Evaluation of the suitability of the automated mixing test in determining the workability of slurry surfacing mixes

Abstract

Slurry seals and micro-surfacing systems are widely used as primary surface treatments for extending pavement life and restoring the serviceability function of structurally adequate pavements. Beside their prevalent use, current test methods and procedures for evaluating the workability properties of slurry surfacing mixtures remain empirical, with no apparent agreement among practitioners. The performance of slurry surfacing seals is dependent the quality of the construction process, which is in turn dependent on the workability of the mixtures during construction. This study evaluated the suitability of using the Automated Mixing Test (AMT) in determining the workability parameters of slurry surfacing systems. The results of this study showed that workability is highly affected by emulsion type (cationic vs anionic, modified vs unmodified), gradation and aggregate gradation.