Methods, compositions and systems for enhancing the useful life of a transportation surface

Abstract

Methods, compositions and systems for prolonging the lives of transportation surfaces, including pavement, runways, bridges and parking structures include chemically protecting the transportation surfaces. Chemical protection may be accompanied by physical alteration of the transportation surface, which may enhance one or both of a microtexture and a macrotexture of the transportation surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 559,564, filed on Jul. 26, 2012, and titled METHODS, COMPOSITIONS AND SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING THE USEFUL LIFE OF A TRANSPORTATION SURFACE (“the '564 application”). The '564 application includes a claim for the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 511,603, filed on Jul. 26, 2012, (“the '603 Provisional Application”), and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 643,219, filed on May 4, 2012 (“the '219 Provisional Application”). The entire disclosures of the '564 application, the '603 Provisional Application and the '219 Provisional Application are hereby incorporated herein.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This disclosure relates generally methods, compositions and systems for prolonging the lives of transportation surfaces, including pavement, runways, bridges and parking structures. More specifically, this disclo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]When physical alteration and chemical protection processes are used in conjunction with one another to enhance a transportation surface, the physical alteration may precede the chemical protection. Alternatively, the physical alteration and chemical protection may be concurrently effected. In such embodiments, the chemical protection may inhibit further damage to the physically altered (e.g., texture-enhanced, restored, etc.) surface. A physically altered transportation surface may be chemically protected by hardening and/or densifying a top of the transportation surface, preventing scaling at the top of the transportation surface, protecting the transportation surface from corrosive agents, sealing the transportation surface, or otherwise treating the transportation surface in a manner that extends its life. The transportation surface may be chemically protected

Problems solved by technology

Over time, weather, use, and a variety of other factors diminish the quality of transportation surfaces, including their microtexturing and, often, their macrotexturing.

This is particularly true on diamond ground surfaces, which often lose macrotexturing with age when they are located in climates where wet and freezing conditions are common.

As vehicles travel over transportation surfaces, their tires generate friction that causes those surfaces to wear.

Transportation surfaces that are exposed to harsh conditions (e.g., extremes in weather, prolonged periods of snow and/or ice, etc.) wear particularly quickly.

The damaging effects of wear, water and freeze/thaw cycles cause transportation surfaces to lose their texture (e.g., macrotexture) over time, which may distress the transportation surface.

Initial scaling (i.e., the flaking or peeling of the finished surface) and/or cracking may lead to aggregate pop-outs, which may then lead to spalling.

Once the top of the transportation surface begins to erode, other issues arise, such as early rutting, corrosion of rebar within the transportation surface and alkali silica reactivity (ASR).

Consequently, a retextured transportation surface may be more prone to wear or other damage than a new transportation surface, necessitating the need for further retexturing in a shorter period of time.

It is generally accepted that a transportation surface may be re-profiled up to three times. However, re-profiling may cause fatigue, which may lead to further damage to the transportation surface.

Weather (e.g., freezing and thawing, etc.) and other conditions (e.g., use of de-icing chemicals, the use of

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