Chip & Seal?

Ozarks Tom · #1 09/14/11, 02:29 PM

The current Board of our HOA has decided to chip and seal a little over half the road (about 3/4 mile) running through our subdivision at little at a time as money permits. There are only 5 houses out here, on around 400 acres, but I'm told other houses will be built in the near future. We've been maintaining the gravel road in the past by bringing in new gravel each spring and keeping it graded using an old tractor with a box blade. It's looked pretty good for the past 3 years since we took it over from the developers. I'm against the plan for several reasons, mainly the cost - $60 -$70K, but also I'm told C&S only last 5-6 years under normal conditions and then needs repair. Further, if additional houses are built the trucks carrying building supplies will tear it up. Does anyone have experience with C&S in this type of situation? Thanks

OkieDavid · #2 09/14/11, 02:41 PM

Yep.... It is a common alternative to asphault and it does have its drawbacks. It does NOT stand up well to heavy truck traffic (school buses, trash trucks etc..). When the hot summertime rolls around it can and often does "re-liquify" the oil/tar binder and then when a large heavy truck makes a turn the wheels "push" the chips to the side creating what's called a "blow out". The resulting hump is a pain to deal with until it finally crumbles apart or is repaired. Recreation areas and public parks often use this process as a cost saving alternative. Large RV's and 5th wheels don't seem to be to hard on them but man can you tell the trash route. Alternatively, if the road base is prepared properly and traffic is restricted to typical residential traffic (less than 2 ton), that road surface can last much longer than 5-6yrs. Take a trip to a nearby Federal Park and look at their roads then ask the caretakers how old the road surface is....

geo in mi · #3 09/14/11, 02:42 PM

Our county uses chip and seal on asphalt paved roads only as a surface sealant. Tar emulsion is sprayed down, the chips are leveled on, and then usually rolled once, and traffic does the rest. Don't know how you would do this on a gravel road, sounds like it would be a waste.

geo

Wis Bang 2 · #4 09/14/11, 06:06 PM

I used to watch my dad & the city highway crew. The initial treatment was called penetration where they used the distributor truck to slowly lay down a heavy treatment of emulsion into fresh modified gravel that was graded. This was covered w/ chips and rolled. Worked best on extensions of alleys, etc. and they abandoned this by the early 70's when they purchased their own Barber Greene paver & switched to all hot mix.

mnn2501 · #5 09/14/11, 06:21 PM

Thats the reason you avoid HOA's like the plauge - the boards do what they want to, many times against the wishes of the people it affects.
Hope it works out for you.

bruce2288 · #6 09/14/11, 11:39 PM

Its life will depend a lot on what makes up the subgrade of the road. If you have soft spots show up in the spring now, the surface will break up.

indypartridge · #7 09/15/11, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geo in mi

Our county uses chip and seal on asphalt paved roads only as a surface sealant. ... Don't know how you would do this on a gravel road, sounds like it would be a waste.

Ditto. Our county use Chip/Seal to essentially buy another 5-6 years of use before they need re-paved. Can't imagine it working well on a gravel bed.

big rockpile · #8 09/15/11, 08:45 AM

They just did C&S on the Highway by us.Two Big Holes,Sign coming both ways Bump,more like you better be hitting the Brakes.

big rockpile

Michael W. Smith · #9 09/15/11, 09:42 AM

The "tar and chips" used on paved roads is simply to seal the cracks so moisture doesn't get in and break up the road. This does extend the life of the asphalt.

I think what Ozarks Tom is saying they plan on doing is what Wis Bang 2 mentions. A heavy layer of heated tar and chips are put down on either a dirt or gravel road and then rolled. As the tar cools, it becomes a cheap version of paving.

The place I worked at one time did this, and I never thought it would hold up. But it did. It was very similiar to a paved road but as has been said during very hot weather, heavy traffic creates "ruts". For regular car traffic or the weekly garbage truck, it wouldn't be a problem, but if other houses are going to be built, I doubt it holds up due to the construction traffic.