Method, structure, and composition for filling wide cracks and joints in pavement surfaces

Abstract

A method, structure, and composition for repairing wide and/or deep cracks, joints, and other gaps in pavement surfaces using one or a series of layers of a compressible aggregate of uniform size, with each layer of the compressible aggregate having a binder applied thereto which flows downwardly into and binds all or an upper portion of the compressible aggregate.

1 . A method of filling a gap in a pavement surface comprising steps of:
 a) forming a layer of a compressible aggregate in the gap in the pavement surface, the layer of the compressible aggregate being a layer of compressible fragments of uniform size wherein the compressible fragments will pass a screen mesh having 0.5 inch by 0.5 inch square openings but will not pass an 8 mesh screen and   b) applying a binder on a top of the layer of the compressible aggregate which flows downwardly into voids in the layer of the compressible aggregate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the binder comprises a non-asphalt-based binder. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising the non-asphalt-based binder including a non-asphaltic base blend which comprises (i) one or more non-asphaltic resinous base materials or non-asphaltic rosin ester materials, (ii) at least one processing oil, and (iii) at least one epoxidized ester of a vegetable oil and/or at least one other plasticizer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the non-asphalt-based binder comprises a pine-based pentaerythritol ester resin. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the non-asphalt-based binder comprises a polyurethane resin. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising combining binary reactants for forming the polyurethane resin prior to or during step (b) and then, after step (b), allowing the polyurethane resin to cure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the binder comprises asphalt and one or more non-asphaltic resinous base materials. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the binder comprises said asphalt and a pine-based pentaerythritol ester resin. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the compressible aggregate comprising recycled tire rubber, EPDM rubber, nitrile rubber, natural or synthetic latex rubber, a polyolefin elastomer, or a fluoropolymer elastomer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the compressible aggregate being recycled tire rubber. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a step, prior to step (a), of forming a base layer by applying a binder to a bottom of the gap in the pavement surface, the binder used in forming the base layer being the same as or different from the binder used in step (b). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising steps, after step (b), of:
 c) forming, in the gap in the pavement surface on the layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (a), a second layer of a compressible aggregate which is the same as or different from the compressible aggregate used in step (a), the second layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (c) being a layer of compressible fragments of uniform size which will pass a screen mesh having 0.5 inch by 0.5 inch square openings but will not pass an 8 mesh screen and 
 d) applying a binder on a top of the second layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (c) which flows downwardly into voids in the second layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (c), the binder used in step (d) being the same as or different from the binder used in step (b). 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the gap in the pavement surface having a width of at least about 2 inches. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 the layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (a) having an entire depth of from about 1 to about 3 inches; 
 the binder applied in step (b) being applied in an amount which binds the entire depth of the layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (a); 
 the second layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (c) having an entire depth of from about 1 to about 3 inches; and 
 the binder applied in step (d) being applied in an amount which binds the entire depth of the second layer of the compressible aggregate formed in step (c). 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the binder being applied in step (b) in an amount which flows downwardly into and binds only an upper portion of the layer of the compressible aggregate and leaves a lower portion of the layer of the compressible aggregate below the upper portion unbound. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the upper portion of the layer of the compressible aggregate having a depth which is less than a depth of the lower portion of the layer of the compressible aggregate. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 the gap in the pavement surface having a depth of at least 5.5 inches and 
 the layer of the compressible aggregate and the binder applied thereto together filling the gap in the pavement surface to a level which is about ½ inch below the pavement surface or higher. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 the depth of the upper portion of the layer of the compressible aggregate being in a range of from about 1 to about 5 inches and 
 the depth of the lower portion of the layer of the compressible aggregate being in a range of from about 4 to about 14 inches. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the depth of the lower portion of the layer of the compressible aggregate being in a range of from about 6 to about 13 inches. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the layer of the compressible aggregate being a layer of recycled tire rubber 
     
     
         21 . A method of filling a gap in a pavement surface comprising:
 sequentially constructing in the gap in the pavement surface a series of bound aggregate layers;   each of the bound aggregate layers being constructed of a layer of a compressible aggregate and a binder which is applied on top of the layer of the compressible aggregate and flows downwardly into voids in the layer of the compressible aggregate and binds the layer of the compressible aggregate; and   the layer of the compressible aggregate of each of the bound aggregate layers being a layer of compressible fragments of uniform size wherein the compressible fragments will pass a screen mesh having 0.5 inch by 0.5 inch square openings but will not pass an 8 mesh screen.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising, prior to constructing the series of bound aggregate layers in the gap of the pavement surface, applying a base layer of a binder to a bottom of the gap in the pavement surface. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising the layer of the compressible aggregate of each of the bound aggregate layers being a layer of recycled tire rubber.