---
title: "Maintenance of bituminous roads"
subject: "Transportation Engineering II"
chapter: 4
key: "semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii:bituminous-pavement-maintenance"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/bituminous-pavement-maintenance
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Maintenance of bituminous roads

Transportation Engineering II · Chapter 4: Highway Maintenance, Repair, and Rehabilitation

- Asked in: 2066 Bhadra, 4 marks
- Video: [IS 82 2015 CODE OF PRACTICE FOR MAINTENANCE OF BITUMINOUS ROAD SURFACES](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHYtkOnP82k) — amrut patel
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/bituminous-pavement-maintenance
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/chapter-4

## Question

Describe the maintenance of bituminous road.

## Short answer

Bituminous road maintenance includes routine patching and crack sealing, periodic renewal with seal coats or overlays, treating defects like bleeding and ravelling, and keeping drains and shoulders clear to prevent water damage.

## Answer

Maintenance of a bituminous road is grouped as follows:

1. **Routine maintenance** - patching potholes (cut a square, clean, apply a tack coat, fill with premix, compact), sealing cracks with bitumen emulsion, cleaning drains and culverts, and repairing shoulders and edges.
2. **Periodic maintenance** - at intervals of 3 to 8 years: surface dressing, slurry seal, fog seal, premix carpet or a thin bituminous overlay to renew the wearing surface.
3. **Special treatment of defects** - bleeding is treated by spreading hot coarse sand or chips; ravelling by a seal coat; depressions or rutting by a levelling course; and severe failure by removing and reconstructing the layers.
4. **Drainage maintenance** - keep side drains, cross drains and shoulders in good condition, because water is the main cause of damage (IRC:82 and Nepal DoR maintenance guidelines).

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Periodic maintenance of bituminous roads is done at intervals of about:
   A. Daily
   B. 1 year
   C. 3 to 8 years
   D. 20 years
   Answer: C. Periodic works such as surface dressing and thin overlay renew the wearing surface every 3 to 8 years. (Key point: Periodic maintenance)

2. Ravelling is treated by:
   A. Sand spreading
   B. Seal coat
   C. Levelling course
   D. Removal of base
   Answer: B. Seal coat (or fog seal for light cases) treats ravelling. (Key point: Ravelling)

3. Drainage maintenance is stressed because:
   A. Water is the main cause of damage
   B. It lowers bitumen content
   C. It is cheaper than patching
   D. It gives skid resistance
   Answer: A. Water is the main cause of damage to the road. (Key point: Drainage)

## Related in Transportation Engineering II

- [Maintenance importance; bituminous pavement maintenance](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Aimportance-maintenance-bituminous-pavement) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 4
- [Bituminous maintenance and rigid pavement failures](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Abituminous-maintenance-rigid-failures) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 4, asked 2×
- [Road construction activities; plants for bituminous and CC](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Aroad-construction-activities-plants-bituminous-cc) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 3
- [Road maintenance; gully control measures](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Aroad-maintenance-gully-control) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 4
- [Signal timing: roads A 15 m and B 12 m](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Asignal-pedestrian-road-a-15m-b) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 1, asked 2×
- [Asphalt Institute design: gravel road upgrade, 0.8×10³ ESA](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Aasphalt-institute-design-0-8e3-esa) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 2

## Related in other subjects

- [Preventive maintenance in roads and buildings](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Apreventive-importance-roads-buildings) — Construction Management, chapter 9
- [Tests on bituminous binders](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Abitumen-tests-list) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 6, asked 8×
- [Types of bitumen and bituminous materials](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Abitumen-types) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 6, asked 6×
- [Historical development of roads in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Ahistorical-development-roads) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 1, asked 2×