SERVICES
Residential & Commercial Oil and Chip
An Oil and Chip surface treatment is the most economical method of waterproofing your aggregate surface, at the same time it gives you a very low maintenance hard surface. It is a surface treatment that consists of applying an asphalt emulsion, which is followed immediately with an even coating of CA-16 limestone chips. This process is continued one – two additional times to achieve the completed surface treatment depending on the intended service of the area.
Oil and chip can also be applied over an existing Hot Mix Asphalt surface that has reached it service life due to oxidation and traffic wear but is still structurally sound. By applying an oil and chip surface treatment this will extend the life of the pavement significantly.
Benefits of Oil & Chip
When choosing what type of surface treatment to apply to your project, consider the following advantages of choosing oil and chip:
- Lower Overall Cost – When it comes to Oil and Chip surfaces your cost will be slightly higher than a gravel surface without the costly never ending repairs, while typically half the cost of asphalt.
- Very Low Maintenance – Oil and Chip requires very little maintenance, you will not have to re-seal every 2 or 3 years like asphalt.
- Natural Beauty – Oil and Chip tends to blend in with landscaping and natural surroundings while complimenting your home or business.
- Dust Abatement – While not completely dust free, Oil and Chip significantly reduces your exposure to troublesome dust.
- Traction – The rough texture of Oil and Chip will improve traction.
- Life of Service – Oil and Chip typically will last up to 10 years, before it will need to be re-surfaced.
Aggregate Base
The design and construction of any paving process starts with a sound aggregate base. It is the stepping stone of the process that must not be overlooked. Depending on the field conditions of your project, a decision will be made as to what type of aggregate base will be utilized to ensure many years of maintenance-free life of your pavement choice.
First, a geotechnical fabric will be rolled over the sub-base if conditions require it, then the specific aggregate will be deposited, graded and rolled to compact in a maximum lift of 4” each time until the desired elevation is reached.
Cold Bam – Cold Mix
These products are a homogenous mixture of portioned amounts of mixing grade asphalt emulsion and aggregate. They achieve maximum bonding capabilities with an existing hard surface and are widely used for patching holes and imperfections prior to applying an oil and chip surface.
These products are readily available in bulk quantities for our customers at our Benton location.
Patching & Maintenance
With any hard surface treatment, there are certain types of maintenance and repairs that need to be done to prolong the life of your investment. Illini Asphalt has all the necessary products and equipment to provide the required maintenance. If potholes or surface failures occur it is usually due to water infiltration into the sub base. To eliminate this, the affected area will be power broomed to remove all foreign debris. Then a specifically required product will be used to patch the damaged area and compacted in place. These products are typically made up of a homogenous mixture of limestone aggregate and asphalt emulsion. Virgin limestone aggregates can be used for certain types of repair. After the patching of the damaged area it is required to cover these areas with a minimum of 1 coat of oil and chip (2 coats is highly recommended) to ensure a waterproof surface.
Dust Control
When a customer has an aggregate surface on a parking lot, roadway, staging site or business retail yard it is often required to do some type of dust control. Illini Asphalt has the equipment and products to achieve a dust free environment. When choosing an aggregate surface one must always assume there will be a dust problem and cannot count on precipitation to control this nuisance. Fugitive dust can create problems for health, premature equipment repairs, neighbors and general appearances of one’s business. With many choices of dust suppressants on the market Illini Asphalt will recommend the best products and application methods for the given area or intended uses to keep you dust free.
Reclaiming Existing Surface
Over time a roadway or parking lot can fail to drain water properly due to the age of pavement, patching on the surface or overuse these conditions can result in base failures. Reclaiming the surface is a highly effective means of acquiring a smooth and rejuvenated base. The process begins with a reclaimer (pavement tiller) that grinds the top two inches of surface leaving it in place, so it can be re-profiled with a motor grader and then compacted. The area is then ready to be covered with a new oil and chip surface that will be free from dips, bumps or potholes without having to add costly materials to level the surface. This process is much better than the remove and replace option, it conserves natural resources and at the same time can be a big cost saving to you the customer.
Slag Seal
The process of slag sealing incorporates a polymer blended asphalt emulsion and wet bottom boiler slag. The result is a fine aggregate surface treatment that is black in color and will not change over time. Applications include parking lots, private driveways or lanes, sub-divisions, county roads and city streets. Slag seal is a State approved process. Other advantages include, it is significantly less expensive than other paving options, it is an aesthetically pleasing color, and it has warmer surface temperatures in the winter months for snow and ice removal, and its crack sealing capabilities keep water out of the sub-base. Slag sealing is environmentally conscious in that we are utilizing a recycled aggregate rather than virgin aggregates from rock quarries. Give us a call to see if this process can assist you in reducing costs of your paving needs.
