A Photogrammetry-based Method to Determine Chip Seal Aggregate Embedment: A Feasibility Study

Chip seals have been the most frequently used preventive maintenance treatment on flexible pavements in the United States and overseas. Chip seals enhance transportation safety through 1) sealing small cracks, 2) reducing further oxidation of the pavement, 3) improving surface texture and skid resistance, 4) preserving and extending pavement life, and 5) providing color contrast and noise differences. Despite the growing number of chip seal projects in the U.S., many chip seal surface distresses such as aggregate loss, bleeding, and skid resistance still need to be solved, which are strongly related to aggregate embedment depth. Proper chip seal aggregate embedment should be evaluated as a critical factor when considering the design and construction of a chip seal project. In addition, road users are rapidly becoming less tolerant of travel delays caused by road works, so the research will benefit road users substantially by reducing the time involved in measuring the texture of existing surfaces. However, currently there is no reliable method to measure chip seal aggregate embedment quickly and accurately in the field. The objective of this study is to develop a photogrammetry-based method to rapidly determine the embedment depth of a uniformly placed chip seal of known aggregate gradation, easy to use, reasonably accurate, and inexpensive. The study will start with laboratory explorations with a photogrammetry-based method to measure the emulsion/binder application rate, final cover aggregate rate, and aggregate embedment. The effect of design factors (i.e., binder type, application rate, aggregate size, shape, and gradation) will be assessed as well.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $160,001.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348307

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851
• Project Managers:

  Stearns, Amy

• Performing Organizations:

  Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla

  Department of Engineering
  202 University Center
  Rolla, MO    65409
• Principal Investigators:

  Zhang, Xiong

• Start Date: 20240601
• Expected Completion Date: 20260630
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Chip seals; Highway safety; Pavements; Photogrammetry
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01971872
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348307
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 20 2025 4:29PM