Paving the way

Base Stabilization by Chip Seal of Texas is an effective pavement rehabilitation technique that provides public and private sectors with a strong, durable base capable of withstanding a wide range of traffic loads.

This creates an improved homogeneous material which utilizes the entire thickness of the existing bituminous layer and a portion of the underlying granular materials thereby reducing material transportation costs and construction durations. This technique may be successfully utilized in urban, rural, and freeway applications.

A wide range of pavement distresses including longitudinal and transverse cracking, rutting, distortions, and raveling may be treated by various stabilization techniques to improve the ride quality and provide a structural improvement to the roadway. Stabilizing agents typically used across North America include foamed asphalt cement, emulsion, lime, Portland cement, fly ash, and liquid chloride. The subsequent recycled material must be covered with chip seal or hot mix asphalt.

A geotechnical analysis of the potential candidate should be performed to determine the appropriate stabilization methods to be used considering forecast traffic loads, life cycle, and climate.

Base Stabilization is very attractive to asset owners due to the lower life-cycle costs, low environmental impact, overall performance, and ease of construction. 

Excavation & Grading: The Initial Two Step in any New Asphalt Construction
New asphalt cannot be laid on top of damaged asphalt. Before road, highway, or parking lot construction can take place, the existing asphalt structure must be excavated and then graded. These steps are crucial in the overall construction process.

Excavation: Excavation is the process of preparing the prospective location of the driveway OR parking lot for the asphalt or Chip Seal that will eventually be laid.

Grading: Now the area must be shaped, creating the proper pitch in the underlying material so that water drains properly once the asphalt is in place. Do you have an asphalt paving job that involves Excavation and Grading? If so, give Chip Seal of Texas a call!

Utilizing state of the art equipment and experienced operators, Chip Seal of Texas Grading and Excavation Division performs a full range of earthmoving services to prepare commercial and residential development sites for the construction of buildings, roads, parking lots and many other uses.

We currently have crews available for work. Contact us today to schedule your estimate before we are completely booked solid!

Chip Seal of Texas Company is a full-service commercial and residential asphalt paving contractor, offering the production and installation of hot mix asphalt, asphalt patching, milling, seal coating and Chip Sealing.

If you have any questions about Excavation and Grading or if you have a construction project that you need completed right the first time, please contact Chip Seal of Texas by calling 512-202-6012 . Chip Seal of Texas maintains a reputation as a leader in the construction industry and can be seen working on Texas roads, highways, airports, office parks, shopping centers, hospitals, churches, and residential neighborhoods

Though a Chip Seal Driveway or Tar & Chip Driveway might not be familiar to you, you almost certainly have seen driveways and roads built this way. Or maybe you know it by another of its names: chip-and-seal, seal chip, macadam, or liquid-asphalt-and-stone. Whatever the name, it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think driveway. The more common choices are materials such as concrete, gravel, pavers or asphalt.

But just because you may not have heard of tar-and-chip before doesn't mean you shouldn't consider it. You've almost certainly driven over miles of tar and chip roadways and parking lots. It's a good driveway choice for those wanting to keep costs down.

A tar-and-chip driveway is a low-cost alternative to asphalt, offering a more solid surface than plain gravel. It also has a rough texture, which makes for much better footing when wet or snow-covered, compared to poured concrete, which can be slippery.

The expression "tar-and-chip" is a shorthand term that refers to a paving surface made from asphalt (liquid form) and stone.

How Long Will a Tar-and-Chip Driveway Last?
Tar and chip driveways are not built for the long haul. Expect the surface to remain sound from 10 to 15 years. At that point, you may want to add another layer of tar and stones.

What Does a Tar-and-Chip Driveway Cost?
Since it is primarily composed of asphalt and gravel, it is useful to compare the cost of a tar-and-chip surface to those other two options. A tar-and-chip driveway will typically cost about twice as much as a gravel driveway and a little less than an asphalt driveway. Expect to pay in the range of $2 to $5 per square foot (the exact cost will vary depending on your size, prep work, location and courses. As is the case with asphalt driveways, the costs of oil are a big factor in the installation expense.

Expect the cost of these driveways to climb a bit when the commodity price of oil climbs.

How Is a Tar-and-Chip Driveway Built?
Building a tar-and-chip driveway is a pretty simple process. First, as with most driveway materials, a gravel base is installed. Then, hot liquid asphalt is poured over the gravel. This is followed by a coating of loose stones, which are rolled into the asphalt to form the finish surface. Tar-and-chip can be installed over existing driveway materials, provided they are in reasonably good shape.

It's in the selection of this top layer of stones that you have choices to make regarding the look of your finished driveway. You can choose from different colors of stones to create a unique and personally appealing surface. 

You want your parking lot to stand out. If you wish to bypass the more generic look of black top or concrete, we would want you to consider a 'Chip Seal'! This product has a lot of advantages over black-top or concrete. The benefits of Chip Seal over black-top and concrete include:

• Less cost
• Enhanced beauty
• Conveniently maintenance-free
• Better traction
• Less heat absorption
• Virtually no down-time  
  
  Chip Seal involves liquid asphalt (or hot Tar CRS2) being distributed over existing pavement or a compacted and grated area. Rock is evenly distributed and then rolled, impacted and sealed. The end result is Chip Seal and adds a distinct touch of class. You, have the option of choosing from a polished pea gravel or a light grey limestone rock, but this is contentious to where your job location is in Texas or Oklahoma.

Sealcoating, or pavement sealing, is the process of applying a protective coating to asphalt-based pavements to provide a layer of protection from the elements: water, oils, and U.V. damage. #Benefits.......Sealcoat or pavement sealer is a coating for asphalt-based pavements. Sealcoating is marketed as a protective coating that extends the life of asphalt pavements. There is not any independent research that proves these claims.

Sealcoating may also reduce the friction or anti-skid properties associated with the exposed aggregates in asphalt. #Detriments to Sealcoat........Not all pavement sealcoat are created equal. For example, refined tar-based sealer offers the best protecting against water penetration and chemical resistance.

Asphalt-based sealer typically offers poor protection against environmental chemical and harsher climates (salt water). Petroleum-based sealer offer protection against water and chemicals somewhere between the other two sealers. Another difference between coatings is in terms of wear. Again, refined tar-based sealer offers the best wear characteristics (typically 3-5 years) while asphalt-based sealer may last 1-3 years. Petroleum-based sealer falls between refined tar and asphalt.

There are concerns about pavement sealer polluting the environment after it is abraded from the surface of the pavement. Some states in North America have banned the use of coal tar-based sealants primarily based on United States Geological Survey studies. [1] The industry group that represents sealcoat manufacturers has performed numerous research and reviews of the USGS and have found it to be erroneous, biased (citation and white hat, to name a few) and too generalized in order to draw the conclusions that the United States Geological Survey claims. #Types.......There are primarily three types of pavement sealers. They are commonly known as refined tar-based (coal tar based), asphalt-based, and petroleum-based. All three have their advantages but are typically chosen by the contractors' preference unless otherwise specified. Application methods..........Prior to application the surface must be completely clean and dry using sweeping methods and/or blowers.