State of the art review on design and performance of microsurfacing

Abstract

Over the years, microsurfacing had gained popularity owing to the effectiveness, economic and environmental benefits as a pavement preventive maintenance treatment. The review study explores the merits and demerits of mix design procedures along with modifications suggested by various studies. Subsequently, studies on the performance of microsurfacing had been extensively reviewed and significant parameters contributing to variation in performance were identified. Literature review indicated that the microsurfacing mix design, unlike conventional hot mix asphalt, was complicated due to chemically controlled curing system and additional components involving microsurfacing production. Despite simple test procedures, most commonly adopted mix design parameters such as mixing and setting time, and torque-measurements exhibit operator specific variability in test results. In order to overcome such issues, mechanical modifications for mixing and automated measurements of parameter values were proposed by several researchers. Laboratory investigations on microsurfacing performance highlighted that the inclusion of process control parameters and environmental conditions to mimic field conditions could further improve the evaluation of microsurfacing durability. In terms of field performance, even though microsurfacing contribute to road safety, issues related to noise and reflective cracking would require further research for better understanding and possible solutions. Hence, the evaluation of synergistic influence of parameters on microsurfacing performance by simulating production and environmental conditions in a laboratory would allow better quantification of the associated failures and help to find probable solutions.