1 + 1 = 3: Adding the Benefits of Cape Seals

0Cape Seals have been a part of our pavement preservation tool box for almost fifty years.  This combination treatment, consisting of a chip seal followed by a slurry seal or Micro surfacing course results in a treatment whose performance is much greater than the sum of its parts.

View from operator’s platform of a Bergkamp M1 Continuous Paver of a crew from Sealcoating Inc. placing the Micro surfacing portion of a Cape Seal.

The residual asphalt in the chip seal layer provides a water proofing membrane that seals and fills any minor surfacing cracking while also allowing some liquid asphalt penetration into a dry and oxidized surface.  The chip seal aggregate also gives the slurry coat an aggressive texture to grab on to.  This not only helps lock in the cover aggregate but helps reduce raveling and/or de-lamination of the slurry surfacing.

The finished Cape Seal provides an approximate 5/8 inch overlay that contains almost 100% crushed aggregate and at least 8% or 4.5 lbs. of residual asphalt per square yard.  A corresponding ¾ inch HMA overlay may contain less than 100% crushed aggregate and about 6% or 4.7 lbs. asphalt per S.Y.

The techniques required to construct a Cape Seal are flexible and can be adapted to meet the needs of the contractor or buyer.

Freshly placed micro surfacing over chip seal. Notice the excellent quality of each treatment.

The Chip Seal coat can be applied:

• As a standard chip seal coat or as a scrub seal.
• With emulsion or asphalt cement.
• With local aggregates.
• By government or contractor crews.

The Slurry Surfacing can be applied:

• With slurry seal, polymer modified slurry seal, or Micro surfacing.
• With Type II or Type III aggregate.
• Immediately following application of the chip seal coat or
• Several days or even weeks after the application of the chip seal coat.

The Cape Seal combines the advantages of two excellent pavement preservation tools and produces a system that is equal to more than the sum of its parts.

Notice that this project is in an urban residential area. Cape Seals can be used in any location or traffic volume. Contact Us today for more information describing the benefits of pavement preservation or about using our equipment for Cape Seal applications.

Author:  Rex W. Eberly, Global Sales Director Bergkamp Pavement Preservations Solutions
rexe@bergkampinc.com