Slurry Seal is a form of pavement preservation that consists of a liquid mix of asphalt emulsion, fine crushed black stone, water, and minerals (like lime and cement).
Pavement preservation is the proactive maintenance of roads to prevent them from getting to a condition where major rehabilitation or reconstruction is necessary. Preventive maintenance costs are much less than the ultimate repair cost.
As depicted in the figure below, as pavement ages, the pavement condition declines to a poor condition after it has aged approximately 75% of its life (typically 20 years). As shown on the curve, as the pavement condition worsens, the treatment changes and results in higher treatment costs.
Proactively maintaining the roads extends pavement life and maximizes the value of each dollar spent on the roads.
Another important benefit is that the treatment costs to maintain good roads are substantially less, enabling the County to preserve more streets instead of focusing on repairs for bad roads.
We recommend driving conservatively on new slurry, especially on hot, sunny days.
For instance, avoid sitting still and turning your wheels or cutting the steering wheel hard, like when backing out of a driveway. Instead, back out and begin moving forward before turning your wheels. Keep speeds low to moderate until the road has worn in.
During the first few weeks, it is natural for some of the fine surface gravel to wear out of the slurry matrix as the surface wears in and smooths out. Some aggregate sand left at intersections or other areas where it was spread for traffic to cross. There may also be places along the gutter where loose aggregate can accumulate.
Starting June 30 until before July 4, the contractor will use a street sweeper and leaf blowers to remove aggregate from roadways. Work will start at the south end and work North, following the previous slurry seal work schedule. This will be the second round of three sweeps.
Double Fiber is a second coating of slurry used to enhance roadway sealing capabilities and performance.
- Enhanced Crack Resistance resisting reflective cracking.
- as increased durability from the double fiber application. Increased strength and roadway longevity.
- Provides a robust and resilient pavement.
- Cost Effective Preventive Maintenance extending life of extending pavement at a lower cost and less of an inconvenience to residents.
After the slurry seal has had enough time to settle in, we will complete our installation punch-list and perform a quality control inspection.
- Assessments ensuring everything’s been done to standards and the seal is performing as it should. If there is too much loose material on the surface of the road, another sweep is performed.
- Initial Surface:
- Initial surface variations expected.
- First few weeks after the install, it’s natural for some of the fine surface gravel to wear out of the slurry matrix as the surface weathers in and smooths out.
- Inspection of the entire project is completed and noted for repairs.
When complete, the roads in your neighborhood will be renewed & protected for many years to come!
To view the most recent schedules, please visit https://www.yuba.gov/news_detail_T6_R340.php.