Highway engineers seeking to specify modern thin-surfacing systems on local road networks must evaluate the condition of the substrate to ensure the right material is applied.
The conclusion comes in a new guide to the use of negative texture surfaces, produced by the Roads Board and Department for Transport, launched this week at the Surveyor Highways Maintenance conference.
Atkins’ technical service manager who worked on the guide, Steve Biczysko, told delegates that NTS systems were performing better than traditional surfacing in most circumstances on local roads. However, due to the ‘evolved’ nature of the network, road structures overall were thinner compared with ‘designed’ strategic routes.
Flexing, therefore, appeared to be the problem. Along with other site conditions and installation practices, ‘the importance of the substrate is a key element in determining the right material for the right site,’ Biczysko said. He added that when thin surfacing material did deteriorate, it could do so at an ‘alarming’ rate. : Best practice guidelines for specification of modern negative texture surfaces on local authority highways can be downloaded at www.roadscodes.org
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