A 5-year evaluation study of the FiberMat® Type A process was performed in upstate New York. One side of the chosen road was treated with a chip seal overlay placed while the other with the FiberMat® Type A process. This road surface had many reflective cracks likely caused by years of stress due to seasonal shifting and snow plow damage.
After one year of wear and tear on this test road, longitudinal reflective crack had started to reappear on the regular chip seal side while no cracks had appeared on the FiberMat® Type A reinforced membrane side of the road. Note that cracking was present on both sides of the road prior to application.
The following year, longitudinal reflective cracking and snowplow damage were evident on the chip seal side while the FiberMat® Type A side was still in very good condition.
On the third year of evaluation, further evidence of snowplow damage was noted on the chip seal side while only slight damage started to occur on the fiber-reinforced membrane side; all the while the FiberMat® Type A membrane itself was still intact.
By year four, the chip seal side showed significant deterioration. It was now becoming a candidate for total rehabilitation. The FiberMat® Type A side, after 4 years of use, only just started to show some minor damage.
Year five showed that the original chip seal side had fully deteriorated, with aggregate loss and raveling along with all afore mentioned distresses; a candidate now for full depth reclamation. However, the condition of the FiberMat® Type A side altered minimally from the previous year. It was still years away from requiring any repairs or rehabilitation.
