Protecting Roads in the Desert: Chip Sealing over Fabric Retards Reflective Surface Cracks

摘要

The county of San Diego, California, like many other public agencies, is always looking for cost-effective ways to maintain roads. Innovation and creativity are necessary because the funding often does not increase from year to year, although the maintenance needs and costs continue to escalate. The county of San Diego maintains approximately 2,000 cen-terline-miles of public roads in the unincorporated area of San Diego. The county includes coastal areas, inland valleys, mountains, and desert valleys. The county Department of Public Works (DPW) follows a preventive maintenance system that applies surface treatments to extend the life of structurally sound roadways. The surface treatments in the DPW "toolbox" are chip seal, fog seal, slurry seal, cape seal, thin lift overlay, and chip seal over fabric.