Colorado Asphalt Services, Inc.

GLOSSARY

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Alligatoring – Cracking in asphalt surface that resembles the belly of an alligator. Alligator cracking begins on the bottom of the pavement and is the result of deflection or bending of the pavement under wheel load or failure in the sub-grade.

Base Course – The strata of material lying between native material or rock sub-base and upper running course or pavement. Base material is smaller than sub-base and larger than top course or running surface rock.

Chip Seal – A mixture of aggregates and asphalt cements applied as an aggregate sealcoat. The asphalt cement is sprayed on the pavement and the aggregate sprinkled on the surface.

Compaction – Consolidating soils or making them dense by rolling, tamping, vibrating or soaking.

Contamination – Refers to a condition where a lesser quality road material permeates and mixes with a higher quality road material. An example of contamination would be mixing native, organic soils with clean imported structural fill material.

Fabric – A crack retardant used when overlaying existing pavement. Fabric is placed on the existing surface of pavement before overlaying with new asphalt.

Full Depth Asphalt – Is a design methodology where the asphalt material provides the majority of the pavement structural support.

Lift – A lay of material, rock or paving added to a road or paved lot.

Overlay – Placing new pavement directly over and onto the surface of existing pavement.

Pothole – A roadway/pavement failure resulting in a depression or hole.

Raveling – The gradual roughening of the surface texture. As the fine particles “wash” away it leaves the pavement with course rock on the surface and a much rougher texture than when asphalt first laid.

Reflective Cracking – Cracks that appear in new thin overlays that are identical to cracks that were present in the existing pavement.

Remove & Replace – The act of removing existing pavement and replacing with new pavement to restore pavement to its former condition or to an improved state.

Saw-cut – A method to cleanly cut and remove hard pavement under repair.

Scope of Work – The objective and extent of work to be accomplished by the contractor.

Scuffing or Scuff Marks – Tires Tracks, Imprints or Markings in a newly paved or sealcoated asphalt surface caused from immediate usage after asphalt services have been completed.  These superficial markings will disappear with normal vehicular tire impact over time.

Sealcoat – The term used to identify various coatings which are used to protect asphalt against moisture intrusion and raveling.

Segregation – The separation of rock from an asphalt mix resulting from movement and vibration.

Sub-base – The strata of material between the underlying native sub-grade and upper base course. Sub-base material is larger than base course.

Sub-grade – Native prepared mineral soil ready for fill, rock, or surfacing.

Tack Coat – A spray applied asphalt product used to bond the new asphalt to existing surfaces.

Trenching – Long and narrow excavation.