Center for Transportation Research and Education

About the research

Asphalt pavements deteriorate from temperature cycling, moisture, oxidation, and loading-related distresses. Pavement preservation is critical in maintaining the functional and structural integrity of roads and extending pavement life. Surface treatments can prevent or restore the aging effects by rejuvenating and/or sealing the pavement’s surface, limiting further damage, and restoring its flexibility. This collaborative study of MnDOT, the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA), and Iowa State University investigates the efficacy of fog seal/bio-fog seal topical treatments based on soy-derived rejuvenators, epoxidized soybean oil (SESO), and BioMAG, which contains SESO and the biopolymer poly(acrylated epoxidized high oleic soybean oil) (PAEHOSO). Each topical treatment was applied at three locations in different asphalt binder grades to provide a comprehensive approach to their impacts on the dry time, reflectivity, friction, and permeability of the pavement course. It was observed that the bio-fog seal treatments improve the skid resistance of the pavement, do not affect the reflectivity of pavement markings, and are able to restore the stiffness of the asphalt mixtures. Additionally, the fog seals show fast setting and curing and allows the road to be open to traffic in less than 30 minutes.