How long does a road surface last?
The lifespan of a road surface depends on many factors including construction, geology, traffic volumes, and weather. For example, roads in areas where freeze-thaw action occurs regularly may not last as long as roads situated in milder climates. Instead, they may develop potholes, cracks, or other defects which brings about the need for resurfacing or road repairs.
No road surface will last for an indefinite period. When roads are designed, the types of materials used, traffic volumes and ongoing maintenance requirements are considered to give an estimate in terms of lifespan. For organisations in charge of maintaining roads, there will be regular ongoing maintenance, including preventative maintenance, scheduled to preserve the road for as long as is safely possible before replacement is necessary.
What is the average lifespan of a sealed road?
On average, a sealed road surface will last around 25 years. However, during this time it is likely that it will need to be resealed every 10-13 years to ensure it remains usable. Depending on the factors listed above, a complete rebuild of a road will have to be undertaken every 30-35 years.
Ongoing preventative maintenance is necessary to ensure roads are safe for users. This can be in the form of surface dressing or pothole repair, among other things.
Highway Preservation & Repairs from BituChem
Highway preservation and repairs to asphalt roads are necessary for several reasons. The first of these is, of course, safety to road users and efficiency within the transport network. The second reason is cost.
Totally replacing a road is both costly and disruptive. Doing so more than is necessary can result in high costs and traffic congestion in and around the area, neither of which is ideal. Full road replacements will also eat into a significant portion of maintenance and repair budgets, resulting in roads elsewhere being neglected.
Highway preservation, regular road maintenance and repair means that roads are preserved for as long as possible, and unnecessary and expensive replacements are avoided for as long as possible.
At BituChem, we understand that high-quality surface dressings that can stand the test of time are of the utmost importance to ensure cost-effectiveness in highway preservation. For that reason, we offer a comprehensive range of polymer modified surface dressing emulsions that have been carefully developed to keep existing surfaces in optimal condition.
These innovative highway preservatives include:
To learn more about our highway preservatives, and how they are being used to repair and maintain roads, please contact our team. We have a wide range of data sheets and information available to support you in choosing the right product and we would be happy to help with your requirements.
