Seal Coats in Texas

TxDOT Director of Maintenance for the San Antonio District John Bohuslav discusses the importance of seal coats as a preventative treatment

What's the Problem?

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintains more than 79,000 miles of farm-to-market, ranch-to-market, state, U.S. and interstate highways. That’s more roadway than any other state. As resources are stretched thin, maintaining the roadways is a challenge. Seal coats, also known as chip seals, are simple, relatively inexpensive pavement surfaces that are highly effective if adequate care is taken in the planning and execution of the work. In this video, Director of Maintenance for the San Antonio District John Bohuslav discusses how seal coats are a very important part of TxDOT’s preventive maintenance program. Bohuslav explains that to the average driver, a road that is due for a seven-year seal coat may look fine, but upon closer inspection would see hairline cracks or other failures that indicate the pavement is in distress.

If applied before major failures are present, a seal coat may prolong the life of a roadway by sealing and protecting the base and providing strength at the road surface so that the base can resist the abrasive and disruptive forces of traffic.

Seal Coats as a Solution

Seal coats are a preventative maintenance treatment that are intended to prevent the road from failing prematurely, extend the life of the road, and seal it to prevent water penetration. According to Bohuslav, water penetration is the primary reason a pavement will fail.

Bohuslav also explains the cost value benefit of using seal coats as a preventative treatment, noting that seal coats are approximately a dollar per square yard versus $7-10 for an asphalt overlay.

If applied before major failures are present, a seal coat may prolong the life of a roadway by sealing and protecting the base and providing strength at the road surface so that the base can resist the abrasive and disruptive forces of traffic.

Other benefits of seal coats include:

• enriching an existing dry or raveled surface,
• arresting the deterioration of a surface showing signs of distress, and
• providing a skid-resistant surface.