OBS 45

Hot applied through a boiler, OBS 45 is the general purpose grade of the two. The number is a friction grade rather than a temperature: in the published literature for overbanding compounds graded this way, it refers to the polished stone value of the aggregate and the skid resistance value the finished band is designed to reach in service. That makes OBS 45 the grade for car parks, taxiways and private or unadopted roads, where a standard skid resistance is acceptable. On adopted highway in England the SROH requires an overband to hold a Product Acceptance Scheme certificate and reach at least 55 SRV, so that work takes the higher grade.

Key benefits:

• Hot applied through a standard boiler, fast and efficient
• Aggregate graded for a standard in-service skid resistance
• Waterproof seal: prevents water penetration into cracks
• Cost-effective for general surface maintenance
• Suitable for car parks, taxiways and private roads where a standard skid resistance is acceptable
• Extends pavement life without full resurfacing

Applications: Car parks, private and unadopted roads, taxiways, general surface maintenance.

OBS 45 is the economical grade for surfaces outside the highway specifications: car parks, depot and port yards, estate roads and airfield taxiways. Paying for the harder aggregate of OBS 60 there adds cost without a requirement behind it. On adopted highway the 55 SRV floor rules OBS 45 out, and we say so before pricing.

Whatever the grade, the dimensions decide whether a band is safe. It should be between 3mm and 40mm wide and no more than 3mm proud of the surface. A band laid wide and thick to save time becomes a raised strip of bitumen that is slippery when wet, and motorcyclists and cyclists are the ones who carry that risk.

The aggregate is blended into the compound by the supplier and needs an agitated boiler to stay in suspension, so the plant matters as much as the material. More in what is overbanding?