Performance of Eco-friendly Chip Seal Pavement under Extreme Climate Conditions of Snowplowing, Freeze-thaw and Deicing

Abstract

Damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles and snowploughing operations is among the major distresses affecting chip seal pavements in cold regions, with limited information regarding the behaviour of full or partial rubberised chip seal from scrap tyres. In this study, the aggregate retention performance of conventional and rubberised chip seals was evaluated under laboratory and field snowploughing conditions, as well as under 50 freeze-thaw cycles in the presence of deicing salt, followed by simulated traffic loading. The results indicated superior performance for rubberised chip seals under snowploughing operation due to the hysteresis character of crumb rubber particles against the imposed loads. Freeze-thaw and deicing results showed that mineral aggregates with high water absorption and low toughness were more susceptible to freeze-thaw damage. Although rubberised chip seal also showed sensitivity to freeze-thaw conditioning, its performance after conditioning remained comparable to that of conventional chip seal under simulated traffic loading.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

crumb rubber; deicing salt; Eco-friendly chip seal; freeze–thaw; seal coat; snowplow damage

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2164-7402; 1468-0629

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 Taylor and Francis Group; Taylor and Francis, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2026

Link to Full Text

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