Surface Dressing

Specification of
Plant and Equipment Construction Procedure
materials

Aggregate specification Preparation of Existing Surface

Bitumen Specifications Application of binder

Application of first or final coat

Rolling

Application of binder and stone

chippings for second coat

Rolling of second coat

Finishing and opening to traffic

 SURFACE DRESSING
• Bituminous surface dressing is done either in single coat or two
coats over existing bituminous pavement and as a wearing
course over a WBM road.
• Specification of Materials:
– Requirement of material depends whether the application is
single coat or double coat and whether the application is
done on existing bituminous pavement or on a WBM.
– Grade of bitumen is selected based on climatic conditions.
Bitumen grades between 80/100 and 180/200 are used.
– Coarse aggregates (crushed stone or crushed aggregate)
should be strong, durable and fairly cubical in shape.
 Binder quantity for surface dressing
Base Course type Binder requirement kg per 10 sq.mt
First or single coat Second coat
Bitumen Tar Cutback Bitumen Tar Cutback
WBM 17 to 19.5 17 to22 19 to 22 10 to 12 12 to 15 12 to 15
Renewal of black 10 to 12 10 to 17 10 to 12 10 to 12 10 to 17 10 to 12
top surfacing

Aggregate specifications
Property Limits
Los Angeles Abrasion value 35% max
Aggregate impact value 30% max
Flakiness index 25% max
Water absorption 1% max
Stripping at 40⁰C after 24hrs immersion (CRRI test) 25% max
 Recommended size of chippings and quantity required
Sieve size, mm Quantity in mᶟ for 10
Passing Retained Norma sqm
l
First coat, 12mm thick 18 9 12 0.14 to 0.15
Second coat 12 6 9 0.09 to 0.11

• Plants and Equipment: Equipment for heating, mechanical

sprayer, mechanical broom or hand brushes and rollers.
 Construction Steps:
• Preparation of existing surface: Surface should be
prepared for proper profile and ruts, depressions etc., are
rectified. Surface should be free from dust or loose
material. Prime coat is applied if the existing base course is
pervious such as stabilized layer or WBM.

• Application of Binder: On prepared surface using

mechanical sprayer bituminous binder is sprayed uniformly
at specified rate. Care should be taken such that excessive
binder is not sprayed which causes bleeding.
• Application of Stone chipping: After application of binder
stone chippings are spread uniformly to cover the surface.
• Rolling of first or final coat: rolling should be done with
tandem roller of 6 to 8 tonnes. Rolling is started from the
edges proceeding towards the centre longitudinally with
overlapping not less than one third of roller. Rolling is
continued until particles are firmly inter-locked.
– If the second coat is applied then the rolling is done again
after the treatment is done for second coat
• Application of binder and stone chippings for second coat:
The binder is again applied on prepared surface and cover
material of smaller aggregated are spread.

• Rolling of second coat: After application of materials rolling

should be carried out similarly as done for first coat.

• Finishing and opening to traffic: The surface is checked for

longitudinal and cross profile using straight edge of length
3.0mts and variation in surface greater than 6mm are
corrected. Road section will be allowed for traffic after
24hrs.
 Penetration (grouted) macadam

Specifications of Plants and Construction steps

materials Equipments
Preparation of existing surface
Aggregate
Specifications Spreading of coarse aggregate
Bitumen
Rolling
Specifications
Bitumen application

Spreading of key aggregates

Seal coat

Finishing

Opening to Traffic
 PENETRATION (GROUTED) MACADAM
• This procedure is recommended for a thickness of 50 to
75mm.

• Specifications of Materials: IRC recommended to use bitumen

grade of 80/100, 60/80 and 30/40. Tars like RT-4 and RT-5
could be used. Quantity of bitumen depend on desired degree
of penetration of binder into compacted aggregate layer.
Properties Limits
Los Angeles Abrasion value 40% max
Aggregate impact value 30% max
Flakiness index 25% max
Stripping value 25% max
Loss with sodium sulphate, 5 cycles 12% max
 Percent passing sieve size, mm Compacted thickness, mm
50 75
63 - 100
50 100 -
38 - 35-70
25 35-70 -
19 - 0-15
12 0-15 -
9 - -
4.75 - -
2.36 0-5 0-5

Grading of coarse aggregates for penetration macadam

Coarse aggregate required for 50mm compacted thickness is 0.06 m³

per 10 sqm area and for 75 mm compacted thickness is 0.90 m³ per
10 sqmt area
• Quantity of key aggregates required for 50 and 75mm
compacted thickness are 0.15 and 0.18 m³ per 10 sqm
area.
Percent passing sieve size, mm Compacted thickness, mm
50 75
38 - -
25 - 100
19 100 35-70
12 35-70 -
9 - 0-15
4.75 0-15 -
2.36 0-15 0-5

Key aggregates required for penetration macadam

• Plants and Equipment: Various equipment needed are
bitumen heating device, bitumen distributor, aggregate
spreader, roller for compaction.
– For small jobs bitumen container is heated under direct
flame. For a continuous project, heating is done within
the bitumen distributor.
– Various types of aggregate spreaders like whirl spreader,
vane spreader, hopper spreader and self propelled
spreaders are used.
– Two types of rollers like tandem rollers and vibratory
rollers are used.
 Construction steps:
• Preparation of existing surface: The surface is prepared to
a uniform grade. The surface is lightly scarified and
brushed. Prime coat can be applied when the surface is
porous.

• Spreading of Coarse aggregates: Coarse aggregate are

spread with proper edge protection. Spreading can be
done with mechanical spreader. Desired profile in cross
section should be maintained while spreading.
• Rolling:
– Aggregates are dry rolled with 10tonnes roller until
aggregates are compacted and interlocked.
– Rolling should be carried from edge to centre line of
pavement and overlap of compaction should be 30cm.
– Amount of rolling depends on type of aggregates. Rolling
can be stopped when first sign of crushing is observed.
– Compacted coarse aggregates are checked for desired
profile using 3.0m straight edge and corrected where the
irregularities exceed 12mm.
• Bitumen application: The binder is applied over the dry
compacted aggregate layer uniformly with pressure distributor or
mechanical hand sprayer. The quantity of bitumen required is 50
and 68 kg per 10 sqm for 50 and 75 mm compacted thickness
respectively.

• Spreading of Key aggregates: after application of bitumen, the

key aggregates are spread and rolled. Cross profile will be
checked.

• Seal Coat: Seal coat is applied if another surface course is not

constructed immediately and traffic is allowed. Pavement section
is again rolled. Excessive rolling should be avoided.
• Finishing: The pavement section is checked for cross profile
with template and longitudinal profile by straight edge.

– Unevenness indicator can be used to locate spots with

excessive undulations and thus help in correcting.

– Maximum permissible undulations on a 3m straight edge

is 12mm and number of undulations of 10mm and higher
values should not be exceed 30 in road length of 300m.

• Opening to traffic: Surface can be allowed to traffic after a

minimum period of 24hrs.
 BUILT-UP SPRAY GROUT
• Specification of materials:

– Bitumen grades 80/100 to 30/40 or RT-4 and RT-5 can be

used as binder.
Properties Limits
Los Angeles Abrasion value 40% max
Aggregate impact value 30% max
Flakiness index 25% max
Stripping value 25% max
Loss with sodium sulphate, 5 cycles 12% max
– When base and binder course are provided, the base
course material must have Los Angeles abrasion value
upto 50% and impact value upto 40%
 Percent passing sieve size, mm Compacted thickness, mm
50 75
63 - 100
50 100 -
38 - 35-70
25 35-70 -
19 - 0-15
12 0-15 -
9 - -
4.75 - -
2.36 0-5 0-5

Grading of coarse aggregates for built-up spray grouts

Percent passing sieve size, mm Compacted thickness, mm
50 75
38 - -
25 - 100
19 100 35-70
12 35-70 -
9 - 0-15
4.75 0-15 -
2.36 0-15 0-5

Key aggregates required for penetration macadam

 Construction Steps:

• Preparation of existing base: Depressions and pot holes

are filled and the surface is brought to required grade
and chamber. Surface is cleaned and prime coat is
applied and cured if surface is porous.

• Tack Coat: heated bituminous binder is applied at a rate

of 7.5 to 10kg on WBM surface and 6 to 8 kg on black top
surface per 10 sqm area.
• Spreading first layer: Coarse aggregate are spread and
hand packed at rate of 0.5m³ per 10sqm area.

• Rolling: Rolling is done using 8 to 10 tonnes roller.

• Application of binders: Bitumen binder is sprayed

uniformly at a rate of 12.5 to 15 kg per 10 sqm over dry
compacted aggregates.

• Spreading of second layer of Coarse Aggregate: Second

layer is spread at a rate of 0.5m³ per 10 sqm area
immediately after applying binder.
• Rolling: This layer is again rolled starting from the edges to
centerline.
• Second application of binder: binder is applied at a rate of 12.5
to 15.0 kg per 10sqm area.
• Application of key aggregates: After application of binder key
aggregates are spread immediately at a rate of 0.13m³ per 10
sqm area and rolled.
• Surface finish: Unevenness is checked with 3m straight edge.
Longitudinal profile should not have undulations exceeding
12mm and no. of undulations greater than 10mm not more
than 30 in 300m road. In cross profile the maximum allowable
variation is 8mm.
• Opening for traffic: Built-up spray grout should not be
exposed to traffic before providing surface course.