The only type of HOT seal application that is economically viable and performs well in the Midwest is chip sealing, also known as hot oil and rock seal coating.

Chip sealing is the primary seal coat application endorsed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Proper chip seal applications and programs are proven to double or triple the life of the asphalt. Allied recommends that chip sealing should be administered on 4 to 7 year cycles.

The process has three phases 1) pre-sweep the surface; 2) apply the oil and aggregate chip seal material; and 3) pickup sweep the excess chips AFTER the surface has properly cured and set. Keep in mind that different applications can be swept faster. State Highways and County Roads, when using polymerized oils, can be swept the day following the application. Highly traveled municipal arterial streets can be swept within a couple of days of application. Residential streets are swept a few weeks following application, and parking lots are typically swept 4 to 8 weeks following the chip seal process. These are rough estimates and each project is unique. Rely on Allied to work directly with each client to ensure the appropriate timing provides the best long term results.

All chip seal applications experience tracking of the excess aggregate and bleeding of the oil. Chip seal areas are considered to be a "live" surface and are self healing. Areas that bleed will recover when the temperature become cooler. Most of the aggregate tracking will be resolved after the pickup sweep. Some partially embedded aggregate will continue to work loose after the initial sweep. These partially embedded rocks will work their way out of the chip seal in the fall and winter months. They then will be removed in the spring sweep.

Allied Blacktop Company uses computerized chip spreaders in order to apply the aggregate at the proper application rate. The aggregate is then rolled into the oil with pneumatic tire rollers. Dump trucks move the aggregate from the aggregate stock pile site to the project.

Allied crews resurface thousands of city streets like this one each year, without shutting them down. When the chip seal has properly cured, Allied crews return to pickup sweep the excess chips.