Standard Practice For Selection and Use of Emulsified Asphalts

Standard Practice for Selection and Use of Emulsified Asphalts
AASHTO Designation: R 5-17
Technical Section: 2a, Emulsified Asphalts
Release: Group 3 (August 2017)
1. SCOPE
1.1. This standard provides recommendations on selecting the proper grade and type of
emulsified asphalt for various transportation uses. Emulsified asphalt must be selected for
the proper application.
1.2. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with
its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety
and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. REFERENCED STANDARDS
2.1. AASHTO Standards:

◾ M 140, Emulsified Asphalt
◾ M 208, Cationic Emulsified Asphalt
◾ M 316, Polymer-Modified Emulsified Asphalt
2.2. FHWA Document:

◾ FHWA-IF-00-027, Selecting a Preventive Maintenance Treatment for Flexible Pavements
(2000)
3. TERMINOLOGY
3.1. Definitions:
3.1.1. prime coat—a uniform, sprayed application of asphalt material to an untreated subgrade or
a granular base to seal the base before paving, and to promote bonding to the upper
layers.
3.1.2. tack coat—a uniform, sprayed application of asphalt material placed between asphalt mix
layers to promote bonding.
3.2. Definitions for Preventative Maintenance Treatments Found in FHWA-IF-00-027:

3.2.1. cape seal—a surface treatment that involves the application of a slurry seal to a newly
constructed surface treatment or chip seal. Cape seals are used to provide a dense,
waterproof surface with improved skid resistance.
3.2.2. chip seal—a surface treatment in which a pavement surface is sprayed with asphalt
(generally emulsified) and then immediately covered with aggregate and rolled. Chip seals
are used primarily to seal the surface of a pavement with non-load-associated cracks and to
improve surface friction, although they also are commonly used as a wearing course on
low-volume roads.
3.2.3. crack filling—the placement of materials into non-working cracks to substantially reduce
infiltration of water. Non-working cracks are defined as those that experience minor
horizontal movements, generally less than 2 mm (0.1 in.). Crack filling should be
distinguished from crack sealing.
3.2.4. crack sealing—a maintenance procedure that involves placement of specialized materials
into working cracks using unique configurations to reduce the intrusion of incompressible
materials into the crack and to prevent intrusion of water into the underlying pavement
layers. Working cracks are defined as those that experience significant horizontal
movements, generally greater than about 2 mm (0.1 in.).
3.2.5. dense-graded asphalt overlay—an overlay course consisting of a mix of asphalt binder and
a well-graded (also called dense-graded) aggregate. A well-graded aggregate is uniformly
distributed throughout the full range of sieve sizes.
3.2.6. fog seal—a light application of slow-setting emulsified asphalt diluted with water is
commonly used, although other types of emulsified asphalt may be used. It is used to
renew old asphalt surfaces and to seal small cracks and surface voids.
3.2.7. micro surfacing—a mixture of polymer-modified emulsified asphalt, mineral aggregate,

mineral filler, water, and other additives; properly proportioned, mixed, and spread on a
roadway surface.
3.2.8. sand seal—an application of asphalt material covered with fine aggregate. It may be used
to improve the skid resistance of slippery pavements and to seal against air and water
intrusion.
3.2.9. sandwich seal—a surface treatment that consists of an application of a large aggregate,
followed by an application of emulsified asphalt that is in turn covered with an application
of smaller aggregate. Sandwich seals are used to seal the surface and improve skid
resistance.
3.2.10. scrub seal—application of a emulsified asphalt to the pavement surface followed by the
broom scrubbing of the asphalt into cracks and voids, then the application of an even coat
of sand or small aggregate, and finally a second brooming of the aggregate and asphalt
mixture. This seal is then rolled with a pneumatic tire roller.
3.2.11. slurry seal—a mixture of slow-setting emulsified asphalt, well-graded fine aggregate,
mineral filler, and water. It is used to fill cracks and seal areas of old pavements, to restore
a uniform surface texture, to seal the surface to prevent moisture and air intrusion into the
pavement, and to provide skid resistance.
4. SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1. Emulsified asphalts are mixtures of asphalt binders, water, and emulsifying agents. They
may contain other additives to meet certain grades. Emulsified asphalt grades and types
have different uses.
4.2. Emulsified asphalts are named using a prefix and a suffix. The prefix identifies the type and
class of emulsified asphalt and the suffix identifies the grade.
4.2.1. Type—There are four types of emulsified asphalts that are distinguished by how fast the
emulsified asphalt will set or coalesce. The four types are designated with the prefix:
4.2.1.1. SS-slow set,
4.2.1.2. MS-medium set,
4.2.1.3. RS-rapid set, and
4.2.1.4. QS-quick set.

4.2.2. Class:
4.2.2.1. Emulsified asphalt is classified based on particle charge of the asphalt droplets within the
water phase of the suspension. Anionic emulsified asphalt has a negative charge and
cationic emulsified asphalt has a positive charge.
4.2.2.2. There are also a limited number of emulsified asphalts with no appreciable charge and they
are classified as nonionic.
4.2.2.3. Cationic emulsified asphalts are designated by including the letter “C” before the prefix (i.e.,
CRS-2). Anionic emulsified asphalts are designated without including an additional letter or
number in the prefix (i.e. RS-2).
4.2.2.4. High-float emulsified asphalt is a class of emulsified asphalt that can be either anionic or
cationic. High-float emulsified asphalt is formulated with a gel structure to produce a thicker
asphalt coating on aggregates. They are designated with the letters “HF” before the prefix
(i.e., HFRS-2).
4.2.3. Grade:
4.2.3.1. Emulsified asphalts are produced in two viscosity grades. The suffix “1” indicates low-
viscosity emulsified asphalts and suffix “2” indicates high-viscosity emulsified asphalts.
4.2.3.2. Emulsified asphalts are designated in three stiffness categories:

4.2.3.2.1. Hard asphalt residue (lower penetration) is designated with an “h” (i.e., CRS-1h).
4.2.3.2.2. Soft asphalt residue (higher penetration) is designated with an “s” (i.e., CRS 1s).
4.2.3.2.3. The intermediate stiffness category, between hard and soft, is designated without an
additional letter or number (i.e., CRS-1).
4.2.3.3. “P” is used to designate polymer-modified emulsified asphalts (i.e., CRS-2P). The modifier
may be either a solid or latex polymer. The modifier may be added either to the asphalt
binder or emulsifier solution prior to the emulsification process.
4.3. Typical uses of different grades of emulsified asphalts are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Note
that other factors that need to be considered include:
4.3.1. Ambient temperature at time of use,
4.3.2. Aggregate type and gradation,
4.3.3. Available application equipment,
4.3.4. Traffic, and
4.3.5. Potential environmental considerations.
4.4. It is recommended to evaluate aggregate and emulsified asphalt compatibility in the

laboratory before placing on the roadway.
Table 1—Typical Uses, Rapid-Set and Slow-Set Emulsified Asphalt

Table 2—Typical Uses, Medium- and Quick-Set Emulsified Asphalt and Polymer Modified Emulsified
Asphalt
5. KEYWORDS
5.1. Anionic; asphalt grade; asphalt type; cationic; coat; emulsified asphalt; high float; polymer
modified; seal; stiffness; viscosity.

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Standard Practice for Selection and Use of Emulsified Asphalts

AASHTO Designation: R 5-17

Technical Section: 2a, Emulsified Asphalts

Release: Group 3 (August 2017)

2.1. AASHTO Standards:

2.2. FHWA Document:

3.2. Definitions for Preventative Maintenance Treatments Found in FHWA-IF-00-027:

3.2.7. micro surfacing—a mixture of polymer-modified emulsified asphalt, mineral aggregate,

4. SIGNIFICANCE AND USE

4.2.1.1. SS-slow set,

4.2.1.2. MS-medium set,

4.2.1.3. RS-rapid set, and

4.2.1.4. QS-quick set.

4.2.3.2. Emulsified asphalts are designated in three stiffness categories:

4.3.2. Aggregate type and gradation,

4.3.3. Available application equipment,

4.3.4. Traffic, and

4.3.5. Potential environmental considerations.

4.4. It is recommended to evaluate aggregate and emulsified asphalt compatibility in the

Table 1—Typical Uses, Rapid-Set and Slow-Set Emulsified Asphalt

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