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Transportation Rehabilitation

What types of pavement rehabilitation projects does the City of Houston perform? 

Houston Public Works manages several types of pavement rehabilitation projects, including: 

  • Concrete Panel Replacements 
  •  Asphalt Mill & Overlays  
  • Composite Pavement Treatments  
  • Fog Seals  
  • Microsurfacing 
What is Concrete Panel Replacements?

 A concrete panel is an individual section of concrete pavement, typically separated from adjacent sections by transverse & longitudinal joints. When a panel becomes severely cracked, broken, or deteriorated, replacing the entire panel can restore the roadway without reconstructing the entire pavement section.

Removing the failed panel also allows us to evaluate the base layer beneath the pavement, and replace that with more durable material if needed. 

A successful panel replacement project can make the roadway last up to the life-cycle of the concrete, which could be up to 50 years. 

What is a "Mill & Overlay"? 

Think of a Mill & Overlay as a high-tech "exfoliation" for the road. Instead of a month-long process of digging up the entire street down to the dirt, we use a specialized machine to mill (scrape off) the damaged top 2-3 inches of old, cracked asphalt. 

Once the old surface is removed, we perform necessary base repairs and improve drainage before laying down a fresh overlay of brand-new asphalt. 

This process is faster, more cost-effective, and results in a smooth finish that can last another 10 to 15 years. 

What is a Composite Pavement Treatment? 

Composite pavement is a concrete roadway that has been overlaid with asphalt. Composite pavements can be advantageous when an existing concrete roadway still provides adequate structural support, but the surface has deteriorated or the roadway needs an improved ride quality. The downside to this process is that the natural movement of the concrete beneath the asphalt can cause premature cracks in the asphalt surface. 

We treat the problem by milling off the damaged asphalt surface and replacing it with a fresh overlay. To prevent the same cracks from reoccurring, we typically include a fiberglass reinforcement grid that prevents the cracks from reaching the surface. 

The final resulting pavement can last another 10 to 15 years. 

What is a Fog Seal? 

A fog seal is a preventative treatment, designed to extend the useful service life of asphalt pavement. When asphalt is fresh, it is black and over time, the asphalt oxidizes to a gray color. A fog seal is a sprayed emulsion (asphalt mixed with water) that coats and lightly seeps into the pavement, restoring the black top nature of a freshly asphalted roadway. This seals micro- and hairline cracks in the pavement to prevent water intrusion, so that the road lasts longer. 

A fog seal can add an additional 2-5 years to the life cycle of the asphalt. 

What is Microsurfacing? 

Microsurfacing is a pavement preservation technique for asphalt roads. It involves overlaying a thin (up to ½” thick) layer of asphalt, mixed with polymers, cement, and fine aggregates. Microsurfacing seals all cracks – up to ¼” wide – to prevent water intrusion and provide a new riding surface for traffic. 

A microsurfacing project can extend the pavement life by 5 to 8 years. 

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