What is Asphalt Slurry Seal?
Slurry seals are basically a topcoat applied to existing asphalt surfaces and are made from a mixture of water, asphalt emulsion, aggregate composed of finely crushed rock, and additives.
The additives may differ depending on the desired mixing properties, but tend to include polymers, which are long molecules consisting of repeating chain structures. Depending on the structure, polymers can bestow materials with desirable qualities such as high permeability or flexibility and strength.
Asphalt Slurry Seal is best suited for pavements with mild to moderate damage, such as narrow cracks, but not for severe damage such as potholes.
Why should property owners apply Asphalt Slurry Seal?
Many businesses and locations can benefit from routine applications, including parking lots, commercial surface lots, shopping centers, airports, hotels, business and industrial parks, and stadiums.
Asphalt Slurry Seal provides property owners with a cost-effective alternative compared to complete surface reconstruction, which includes ripping out existing asphalt and pouring new materials.
In addition, a slurry seal:
- restores lost flexibility to pavement surfaces.
- beautifies pavement by restoring the rich black surface color of freshly poured asphalt.
- reduces maintenance costs by preserving the underlying pavement and protecting the surface from weather and environmental damage as well as oil and gas.
- reflects a certain amount of solar radiation, meaning asphalt won’t absorb as much heat as unprotected surfaces. Paved surfaces contribute to sweltering city temperatures, which can devastate human health and contribute to asphalt damage, such as buckling, raveling, and rutting.
How often should Asphalt Slurry Seal be applied?
A slurry seal is best applied every 2 to 5 years until complete resurfacing is necessary. For other pavements, an intermittent schedule might be preferable.
Factors that influence the decision on when to apply the slurry seal include location, weather, traffic load, and the degree of pavement damage.
How is Asphalt Slurry Seal applied?
First, the asphalt surface is prepped for application of the Asphalt Slurry Seal. This includes fixing any cracks that might have formed as well as other minor imperfections.
Then, the slurry is mixed in an on-board mixer of a specially-equipped truck designed with separate storage tanks that hold the water, asphalt emulsion, aggregate, and additives.
The truck moves slowly as the slurry flows from the backend, where a piece of burlap or truck squeegee may be used to smooth the surface and evenly distribute the seal. Workers follow the truck with hand squeegees to further ensure smooth and even application and keep the mixture from flowing beyond the desired area, such as into concrete gutters.
After application is complete, slurry seals generally take between 8 to 12 hours to set before traffic should be allowed back onto the road or parking area.
Regular application of Asphalt Slurry Seal greatly extends the life of asphalt surfaces, from roads to parking lots. Businesses, cities, and venue owners ought to maintain their lots and roadways to ensure surface imperfections and damage never impede the flow of commerce.
Curcio Enterprises, Inc. offers a full range of convenient parking facility services, from general maintenance to parking lot paving and seal coating. Please contact us for your customizable parking maintenance package!