Pavement Work Tips
The Pavement Work Tips, produced jointly by Austroads and the Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA), provide practical, easy-to-understand guidance on pavement construction, maintenance and surfacing. These concise technical resources support pavement practitioners with current, relevant information on bitumen and asphalt.
Explore the current Pavement Work Tips below.
Work Tip 1: Initial Treatments – Priming of Pavements | Updated July 2021
Guidance on the selection and design of primes.
Work Tip 2: Storage and Handling of Bituminous Emulsions | Updated September 2010
Practical guidance on the safe storage and handling of bituminous emulsions.
Work Tip 3: Asphalt Riding Quality | Updated November 2010
Explains the factors affecting riding quality and how to achieve a smoother asphalt pavement surface.
Work Tip 4: Asphalt Joints | Updated October 2021
Techniques for constructing durable asphalt joints while maintaining shape and ride quality.
Work Tip 5: Profiling | Updated February 2026
Covers profiling (cold planing) techniques used to remove uneven pavement surfaces before resurfacing.
Work Tip 6: Polymer Modified Binders and Multigrade Bitumens | Updated April 2014
Summary of the Austroads guide to the selection and use of polymer modified binders and multigrade bitumens (AP-T235-13).
Work Tip 7: Treatment of Flushed or Bleeding Surfaces | Updated August 2010
Practical treatments for restoring texture to flushed or bleeding surfaces.
Work Tip 8: Treatment of Cracks in Flexible Pavements | Updated May 1998
Guidance on treating cracks to slow pavement deterioration and improve future surfacing performance.
Work Tip 9: Preparing Pavements for Resealing – Planning of Works | Updated July 2021
Guidelines for planning works in preparation for pavement resealing.
Work Tip 10: Asphalt Paving with Automated Level Control | Updated May 1998
Guidance on selecting and using automated level controls for asphalt paving.
Work Tip 11: Bituminous Surfacing Characteristics | Updated October 2021
Guidance on the characteristics of bituminous surfacing treatments, including user performance requirements.
Work Tip 12: Asphalt Compaction | Updated November 2010
Guidance on estimating available time to achieve effective compaction under various conditions.
Work Tip 13: Temperature Characteristics of Binders in Asphalt | Updated November 2010
Explains how temperature and binder viscosity influence asphalt handling properties.
Work Tip 14: Sprayed Sealing – Best Practice for Cutting Back Hot Binders| Updated July 2026
Guidance on cutting practices when using conventional plants.
Work Tip 15: Asphalt Production Process Control | Updated February 2019
Introduces process control charts and practical approaches for monitoring asphalt production.
Work Tip 16: Reinstatement of Road Openings | Updated June 1999
General guidance on reinstating openings in road pavements.
Work Tip 17: Air Voids in Dense Graded Asphalt | Updated October 2021
Highlights the importance of air voids to the in-service performance of compacted, dense graded asphalt mixes.
Work Tip 18: Sprayed Sealing – Selection of Initial Treatments | Updated August 2010
Guidance on selecting and using prime and seal, or primerseal, treatments as initial treatments for granular pavements.
Work Tip 19: Sprayed Sealing – Selecting Aggregate Size | Updated August 2023
Explains the principles affecting aggregate size selection and recommends aggregate sizes for a range of sprayed sealing treatments.
Work Tip 20: Sprayed Sealing – Joint Locations and Effect on Binder Application Rates | Updated July 2021
Explains how traffic distribution influences joint location and binder application rates.
Work Tip 21: Sprayed Sealing – Uniformity and Neatness | Updated July 2021
Work practices to help achieve uniform binder application and neat sprayed seal joints.
Work Tip 22: Sprayed Sealing – Minimising Handwork | Updated August 2023
Practical guidance on reducing handwork and maximising sprayer utilisation when sealing tapers and roundabouts.
Work Tip 23: Sprayed Sealing – Aggregate Precoating | Updated October 2025
Guidance on aggregate precoating and the use of adhesion agents in sprayed sealing works.
Work Tip 24: Sprayed Sealing – Rolling of Cover Aggregate | Updated October 2025
Guidance on rolling and compacting cover aggregate used in sprayed sealing works.
Work Tip 25: Geotextile Reinforced Seals | Updated July 2021
Guidance on the use of geotextile reinforced sprayed seals.
Work Tip 26: Asphalt Handwork | Updated April 2001
Good practice guidance for hand finishing in conjunction with paver spreading of asphalt.
Work Tip 28: Sprayed Seals – Removal of Loose Aggregate | Updated June 2001
Guidance on removing surplus aggregate from sprayed seals through brooming or suction cleaning.
Work Tip 29: Sprayed Seals – Determining Sprayer Forward Speed | Updated June 2001
Guidance on calculating sprayer forward speed to achieve correct binder application rates in sprayed seals.
Work Tip 30: Asphalt Shape Correction | Updated June 2001
Guidance on improving pavement ride quality through asphalt shape correction and regulation.
Work Tip 31: Asphalt Paving Speed | Updated November 2001
Guidance on calculation of paver forward speed for smooth continuous paving and matching roller capacity to ensure effective compaction.
Work Tip 32: Sprayed Seals – A Brief Description | Updated June 2002
Guide to some of the basic terms commonly used to describe sprayed seals in Australia and New Zealand.
Work Tip 33: Sprayed Sealing – Selection of Spraying Nozzles | Updated July 2026
Guide to the selection and use of bitumen spraying nozzles.
Work Tip 34: Sprayed Sealing – Calibration of Bitumen Sprayers | Updated August 2023
Guidance on the essential elements of the calibration process for bitumen sprayers.
Work Tip 35: Sprayed Seals – Aggregate Spread Rates and Spreader Calibration | Updated August 2023
Guidance on the selection of an appropriate design aggregate spread rate and the calibration of aggregate spreading equipment for uniform and consistent output.
Work Tip 36: Sprayed Seals – Pre-spraying to Correct Surface Texture | Updated August 2023
The procedure to allow for surface texture variations by pre-spraying of additional binder.
Work Tip 37: Cape Seals | Updated July 2021
A guide to the use of Cape Seals.
Work Tip 38: Sprayed Sealing – Surface Enrichment | Updated July 2021
Guidance on lightly applying bituminous binder to an existing asphalt or spray seal surface to prevent aggregate loss.
Work Tip 39: Dust Suppression with Bitumen Emulsion | Updated July 2026
Guidance on the use of bitumen emulsions for dust suppression on unsealed granular pavements.
Work Tip 40: Sprayed Sealing – Binder Volume Correction | Updated October 2025
Guidance on calculating the volume of liquid bituminous binders relative to a standard temperature of 15°C.
Work Tip 41: Coring of Asphalt Pavements | Updated October 2004
Guidance on equipment, site selection, safety and procedures for coring of asphalt pavements.
Work Tip 42: Nuclear Density Testing of Asphalt Pavements | Updated October 2004
A guide to the use of nuclear gauges to determine the density of asphalt pavements.
Work Tip 43: Primersealing of Pavements | Updated August 2010
Practical guidelines for the design of primerseals.
Work Tip 44: High Pressure Water Retexturing | Updated December 2004
A guide to retexturing bituminous surfaces by using high pressure water to remove excess bitumen.
Work Tip 45: Skin Patching | Updated May 2006
A guide to the sprayed seal technique commonly referred to as skin patching, used for minor repairs of road pavements.
Work Tip 46: Asphalt Cooling Rates | Updated May 2006
A practical guide to the rate of cooling of asphalt as an aid to effective compaction while the asphalt remains in a workable state.
Work Tip 47: Sprayed Sealing of Drought and Salt Affected Pavements | Updated November 2008
A practical guide to sprayed sealing in areas where a pavement may be affected by drought or salt content in its construction.
Work Tip 48: Treatment of Flushed Seals Using Chemical Solvents | Updated August 2010
A practical guide for restoring texture to bleeding or flushed surfaces by applying additional aggregate with the assistance of chemical solvents.
Work Tip 49: Preparation of Pavements for Priming and Primersealing | Updated August 2010
Guidance on preparing granular pavements prior to priming or primersealing.
Work Tip 51: Asphalt Tack Coating | Updated March 2013
A guide to asphalt tack coating, including the rationale for its use and guidelines to good practice.
Work Tip 52: Sprayed Sealing in Extremely Hot Weather | Updated August 2023
Guidance on minimising the risk of bleeding when carrying out sprayed sealing work during extreme hot weather events.
Work Tip 53: Joints in Geotextile Reinforced Seals | Updated April 2014
A guide to jointing techniques in geotextile reinforced seals.
Work Tip 54: Sprayed Sealing – Initial Treatment of Stabilised Pavements | Updated March 2015
A guide to the use of priming and primersealing as initial treatments on stabilised pavements.
Work Tip 55: Transport and Handling of Polymer Modified Binders | Updated March 2015
Guidance on transporting and handling Polymer Modified Binders (PMBs).
Work Tip 56: Taking Representative Samples of Bituminous Binders from Road Tankers| Updated July 2026
Guidance on obtaining a representative binder sample from road tankers.
Work Tip 57: Production and Paving of EME2 | Updated October 2021
Guidance on the production and paving of EME2, a high modulus asphalt produced with a very hard paving grade bitumen and a high binder content.
Work Tip 58: Spray Sealing Aftercare | Updated July 2026
Guidance on managing sprayed seals after construction to promote performance and longevity.
Work Tip 59: Paving Asphalt in Cold Weather | Updated October 2025
Guidance on achieving good in situ compaction when paving asphalt during cold weather.
The Pavement Work Tips are progressively being released as they are developed.
Updated 1 July 2026