OBS 60

Hot applied, and the higher friction grade of the two. The number is a friction grade: it refers to the polished stone value of the aggregate and the skid resistance value the band is designed to reach in service. OBS 60 therefore carries a harder, more polish-resistant aggregate than OBS 45, rather than simply more of it. We run it through a separate boiler, the same unit we use for high performance joint sealing. Specified where a higher skid resistance is required: runways, high-speed roads and safety-critical surfaces.

Key benefits:

• Hot applied: we run it through a separate boiler, the same unit as High Performance Joint Sealing
• Harder, more polish-resistant aggregate for an elevated skid resistance
• Specified for runways, high-speed roads, and safety-critical surfaces
• Chosen where the specification calls for a higher skid resistance
• Waterproof seal: stops water ingress at crack or joint
• Longer service life in high-wear environments

Applications: Runways, high-speed surfaces, areas requiring elevated friction ratings.

The 60 refers to the polished stone value of the aggregate and the skid resistance the finished band is designed to reach, measured with a pendulum tester to BS EN 13036-4. It is not a temperature: OBS 45 and OBS 60 soften and pour at much the same temperatures. What the higher grade buys is a harder stone that keeps its texture under traffic, and it is the grade the highway specifications are written around, with 55 SRV required on adopted highway in England and 60 on trunk roads.

Certification also looks past the first reading. A certified overbanding system has to hold at least 50 SRV after wheel tracking and keep a texture depth of at least 0.75mm, so a soft aggregate that passes on day one and polishes smooth within a season does not qualify.

An overband is better specified by its skid resistance and certificate than by a trade name, since names vary between suppliers and the numbers do not. More in what's the difference between OBS 45 and OBS 60?