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Weather and traffic play a role, but the root cause is the lack of a tack
coat prior to construction of the overlay. A tack coat is used to help the Tech Tips
overlay adhere to the underlying, weathered pavement surface.
Quick Answers
Normally, when a new layer of hot-mix or coldmix asphalt is placed,
the surface of every rock and grain of sand is uniformly coated with a All Info by Topic
film of asphalt. The initial film thickness is only a couple thousandths
of an inch thick. Over time, sunlight hardens the surface films and
makes the asphalt less sticky. Traffic abrades the surface, and water
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helps to remove the coating. In one or two years the asphalt film is
worn off the surface, leaving the aggregate exposed. Books
From that point forward, there is nothing there to bond a new layer of Software
asphalt concrete to the old one. A tack coat replaces the worn away
asphalt and promotes bonding with the old pavement. Resources
What is a “Tack Coat?”
https://www.clrp.cornell.edu/nuggets_and_nibbles/articles/2009/tack_coat.html 1/3
4/2/2018 When is a Tack Coat Necessary?
the 2008 NYSDOT Standard Specifications, subsection 6, Table 702-9
lists the approved grades of anionic and cationic asphalt emulsions for
use in tack coats. Table 702-10 lists the required composition. All of
the grades incorporate hard base asphalt. The anionic grades are
slightly preferred where limestone and dolomitic aggregates are
exposed on the old road surface. Cationic grades would be preferred
for all other aggregate types.
Too much tack coat can cause more problems than it solves. It cures
slowly, delaying paving and causing prolonged traffic congestion. It
puddles in the low areas. Too much tack can actually foster slippage
between the layers that are supposed to be bonded. It is important to
use the proper material at the proper application rate for the pavement
conditions.
Some agencies say that tack coats are cheap insurance and should
be used in nearly all circumstances. Others recognize that when a
thick overlay is placed (say, four inches or more) it may be possible to
skip the tack coat. However, as the layer thickness goes up, the
percentage of the job cost that goes into the tack coat becomes
inconsequential, so I tend to agree with the “all circumstances” point of
view.
The photo above shows a state highway where two one-inch HMAC
overlays were placed about 10 years apart. Tack coats were not used
for either overlay. A few months after the more recent construction,
surface raveling began to appear in the outer wheelpath. Wetness
during late spring accelerated the stripping, and both overlays were
completely removed in a matter of days.
https://www.clrp.cornell.edu/nuggets_and_nibbles/articles/2009/tack_coat.html 2/3
4/2/2018 When is a Tack Coat Necessary?
How Can You Repair the Raveled Pavement?
Why use the T&L course? If you only put down the overlay, some
areas of the uncompacted mat will be thicker than others. During
compaction, the thicker areas will compact more than the thinner
areas. This will leave a rippled effect on the surface, mimicking the
raveled surface. If the T&L course is applied first, both the
uncompacted and the compacted overlay will be of uniform thickness,
and the rippling will be avoided.
Note that a tack coat was required during the repair. Had it been used
during the original overlay construction, the raveling could have been
prevented, and the cost of the more extensive repair might have been
avoided entirely.
Tack coats don’t cost much, but they perform a very valuable function.
Generally speaking, you don’t save money in the long run when you
skip that step. So when you are paving over an old, weathered
surface, use a tack coat!
Summer 2009
416 Riley-Robb Hall / Ithaca, NY 14853 / phone: 607-255-8033 / fax: 607-255-4080 / email: clrp@cornell.edu
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