Performance Evaluation of NOVACHIP Ultrathin Friction Course (553-2F)

NOVACHIP was successfully constructed on two highways in the San Antonio District of the Texas Department of Transportation: US 281 and SH 46. A NOVACHIP friction course consists of a layer of hot-mix material placed over a heavy polymer-modified asphalt tack coat. The course thickness ranges from 10 to 20 mm. Layer thickness is typically 1.5 times the diameter of the largest stone. The French process, NOVACHIP, is a new technology for Texas and the United States. This research study was created to provide a field evaluation and documentation of the process and resulting performance.|After three years of service, the NOVACHIP pavement surfaces are in excellent condition. NOVACHIP shows promise as a preventive maintenance treatment or surface rehabilitation technique for asphalt concrete pavements. It should provide the maintenance engineer with an alternative for chip seals, micro-surfacing, plant-mix seals, or thin asphalt concrete overlays.