Evaluation of Ultrathin Friction Course (TRB 940929)

NOVACHIP™, sometimes known as ultrathin friction course, was successfully constructed on two highways in the San Antonio District of Texas. The French process, NOVACHIP™, is a new technology for Texas and the United States and this research study was initiated by the Federal Highway Administration in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation to provide a means for evaluation and documentation of the process and resulting performance. After ten months of service, the NOVACHIP™ pavement surfaces are in excellent condition. The pavements appear to be in essentially the same condition as immediately after construction. The pavements will be monitored for a period of three years and performance documented. In general, NOVACHIP™ appears to have promise as a preventive maintenance treatment or surface rehabilitation technique for asphalt concrete pavements. It should provide the engineer with an alternative for chip seals, micro-surfacing, open-graded friction courses, or thin asphalt concrete overlays.