Road surface repair compositions, processes and applicator apparatuses
View Patent ↗An asphalt composition, process, and apparatus for repairing cracks and other distressed areas in road surfaces. The asphalt composition comprises an aggregate material and a cold pour asphalt emulsion, preferably a quickset cationic asphalt emulsion. The aggregate material will preferably be a graded aggregate material. The asphalt emulsion and the aggregate material will preferably be mixed together and then delivered into the distressed area in not more than 20 seconds. A small mixing assembly is preferably held in suspension over the road surface for continuously receiving and mixing the asphalt emulsion and aggregate components and delivering the mixture into the distress area.
1. A method of repairing each of a plurality of damaged areas in a road surface comprising the steps of:
(a) moving a mixing and application apparatus to one of said damaged areas;
(b) delivering a flow of an aggregate material into a mixing chamber of said mixing and application apparatus, said mixing and application apparatus also comprising a mixing element positioned within said mixing chamber and a discharge opening in said mixing chamber;
(c) simultaneously with step (b), delivering a stream of a cold pour asphalt emulsion into said mixing chamber of said mixing and application apparatus;
(d) simultaneously as said cold pour asphalt emulsion and said aggregate material are delivered into said mixing chamber of said mixing and application apparatus in steps (b) and (c), mixing together in said mixing chamber said cold pour asphalt emulsion and said aggregate material to form in said mixing chamber a composition such that said aggregate material is present in said composition in an amount of at least 30% by weight of a total weight of said composition;
(e) simultaneously with steps (b), (c), and (d), delivering a flow of said composition out of said discharge opening in said mixing chamber directly into said one of said damaged areas; and
(f) moving said mixing and application apparatus to each subsequent one of said damaged areas and repeating steps (b), (c), (d), and (e) for each said subsequent one of said damaged areas.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
from 5% to 15% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 200 sieve;
from 10% to 21% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 100 sieve;
from 18% to 30% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 50 sieve;
from 30% to 50% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 30 sieve;
from 45% to 70% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 16 sieve;
from 65% to 90% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 8 sieve; and
from 90% to 100% of said aggregate material passes a number 4 sieve.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said damaged areas is a crack in said road surface.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
from 4% to 12% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 200 sieve;
from 7% to 18% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 100 sieve;
from 12% to 25% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 50 sieve;
from 19% to 34% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 30 sieve;
from 45% to 70% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 16 sieve; and
from 70% to 90% by weight of said aggregate material passes a number 8 sieve.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said damaged areas is a pothole in said road surface.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein, when said cold pour asphalt emulsion and said aggregate material are mixed together in step (d), said cold pour emulsion breaks and said composition sets in a total time of not more than 20 minutes.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said cold pour asphalt emulsion is a cationic cold pour asphalt emulsion.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said cationic cold pour asphalt emulsion is latex modified.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said cold pour asphalt emulsion and said aggregate material are mixed together in step (d) and said composition is delivered into each said damaged area in step (e) in a total time of not more than 20 seconds.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said mixing and application apparatus is suspended above each said damaged area of said road surface when said flow of said composition is delivered into each said damaged area in step (e).
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said mixing and application apparatus is suspended behind a vehicle and said stream of said cold pour asphalt emulsion and said flow of said aggregate material are continuously delivered to said mixing chamber of said mixing and application apparatus from containers which are carried by said vehicle.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said mixing chamber is a hollow tube having said mixing element positioned therein, and wherein said discharge opening is positioned at a lower output end of said hollow tube.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said mixing and application apparatus further comprises a conically shaped fitting on said discharge opening for directing said flow of said composition out of said discharge opening in step (e) downwardly into each said damaged area.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said mixing chamber is a mixing bucket having said mixing element positioned therein, and wherein said discharge opening is positioned in a lower portion of said mixing bucket.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein said discharge opening of said mixing and application apparatus is positioned less than 30 inches above each said damaged area during steps (b) through (e).
16. The method of claim 1 wherein said discharge opening of said mixing and application apparatus is positioned less than 12 inches above each said damaged area during steps (b) through (e).
17. The method of claim 11 wherein said mixing and application apparatus is suspended from a discharge end of a pivotable conveyor assembly which delivers said flow of said aggregate material from an aggregate material container carried by said vehicle to said mixing and application apparatus.