How are streets selected to receive a new surface? Every other summer, college students with a civil engineering background are hired to study and rate the conditions of streets in Renton. After each crack and pothole is measured, the information is fed into a pavement rating database which generates scores ranging from 0-100. From the lengthy list, streets rating 70 or lower are candidates to receive a new surface. The pavement management software then predicts what surface treatment is needed.
There are two different types of seal that can be applied. Slurry Seal is a coating of asphalt mixed with water and crushed rock which will seal your street leaving a new surface about a quarter inch thick. The Slurry Seal will extend the life of the pavement and reduce maintenance cost in the long run.
The other option is to lay down a brand new 1" to 3" layer of asphalt overlay. The program considers things such as amount of traffic per day, the percentage of diesel trucks per day and the severity of surface distress.