MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES There are several methods to maintain the quality and life of paved roadways. Depending on the condition of the road will determine the maintenance strategy. Below are some methods commonly used by El Paso County to maintain asphalt: CRACK SEAL In El Paso County, every paved road has cracks, with the exception of roads that were recently paved. Asphalt, like concrete, tends to shrink as it ages, causing it to crack. Crack Seal is the process of sealing cracks in roads with a hot polymer/rubberized bitumen sealant. The sealant prevents moisture and debris from getting into cracks and also reduces water damage to pavement structure. The best time to seal cracks is when the ground temperature is around 40 degrees. This is when the asphalt has contracted due to the cold, and the cracks are the widest. Crack sealing is ineffective when the ground is wet since the material used will not stick. Warm weather is also not the best time to seal cracks because it causes cracks to expand so that once the weather cools, the material will not stretch but rather split, ruining the seal. Another warm weather problem is that the material takes a long time to set. Because of this, the crew has to close the roads for longer periods of time to avoid the crack sealing material sticking to the tires of passing motorists, causing a breakdown of the seal. If a motorist gets crack seal material stuck to their tires, an "orange" type cleaner or WD-40 can help get it off. Crack seal slows the deterioration process of cracks and extends the life of the road by 3 to 5 years.
PG 4
