[Shop-talk] Millings and coatings

[David Scheidt]

On Thu, Aug 16, 2018 at 6:44 AM,  <eric at megageek.com> wrote:
> Last week I had a few tri-axles of millings delivered.  I used them to patch
> a large area in my driveway that was dug up to remove an oil tank years ago.
> I also used the majority of them to create a new 'road' in the back
> property.
>
> Yesterday I rented a vibratory roller to compact and smooth them out.
>
> My question is, is there something I should put on top of them to protect
> them?  Would seal coating do anything?

(resending this, to put the list on)

The vibratory roller is the best thing you can do for it.  Millings
have not got enough asphalt cement in them to stick together well,
usually.  If you happened to get millings from a recently laid piece
of pavement, they might, but the way to bet is you have slightly
sticky black gravel.  It won't wash out like limestone or other
crushed rocks will, but it's not going to be pavement.  Pouring
gasoline or diesel fuel will only wash away what asphalt there is, and
will not improve the bonding. [1]  Used motor oil isn't asphalt, and
won't bond it either.  That just adds nasty pollution to your driveway
(and eventually, your water).  There are machines that will till them
up, coat them with asphalt, and put them down, where you can roll them
again.  You could also put an asphalt tack coat (not a coal tar
sealer, something with bitumen in it) down, and coat with fines.  But
that's expensive.


[1] it used to be that asphalt hauling trucks were sprayed with diesel
to keep it from sticking to the bed.  It was discovered that reduces
the strength of the pavement, even in the fairly low doses used for
that.  An acquaintance of mine had a first job out of college working
for a state highway department.  He got the fun jobs, like telling the
guys who had diesel sprayers mounted to their trucks they were not
allowed to deliver to the road until after they'd had it cut off and
the bed steam cleaned.




-- 
David Scheidt
dmscheidt at gmail.com