The original item was published from December 14, 2018 9:27 AM to December 14, 2018 9:45 AM
Maintaining the Town of Parker’s more than 500 miles worth of roadways is a year-round task for the Engineering and Public Works Department. Methods of repair vary based on road conditions and age, spanning from crack sealing to complete reconstruction.
Crack sealing uses an elastic repair material to cover street-surface cracks up to about an inch in width. This keeps water from settling in, freezing and expanding cracks or reaching and washing out the subgrade — the material beneath the paved surface. Loss of subgrade can lead to potholes or more substantial road decay.
The repair material is a composition of cement, synthetic polymer and rubber delivered to work sites in 30-pound blocks. These blocks are heated to 300 to 400 degrees and poured onto cracks in liquid form. On an average day, a crew can use up to 2,200 pounds of material, or about 74 blocks.
A crack sealing crew is comprised of four to six individuals — one vehicle driver who also monitors oncoming traffic for the on-the-ground crewmembers, one crew member who pours the heated material, and one or two that spread the material. During warmer months, another crew member will apply detac to the poured crack sealant to set it and prevent it from remaining tacky. Detac is not needed during cooler months as the material sets much faster.
On a typical cycle, roads are treated with crack sealant every four to five years.
Learn more about roadway maintenance at www.ParkerOnline.org/StreetsMaintenance.