additive (if used) shall be such that the
slurry seal mixture has proper workability and permit traffic within four hours (without
leading to raveling after placement).
 Trial mix shall be prepared and laid at site for the designed mix and observed for breaking
and setting time.
 Indicative quantity of ingredients:
Ingredients Limits (% by weight of dry aggregates)
10 to 16 for Type I
Cationic bitumen emulsion 7.5 to 13.5 for Type II
6.5 to 12 for Type III
Water 6 to 12
Filler 1 to 2
Additive 0.5 to 2

Construction Operations:
1) Weather and Seasonal Limitations:
o Laying of slurry seal shall not be undertaken, if either the pavement temperature or air
temperature is below 10 C.
o Slurry seal may be laid in rainy season also, even if the surface is wet but when there
is no stagnant water on the pavement surface.

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2) Preparation of the Base:
o The underlying surface on which the slurry seal is to be applied shall be cleaned of all
loose material, mud spots, vegetation and extraneous matter and shall be prepared and
shaped to the needed profile.
o It is essential to pre-treat cracks on the pavement surface with an appropriate crack
sealing material prior to application of slurry seal, if it is used for preventive/renewal
treatment.
o The surface should be swept clean by removing caked earth and other foreign matter
with wire brushes, sweeping with mechanical brooms and finally dusting with air jet.
o Tack coat is not required for flexible pavements unless the surface is extremely hungry
and dry.
3) Machine:
o The machine shall be specially designed and manufactured to lay slurry seal.
o It shall be self propelled equipment, truck mounted, consisting of following sub-
assemblies used to manufacture and simultaneously spread these mixes on the surface:
 Aggregate bin,
 Filler bin,
 Water and emulsion tanks,
 Additive tanks,
 Aggregate and filler conveyors to supply these material to the mixer box,
 Pump or compressed air system to supply the emulsion/water,
 Mixer box, and
 Spreader box to place the mixed slurry on the prepared surface.
4) Application of Slurry Seal:
o A calibrated slurry seal machine shall be used to spread the material.
o The surface shall be pre-wetted by fogging ahead of the spreader box (if required
under hot weather conditions).
o Slurry seal shall be applied using the machine at the specified rate.
o Longitudinal joints shall correspond with the edges of existing traffic lanes.
o Longitudinal joints common to two traffic lanes shall be butt joints with overlap not
exceeding an average of 60 to 100 mm.
o The mixture shall be uniform and homogeneous after spreading on existing surfaces
and shall not show separation of the emulsion and aggregates after setting.
5) Rolling:
o Generally rolling is not required.
o Where rolling is felt necessary due to inadequate cohesion, a pneumatic tyred roller
having individual wheel load between 0.75 to 1.5 tonne shall be used.
o Rolling shall commence as soon as the slurry has set.
6) Opening to Traffic:
o Surface shall be opened to traffic after slurry is in completely set condition.
o The maximum setting time shall be 4 hours.
o Speed of traffic shall be restricted to 20 km per hour for next 12 hours.
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