Roads
Master Specification
RD-BP-C8 Application of Pavement Crack Sealant
Document Information
KNet Number:
13506211
Document Version:
3
Document Date:
July 2022
Roads Contents
Master Specification 2
Document Amendment Record
Version
Change Description Date
1
Initial issue (formerly R38)
02/07/19
2
Formatting for Publishing
22/08/19
3
Minor edits and updates
July 2022
Document Management
This document is the Property of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport and contains
information that is confidential to the Department. It must not be copied or reproduced in any way without
the written consent of the Department. This is a controlled document and it will be updated and reissued
as approved changes are made.
Roads RD-BP-C8 Application of Pavement Crack Sealant
Master Specification 4
RD-BP-C8 Application of Pavement Crack Sealant
1 General
1.1 This Part specifies the requirements for the sealing of cracks using hot placed elastomeric / crumb
rubber sealants in existing asphalt and spray seal pavements to prevent ingress of water into the
pavement.
2 Quality Requirements
2.1 If not provided beforehand, the Contractor must provide the following documentation 14 days prior
to the commencement of works on site:
a) details of the Approved Product (refer Clause 3 “General”);
b) details of work method including procedures for the application of the sealant for each crack
sealing operation type and treated crack width range;
c) sealant manufacturer’s instructions and product performance data;
d) demonstrate performance characteristics are met; and
e) plant to be used and demonstration of its appropriateness.
2.2 Provision of the above documentation or any change to this documentation shall constitute a Hold
Point.
3 Materials
General
3.1 Crack sealant must be a Department Approved Product. Refer to the Department's Approved
Products List
3.2 Approved products must meet the requirements of RD-BP-S3 “Supply of Pavement Crack Sealant”.
3.3 The above documents are available at:
https://dit.sa.gov.au/contractor_documents/masterspecifications
Aggregate
3.4 If blinding is necessary to meet tackiness considerations, the materials must comply with RD-PV-S1
“Supply of Pavement Materials”.
3.5 Sand must be either Type Sa–B or Sa–C.
3.6 Aggregate must be Sealing Aggregate Type SA7-5 or SA5-2.
4 Sealant / Work Method
General
4.1 A lot is defined as the pavement crack-sealed per week.
Traffic
4.2 Traffic control must be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of PC-SM1 "Provision for
Traffic".
4.3 The Contractor must ensure that extrusion or picking up of the sealant does not occur.
Roads RD-BP-C8 Application of Pavement Crack Sealant
Master Specification 5
Temperature
4.4 Hot sealants must not be placed if the pavement is damp or its temperature is below 0°C.
Pavement Surface Preparation
4.5 Crack sealing must not be carried out where excessive cracks exist such as in crocodile cracking.
Generally this includes any area where there is a closed cell of less than 150 mm in length and width.
4.6 Unless specified otherwise, at a minimum the following treatments must be applied to the pavement
surface at the crack location:
a) using a lance to thoroughly clean the cracks of all foreign material, including old crack sealant
(heating capacity is optional; if hot air is utilised, care must be exercised to keep the lance
moving to avoid burning the surrounding pavement);
b) brushing or other techniques to remove locked in detritus (optional); and
c) ensuring the crack is as dry as practicable, using heating if necessary.
4.7 For efficient removal of foreign materials from within cracks, equipment must supply compressed air
to a minimum pressure of 800 kPa.
Application of Sealant
4.8 A tack coat appropriate to the sealant must be applied in preparation for the sealant if required in the
manufacturer's instructions. The tack coat must be fully dry before sealant application.
4.9 The Contractor must document that the approved product is applicable to the sites to be crack sealed
taking into account pavement type, climate for the time of year, moisture characteristics, and crack
widths.
4.10 Work method must be carried out as in Approved Product documentation.
4.11 Sealant must be applied between 40 mm and 50 mm in width.
4.12 Heating of hot sealant must be carried out within the binder temperature range as recommended by
the Manufacturer.
4.13 Localised sealant overheating must be prevented by continuously agitating the sealant while heating
and / or by using jacketed heaters with a calibrated temperature measuring device. Prolonged
heating and reheating of sealant must be avoided.
4.14 Where there is evidence of deterioration in the performance of the sealant during the course of the
work, additional test sections may be requested and tested in accordance with this Clause 4.
Non-complying Application of Sealant
4.15 If the Contractor’s work is non-compliant, the Contractor’s entitlement to payment is reduced by an
amount commensurate with the proportion of non-compliant work.
4.16 Non-compliant work includes:
a) over application of sealant (e.g. at crocodile cracking);
b) too large an application band width;
c) dripping of sealant where not required;
d) missing cracks;
e) wrong use of approved product for crack width and / or pavement type; and
f) not meeting other performance requirements.
Roads RD-BP-C8 Application of Pavement Crack Sealant
Master Specification 6
5 Performance Requirements
Skid Resistance
5.1 The Skid Resistance of the sealant / work method must not be less than the SRV levels specified in
Table RD-BP-C8 5-1.
Table RD-BP-C8 5-1 Skid Resistance British Pendulum (SRV)
Road Situation
Minimum Grip No.
Maximum Vehicle Speed
km/h
Difficult sites - steep grades, traffic light
approaches, tight bends, roundabouts.
0.50 – 0.55 60 – 80
Urban Arterial Roads 0.45 60
Rural Arterial Roads
0.45
110
Urban / Lightly Trafficked
0.40
60
Urban Arterial Expressway 0.45 90 – 100
5.2 If requested by Principal, the following procedure must be used to demonstrate compliance with this
clause:
a) Prepare test sections at 2 or more locations, one with a road surface with good texture and one
with poor texture. Each individual test section must consist of 100 mm wide bands applied
transversely across lane and longitudinally for 2 m in a wheel path.
b) Arrange for Skid Resistance Tests to be carried out on each wheel path at each trial section
which achieve the minimum requirements specified in Clause 5 "Performance Requirements".
Tackiness
5.3 Tackiness must be such that no pick up of sealant by vehicle tyre will occur after five minutes from
application.
Long Term Crack Sealing Performance
5.4 Each lot of work undertaken must be documented on a single sheet and provided to the Principal
and the DIT Asphalt Engineer with the documentation required in Clause 8 “Verification
Requirements and Records” for determination of long term performance by DIT.
5.5 The contact details are: Asphalt Engineer, Level 7, 83 Pirie Street, Adelaide 5001
6 Sampling and Testing
6.1 The Contractor must undertake sampling and testing in accordance with Table RD-BP-C8 6-1.
Table RD-BP-C8 6-1 Sealant Sampling and Test Requirements
Test Purpose
Frequency
Acceptance Limits
Product quality control Minimum of one per contract
Table RD-BP-S3 2-1 Sealant
Test Properties
Product identification
If requested by Principal
Part RD-BP-S3
Placed product skid resistance If requested by Principal Part RD-BP-C8 Clause 5.1
6.2 No separate payment will be made for the costs incurred by the manufacturer / Contractor when
undertaking sampling and / or testing in accordance with this Clause 6.
6.3 At any time, the Principal may request an audit sample from the site to verify that the sealant is an
approved product.
Roads RD-BP-C8 Application of Pavement Crack Sealant
Master Specification 7
7 Hold Points
7.1 The following is a summary of Hold Points referenced in this Part:
Document Ref.
Hold Point
Response Time
2.2 Provision of Contractor’s Documentation 5 Working Days
8 Verification Requirements and Records
8.1 The Contractor must provide a lot package report, which includes the following details, within 7 days
of completion of the Lot:
a) location of work – road name and location as appropriate;
b) Approved Product details;
c) daily or more frequent start and finish times;
d) pavement temperatures;
e) area of pavement treated in square meters (or length of crack sealing undertaken if specified);
f) sealant test results and litres used;
g) average estimated crack width;
h) non-conformances; and
i) any additional documentation relevant for long term performance evaluation.
