Road surface treatments
Identification and prioritisation
Structural and preventative maintenance schemes are identified using regular highway condition surveys. A lifecycle planning approach ensures roads receive the right treatment at the right time, making the best use of available resources.
Because funding does not match the full scale of required maintenance, a value management process is used to prioritise sites with similar conditions. This includes scoring locations based on:
- Number of recorded safety defects
- Accident rates
- Contribution to local sustainability
How often are preventative treatments needed?
Ideally, a new carriageway will receive preventative treatments three times at intervals of 10–15 years, followed by full replacement after another 10–15 years.
Preventative maintenance treatments
These treatments help extend the life of roads in good condition and reduce the need for costly reactive repairs or structural maintenance. They are most effective when applied before serious deterioration occurs.
Without preventative treatments, roads would need replacing three to four times more often.
Most treatments are completed in one day, although preparation, lining, and cat’s eye replacement may follow. Carriageway treatments run from late March/April to September, while footway treatments occur year-round and may take place outside normal working hours. All treatments are weather dependent.
Types of preventative treatments
10/6 Racked In, 6mm Single, 10/6 Double Dressed
Traditional surface dressing designs completed in one visit, with possible back sweeping.
Finagrip 10/6
Similar to 10/6 racked in, but includes a second visit to apply a lockdown emulsion spray. Drivable after around 30 minutes (weather dependent). Suitable for main roads, rural lanes, and housing estate spine roads.
Finagrip 6
Two-visit treatment with a 6mm dressing. Commonly used on housing estate roads and urban streets.
Micro Asphalt
One-visit treatment laid in two layers: a regulating layer and a top coat. May leave ironwork low initially, with signage and follow-up teams to adjust. Appearance improves over time.
Finamac
Similar to micro asphalt but stronger and more robust. Used on busier, low-speed roads.
Finamac HT
Offers better skid resistance and added texture. Suitable for high-demand areas.
