Austin City Council approves CoolSeal treatment pilot program

On Thursday, the Austin City Council approved a pilot program to use CoolSeal on District 2 roads.

The treatment, a water-based, asphalt emulsion coating, acts as a reflective surface on roads and will decrease the asphalt’s temperature while helping to maintain and protect the pavement. The council approved a six-month contract for the Cool Seal treatment pilot program. The project is expected to cost $305,000 and is a partnership between the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department and the CoolSeal company.

In November 2022, crews installed CoolSeal pavement along Meinardus Drive. The $17,000 project was completed using a distributor truck, and covered a nearly 1-mile stretch of road.

With the contract approved by council, the city can now expand its initiative to increase sustainability while reducing the heat island effect on the city’s streets The CoolSeal treatment by GuardTop will be applied in Southeast Austin, District 2. Installation is expected to last three days and start this summer.

As part of the project, sensors will be installed in the area around the paving project to monitor the pavement treatment’s performance. Once installed, city pavement engineers and researchers from the University of Texas at Austin will monitor the differences in temperature between treated and non-treated pavement section to assess the treatment’s performance and to make recommendations on future uses of the treatment.

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