BITUMINOUS SURFACE

DRESSING

BY : PRIKSHIT GUPTA
151638(Y2)
 BITUMINOUS SURFACE DRESSING

GENERAL FEATURES:
• Bituminous Surface Dressing is provided over a prepared base course or
existing pavement to serve as thin wearing coat. Surface dressing work consist
of application of suitable grade of bitumen by spraying over a prepared
base course or existing pavement surface followed by spreading specified
size of hard aggregates at the recommended rate and rolling . The BSD is a
cost effective surface-treatment to provide dust free and impermeable
pavement surface . The surface dressing also arrest the disintegration of the
pavement surface and provides a non-skid riding surface.
• The IRC has provided specifications for two types of dressing work, namely
(1) Single coat surface dressing
(2) Two-coat surface dressing
• Single coat surface dressing consist of application
of bituminous binder
material followed by spreading of aggregate cover and rolling.

Principle of surface dressing

• Two –coat surface dressing is formed by spraying the first layer of binder,
spreading a layer of cover aggregates and rolling, which forms the first coat.
• Over the first compacted layer, the second layer of binder is sprayed ,the
second layer of cover aggregates is spread and rolled.
• The aggregate size of second layer is smaller than that of the first layer .
Single coat surface dressing is provided for roads carrying low volume of
traffic and located in low rainfall areas; for roads carrying higher volume of
traffic and located in high rainfall areas,two-coat surface dressing is generally
preferred.
MATERIALS
The materials required for the construction of surface dressing are:
• Bitumen Binder :
Bitumen binder of penetration grade of VG-10 grade
bitumen is recommended for surface dressing .The spraying
temperature may be 165º to about 200ºC.
Alternatively ‘rapid setting’ grade of ‘cationic bituminous emulsions ‘
having minimum bitumen content of 65 % by weight may also be
used as the binder for surface dressing. The spraying temperature
of bitumen emulsion binder may vary from 50-80ºC. When
bituminous emulsion is chosen as the binder ,the aggregates should
be free from dust .
• The specifies rate of application of paving grade binder to be used for
surface dressing work are 1.2,1.0 and 0.9kg per m² area respectively when
the normal size of aggregate cover used are 19,13 and 10mm.
• The specified rate of application of emulsion binder to be used for surface
dressing are 1.8,1.5and 1.3 kg per m² area when the normal size of
aggregate cover used are 19,13 and 10mm respectively.
• Aggregates:
Hard variety of crushed stone or gravel shall be used as the cover material
for the construction of surface dressing. The aggregates shall fulfil the physical
requirements as specified by the IRC as given under.
Los Angles abrasion value : less than 40%
Aggregate impact value : less than 30%
Combined flakiness and elongation index : less than 30%
Stripping value : less than 5%
Water absorption : less than 1%
Polished stone value : more than 60
CONSTRUCTION STEPS FOR SURFACE DRESSING
• The receiving surface on which the surface dressing is to be laid is prepared
by patching the pot-holes ,filling up the depression.
• When paving grade binder is used , surface dressing work should be taken
up during dry weather. When bituminous emulsion binder is used ,the surface
dressing work may be carried out even when the prepared surface is damp ,
but without free without free water on the surface and when temperature is
higher than 10ºC.
• The surface is cleaned with a mechanical broom to remove loose materials
and dust.
• If the surface is granular base course, prime coat is applied as specified and
allowed to cure fully.
• Bituminous binder of specified gradeis heated to the specified temperature
and is uniformly sprayed using a mechanical sprayer at the specified rate.
• Immediately after the application of binder ,the selected aggregate for
surface dressing is spread uniformly using a mechanical grit spreader at the
specified rate.
• Immediately after spreading the aggregates ,the entire surface is rolled using
a pneumatic tyre roller or a 6 to8 tonne smooth wheeled roller. Rolling is
continued till the aggregate particles are embedded firmly in bituminous
binder layer and an uniform closed surface is formed.
• The surface finish is checked using a 3 meter straight edge in the longitudinal
direction along the centre of each traffic lane;the maximum permissible
unevenness is 10mm in mechanised method and 12mm in manual method of
spreading aggregates.
• When paving bitumen is used as binder the finished surface may be opened
to traffic on next day.
• When emulsion binder is used it is preferable to allow traffic after a minimum
period of 24 hours after final rolling.
QUALITY CONTROL TESTS DURING THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SURFACE DRESSING
• The sample of aggregates collected for surface dressing are subjected to specified
tests in laboratory to decide the suitability.
• The grading of the aggregates of selected nominal size is checked to ensure that this
conforms to the specified grading.
• If the surface dressing is laid over a granular base course ,the rate of application of
binder for prime coat is checked .
• The temperature of application of bituminous binder is checked.
• The rate of application of binder over the prepared surface is checked using three
metal plates and weighing them.
• The rate of application of aggregates as ‘cover material’ by the mechanical grit
spreader is checked for the selected nominal size.
 TWO-COAT SURFACE DRESSING
• In case of two coat surface dressing , after first coat traffic is allowed for two
or three weeks before the application of second coat.
• The binder is applied at the same specified rate and immediately the
aggregate of next smaller nominal size is spread at the specified rate.
• Rolling is done as before ,soon after the spreading of aggregates.