Thin surfacing systems, as the term is currently understood, were introduced into the United Kingdom in 1991. On some sites used for the system to gain Highways Agency approval, the thin surfacing systems are approaching the end of their assumed lives whilst others have only been in service for just over two years. Therefore, it is opportune to begin to evaluate information collected from these sites to establish a better understanding of their service life. In this report, the results from SCRIMtex, visual assessment and recovered binder properties are given for the sites selected over the three years of the project together with analysis of those results. The findings indicate that, if a thin surfacing system is in good condition after its first year in service, it will be serviceable for at least 5 years and probably in excess of 8 years. Furthermore, the typical life of a thin surfacing can be in excess of ten years, depending on the category of thin surfacing and the condition of the substrate. (Author/publisher)
Abstract