Products made from scrap tires. Preservation activities usually take place on roads that are five to 10 years old, he explains. When treatment is deemed necessary, one of the first options is to put in a crack seal, Franco says.
Workers dry the area and remove particles, then apply a soft rubber sealant.
If damage is more severe, crews apply an asphalt rubber chip seal, which can be used on large resurfacing jobs in hot mixes or as spray-applied membranes. Preservation techniques help to extend the life of roads. FHWA has been working with state DOTs for the past five years to educate them about preventive maintenance techniques. Those methods can extend pavement life by five to six years and make highway funding stretch further, Sorenson says. In addition to saving money for materials, asphalt rubber treatments save labor costs because they do not take long to apply.