This study is examining the potential benefits of routing in hot mix asphalt pavement prior to installing crack sealant. (1) Definition. Crack sealing and crack filling are two separate activities. While both crack sealing and crack filling involve placing sealants in pavement cracks, they differ in process. Generally, crack sealing is defined as using a router or saw to create a reservoir in a crack which is then filled with a sealant material. Crack filling is defined as minor crack preparation, such as using an air gun to blow debris out of cracks, prior to installation of the sealant. There is no pavement removed with crack filling. Additionally, crack sealing is performed on working cracks, whereas crack filling is generally the term used to refer to the treatment of nonworking cracks. (2) Implementation. Crack sealing should be carried out on structurally sound pavement which has low pavement distress. The pavement selection consideration should be based on pavement age, pavement and geometric design, pavement selection boundaries, traffic, type and extent of previous maintenance treatments and condition rating. The best candidates for crack sealing are newer pavements which are in the range of 1 to 3 years, and the majority of pavement distress can be found in terms of longitudinal or transverse having slight to moderate crack density. (3) Evaluation. The performance life of a treatment mostly depends on the preparation of crack and the type of the material used. One inspection should be made each year to chart the rate of failure and plan for subsequent maintenance. A mid winter evaluation is highly recommended as it will indicate treatment effectiveness when there is maximum pavement contraction and the crack is near the maximum opening. A small representative sample of the pavement, minimum of 150 m length should be selected for the evaluation. The first step in determining a treatment’s effectiveness is establishing how much of the treatment has failed in relation to the total length of treatment applied: Percent failure = (failed length after treatment / total length of treatment) × 100 After that the treatment’s effectiveness can be determined by subtracting the percentage of treatment failure from 100 percent: Effectiveness = 100 - Percent failure After a number of inspections a graph of effectiveness versus time can be developed. (4) Cost. Crack treatments can be considered as effective if it delays pavement deterioration and extends the pavement service life. Generally, the effective treatment extends the pavement life by two to five years. The effectiveness of rout and seal maintenance depends upon three points: (a) Performance of the sealant materials and appropriate rout width and depth; (b) restraining of crack development and delaying the existing pavement distress; and (c) crack treatment implication period. Chip seal treatment cost 3-14 times more than crack sealing and an overlay cost 8-26 times as much as crack sealing. The cost of crack sealing varies depending on state, materials, whether or not routing is required, and unit being priced.

PURPOSES : This paper presents a description of the current issues facing road managers regarding the surface-type conversion of lowvolume roads for cost savings. METHODS: The paper reviews previous works conducted toward this end, acknowledges gaps in the current research, and lays out what information is needed for further studies. RESULTS : If the cost to maintain an unsurfaced road is less than the cost of maintaining a surfaced road, then there is potential for cost savings for the management agency. However, the problem is bigger than simply maintaining the roads that already exist. If unsurfaced roads prove to be more economical than surfaced roads, then the cost to convert from a surfaced to an unsurfaced roadway, and vice versa, when necessary, must also be examined. CONCLUSIONS : No other studies have addressed the un-surfacing of a road for cost savings, and it is therefore unknown whether substantial savings can be realistically obtained by converting from a surfaced to an unsurfaced road. To determine whether a conversion policy would be a viable option, additional data and research are needed.