PUB 23 - MAINTENANCE MANUAL Chapter 5: Shoulders

CHAPTER 5
SHOULDERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

5.2 Shoulder Maintenance Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

5.3 Shoulder Categories and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

5.4 Shoulder Distress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

5.5 Public and Private Roadway Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

5.6 Environmental Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

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5.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter familiarizes Department personnel with policies relative to shoulder maintenance. The document
provides information necessary to understand the Department of Transportation’s role in routine shoulder
maintenance and identifying shoulder categories and their typical distresses.

The term ʺshoulderʺ refers to the graded area or surface adjacent to the traveled way, whose purpose is to give
lateral support to the road surface, and to be used by traffic in emergency situations. Shoulders should be
stable enough to support normal traffic loading, and their surfaces should be adequately sloped to provide for
the quick removal of surface water from the roadway into the drainage system.

5.2 SHOULDER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Shoulder maintenance can be performed throughout the year, but the most desirable times are when sufficient
moisture is present to provide maximum compaction and densities. This phase of highway maintenance is of
major importance as the failure of pavement often starts at the joint between the roadway and shoulder.
Shoulder maintenance also includes the areas just outside the physical shoulder, but not beyond the legal
right-of-way, limits such as approaches to the roadway at side roads on the state system and turnouts for
school bus stops. Entrances to private driveways, places of business, and pull offs for mailboxes will not be
skipped during routine maintenance operations, but deterioration from daily use are the responsibility of the
property owners.

The County Maintenance Manager/Assistance Maintenance Manager should plan the routine maintenance of
shoulders in accordance with the cyclical maintenance schedule. Shoulder cutting shall be completed every 4
to 6 years or repeated as frequently as needed, as discussed in Publication 242, Pavement Policy Manual,
Chapter 11. The interstate network may not require shoulder cutting to be completed as frequently and should
be completed every 10 years, or as needed. The following is a list of items which may require completion
during each season of the year. It is meant as a guide in the development of the county seasonal work plans.

SPRING:

1. Field inspection of shoulders by county maintenance personnel to determine the amount and type of
maintenance work required and the priority of that work.

2. Conduct inventory of concrete shoulder patching and joints that will need to be sealed in the fall.

3. Patching of asphalt paved shoulders.

4. Grading, rolling, and applying dust palliatives to turf or gravel shoulders to meet proper grade and
slope, and to remove false, or secondary, ditches or gutters.

5. Cutting high shoulders and refilling scoured areas to ensure proper drainage and to provide safety for
the motoring public, with priority given to routes on scheduled surface treatment programs.

6. Posting of low and/or soft shoulder areas on medium and heavily traveled roads, in the interest of
traffic safety.

SUMMER:

1. Continue cutting high turf shoulders.

2. Continue routine grading and rolling of turf or gravel shoulders and replacing lost shoulder material
where needed.

3. Rebuilding and stabilizing shoulders with aggregate where possible.

4. Surface treatment, when needed, on gravel, asphalt, and concrete shoulders.

5. Removing all false ditches along shoulders.

6. Mowing of turf shoulders.

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7. Raising low spots on paved shoulders.

8. Making permanent repairs to the surface and/or base on paved shoulders.

9. Resurfacing paved shoulders.

10. Continue applying dust palliatives.

11. Continue routine inspection of all shoulders.

12. Patch concrete shoulders.

13. Upgrade shoulders where necessary.

FALL:

1. Continue cutting high turf shoulders.

2. Continue routine grading and rolling of all turf shoulders.

3. Replace shoulder material to assure proper cross-section of shoulder.

4. Stabilize spots that show signs of erosion and instability.

5. Completion of improvements and major repairs.

6. Sealing all cracks and the joint adjacent to concrete pavement. Care shall be taken as to not cover edge
of pave/fog line with sealant.

7. Continue routine inspection of all shoulders.

8. Seal transverse joints on concrete shoulders.

WINTER:

1. Grading and adding of material to all shoulders that have become excessively rutted, when weather
and soil conditions permit.

2. Patching potholes in paved shoulders.

3. Continue routine inspection of all shoulders, paying particular attention to ice conditions caused by
improper shoulder grade and/or encroachments onto PennDOT right-of-way.

5.3 SHOULDER CATEGORIES AND MAINTENANCE

The several types of shoulder surfaces may be broadly grouped into the following three general classifications:

1. Unpaved Shoulders

a. Turf Shoulders

b. Gravel Shoulders

2. Paved Shoulders

a. Concrete Shoulders

b. Asphalt Shoulders

3. Curb and Curb Gutter

When the failure of a paved shoulder is due to the failure of the base, the repair procedure outlined in the
appropriate performance standard should be followed. In general, repairs of this type include the following
operations:

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1. Scarifying

2. Removing and replacing unstable material

3. Reshaping the base material

4. Compacting material to obtain correct grade and slope

When the failures are caused by water trapped in the subgrade, the use of French drains or underdrains is
required. The use of subsurface drainage is covered in Chapter 8, Drainage and Drainage Systems, in this
Publication.

UNPAVED SHOULDERS
TURF SHOULDERS
Most turf shoulders are able to support vegetation, which generally grow without artificial seeding. Granular
material may be added to the native soil to give increased stability to the surface. The amount of granular
material added must not interfere with the natural drainage runoff. A turf shoulder should have a minimum
slope of 3/4 inch per foot and maximum slope of 1 1/2 inches per foot of width. A flatter slope will not allow
for rapid runoff of surface water. The addition of material may be necessary in drop off areas and must be
compacted prior to the completion of the grading/cutting of the shoulder.

Turf shoulders are not practical on heavily traveled roads. However, on local service roads and rural roads, a
turf shoulder provides a relatively stable surface and will resist erosion. Where turf shoulders are used on a
road, certain portions should be upgraded by the addition of aggregate. Some of these locations are the insides
of some curves, at intersections, entrances to driveways, and mailboxes. When an improperly constructed
driveway entrance or approach causes a drainage or any other undesirable condition, the owner should be
contacted, as correction to this condition will be the owner’s responsibility.

Maintenance of turf shoulders include the following:

1. Mowing

2. Repair of ruts, holes, and low spots to the graded contour

3. Cutting or grading high areas to return to proper cross slope

4. Stabilize areas at curves, intersections, entrances to driveways, mailboxes, and at all other critical
locations
Turf shoulders should be mowed as required based on guidance from Chapter 13, Roadside Management, of
this Publication. The Foreman responsible for the mowing of turf shoulders should coordinate the operation of
picking up litter along the roadside before the mowing operation. This will reduce the chance of the mower
hitting an object, causing damage to employees, equipment, motoring public, or private property.

Damage to a turf shoulder in the form of ruts caused by traffic or erosion should be repaired by scarifying,
adding select material if needed and compacting to conform to proper shoulder cross slope. Holes and other
low spots in a shoulder should be repaired in a similar manner.

If ruts continue to occur on the inside portion of a turf shoulder, the original soil adjacent to the roadway
should be removed to an average depth of 6 to 8 inches and the full width of the rut, usually 2 to 3 feet. The
trench should then be backfilled with a mixture of granular material and soil. For extreme or persistent
rutting, the addition of asphalt material to the affected area should be considered, to prevent additional
distress during winter and extended periods of bad weather. Upon completion of the compaction of the added
material, the new portion of the shoulder should be flush with both the adjacent roadway and the remaining
portion of the shoulder.

The surface of a turf shoulder can become too high as a result of the growth of vegetation, the collection of
anti-skid, foreign material, and from frost heave. It is sometimes possible to remove the effects of frost heave
by compacting with a 3 wheeled roller when weather conditions permit.

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When rolling will not depress a high shoulder sufficiently, it is necessary to regrade or cut the shoulder.
Shoulder cutting should be performed with a grader every 4 to 6 years. Grading should be followed up by
rolling, except in extremely wet or muddy areas.

GRAVEL SHOULDERS
A gravel shoulder usually consists of coarse graded aggregate spread on, or incorporated into, the native soil
and may include a prime coat or liquid bituminous surface treatment on top of the aggregate. Aggregate
should be placed on a prepared subgrade. Typical aggregates that are suitable are limestone, slag, or
Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). Chemical and asphalt materials may be used to stabilize granular
materials. When RAP materials are used, compaction and a liquid bituminous surface treatment is required.

RAP is the product of hot or warm mixed asphalt pavement that may include surface treatments which are
milled. Clean RAP is such material that is free of subbase, dirt, soil, or other contaminates. Milling travel lanes
for overlays should always yield clean RAP. Co-mingled (contaminated) RAP is milled asphalt pavement
mixed with materials such as subbase or soil. Milled shoulder material, widening, or base repairs may contain
co-mingled RAP if the milling extends beyond the depth or width of the asphalt pavement. Do not mix clean
RAP with co-mingled material. Co-mingled and clean RAP material is suitable for shoulder back up and
shoulder material.

The addition of a well-graded granular surfacing material to a natural turf shoulder will provide stability and
produce a good all-weather shoulder. After the first application of aggregate, it may be necessary to make spot
replacements of this material from time to time.

Gravel shoulders should be constructed and maintained with a minimum slope of 3/4 inch per foot and a
maximum slope of 1 1/2 inches per foot of width. Care should be taken to see that this slope is maintained
because shoulders with less than minimum slope will retain water. This water/moisture will soak through the
shoulder material and can create soft spots. If it is noted during an inspection after a rain that a section of
shoulder is holding water, that section should be marked, and corrective action should be taken as soon as it is
practical. During a heavy rainfall, surface water will run across an unpaved shoulder with a slope that exceeds
1 1/2 inches per foot with enough speed to cause erosion.

Occasional grading and rolling of a gravel shoulder is required to keep the inside edge of the shoulder at the
same level as the outside edge of the pavement and to move and redistribute loose material to fill ruts. Gravel
shoulders are kept smooth and at the correct cross slope by routine grading and periodic replacement of worn
or lost material, the shoulders should be reshaped periodically in order to remove the buildup of anti-skid and
foreign material.

Maintenance of gravel shoulders include the following:

1. Cutting

2. Grading

3. Replacement of material

4. Reshaping

5. Rolling

6. Control of erosion

7. Application of prime coat or liquid bituminous surface treatment

8. Application of dust palliative

The most important purpose of routine grading is to prevent the formation of ruts at the edge of the roadway
pavement. When ruts are allowed to form and remain, the edge of the pavement is easily damaged because of
the loss of lateral support. Additionally, during periods of wet weather, ruts/holes will hold water, causing the
subgrade and base under the roadway to become saturated, thus producing surface failures. It is also

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important to prevent low shoulders, which would reduce the amount of lateral support provided at the edge
of the pavement and could also be a safety hazard.

Frequent grading of gravel shoulders may be required where the shoulder material has poor binding quality,
where traffic is relatively heavy, and where a narrow roadway carries a large volume of truck traffic. For
routine procedure of the grading and cutting operations, see the Publication 113, Highway Foreman Manual.

Building up a shoulder is also necessary to raise the shoulder when the roadway is resurfaced. To improve an
existing gravel shoulder, when a roadway is resurfaced, scarify the old surface and add material to it. Finally,
properly compact the graded surface as described above.

If granular material is added to shoulders during a period of dry weather the moisture content must still be at
the proper level to achieve optimum compaction. Water or chlorides should be added to the shoulder material
before the final grading and compacting. This treatment of chlorides is also good for providing added
stabilization where the shoulder material can lose fines quickly. Chlorides can be mixed into the aggregate
before placing.

If distresses continually recur in an area on the inside of a curve, it may be cost effective to pave the affected
area. This is one of the most effective ways of reducing maintenance of the shoulder and the edge of
pavement. Such pavement should be a minimum of 5 inches deep and 1 to 2 feet wide consisting of a base
course and wearing surface.

PAVED SHOULDERS
Paved shoulders may be composed of Portland cement concrete, asphalt paving courses, or liquid bituminous
surface treatment over concrete or asphalt pavement.

Maintenance of a paved shoulder is similar in many ways to that of a roadway of the same surface type.
Shoulder maintenance cycles can be found in Publication 242, Pavement Policy Manual, Chapter 11.

Paved shoulders have been provided on many secondary roads where the volume of traffic is heavy and
through urban areas where shoulders are needed to permit vehicles to park and to enter or leave driveways.
Also, along high-speed highways such as those on the interstate system, shoulders are paved for improved
safety and ease of day to day routine maintenance.

CONCRETE SHOULDERS
The slope of a shoulder of Portland cement should be 1/2 inch per foot of width.

Cracks and/or joints in Portland cement concrete and asphalt will be sealed as prescribed for each in the
respective performance standard. The weakest point in a paved shoulder and the place where most failures
start is the joint between the roadway pavement and the paved shoulder. ʺPumpingʺ often develops when
joints are not kept sealed and water can enter. Special attention should be given to the maintenance and
sealing of this joint. During winter months, the freeze-thaw cycle can potentially break the joint.

Maintenance of concrete shoulders include the following:

1. Repair of base failures

2. Full and partial depth patching

3. Sealing cracks and/or joints

ASPHALT SHOULDERS
For asphalt and liquid bituminous surface treated shoulders, the minimum slope should be 3/4 inch per foot
and the maximum slope should be 1 1/2 inches per foot of width.

Maintenance of asphalt shoulders include the following:

1. Patching with plant mix asphalt material

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2. Surface treatment

3. Repair of base failures

4. Skin patching

4. Sealing cracks and/or joints

When asphalt shoulders are patched, care should be taken to see that the surface of the patch is even with the
surrounding surface.

When the asphalt surface on a paved shoulder becomes lean, dry, or oxidizes, the surface should be sealed
with liquid bituminous surface treatment material. This treatment can also be employed to raise a paved
shoulder that has had minor settlement. Where the settlement of the shoulder is so great that all the material
required to raise it cannot be applied in a single liquid bituminous surface treatment, asphalt wearing course
should be placed in accordance with Publication 113, Highway Foreman Manual, Performance Standards.

The performance standards provide additional information in regard to the preparation, class of asphalt
materials, and aggregates used in liquid bituminous surface treatment, and the proper procedure for applying
the materials.
When shoulders are repaired by liquid bituminous surface treatment the finished surface must be flush with
the edge of pavement and should slightly overlap the pavement edge.

Skin patching should be used under the following conditions: in areas where there is insufficient asphalt
material or dryness (oxidation), on asphalt surfaces where raveling or spalling is evident, or on limited areas
where there is alligator cracking. The importance of skin patching cannot be emphasized enough because of its
ability to revitalize a shoulder surface and economically prolong its life.

Safety Edge shall be used as a standard pavement edge treatment on the outside edge of asphalt pavements
and shoulders. The Safety Edge allows drivers who drift off highways to return to the road. Instead of a
vertical drop-off, the Safety Edge consolidates the edge of the pavement to a 30° taper. The Safety Edge
provides a strong, durable transition for all vehicles. Even at higher speeds, vehicles can return to the paved
road. By including Safety Edge while paving, it can be implemented system-wide at a very low cost.
Publication 242, Pavement Policy Manual, Chapter 5 provides additional guidance on Safety Edge pavement
design.

Maintenance paving operations can cause drop off issues on the edge of the roadway. Prior to paving the
existing shoulder drop off conditions should be reviewed. During the paving operations, if necessary, signs
and warning devices should be deployed in accordance with Publication 408, Highway Specifications, Section
901. Once the paving operation has been completed, if necessary, a shoulder back-up operation should be
completed within 14 calendar days.

CURB AND CURB GUTTER

Curb is considered a concrete, asphalt wedge, or stone edging to a roadway.

Gutters are channels or curbs used along the side of a roadway surface to collect and control the flow of water
and direct it to an inlet or outlet ditch, a catch basin, or shoulder drain leading the water into a nearby stream
or another natural watercourse.

If curbing is degraded beyond repair, replacement of the curb should be included in the next scheduled
rehabilitation project. To maintain curb and gutter, remove excess material build-up along gutter area and
curb. The adequate removal of surface runoff is important, as ponded surface water will eventually penetrate
the pavement structure. Curb and gutter should be evaluated for lane or shoulder separation. If separated, this
section should be sealed to prevent water penetration into the pavement structure.

5.4 SHOULDER DISTRESS

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The three main shoulder types (unpaved, paved, and curbed) experience shoulder type specific distresses. The
main shoulder distresses are categorized below:

Lane/Shoulder Separation – This distress is defined by an open joint between the travel lanes and the paved
shoulder. This open joint allows water infiltration, which can lead to other distresses. If curbing exists, this
distress is characterized by an open joint between the pavement and the curb or curb gutter. Lane/shoulder
separation is not shoulder deterioration along the pavement edge, but generally an outward movement of the
shoulder or curb.

Deterioration – Shoulder distress is collected through manual surveys as part of the Systematic Technique to
Analyze and Manage Pennsylvania’s Pavements (STAMPP) program. Therefore, typical pavement distresses
such as raveling and cracking on shoulders are categorized as deterioration. Deterioration of shoulders is
generally caused by the same factors that deteriorate pavements. These factors include weakness in the base or
subgrade, shrinkage of the surface due to low temperature at the time of construction, asphalt hardening, and
oxidation of the asphalt binder.

Deficient Slope – This distress is characterized by paved or unpaved shoulder cross slope that restricts water
runoff from the pavement. For asphalt shoulders the slope should be a minimum of 3/4 inch per foot of width,
and for concrete shoulders the slope should be a minimum of ½ inch per foot of width. This distress is caused
by frost heaving, movement of the material due to traffic loads, or collection of debris.

Build-up – This distress is defined by an accumulation of materials at the outside edge of a paved or unpaved
shoulder, including the area beneath existing guide rail. Build-up is usually caused by the collection of anti-
skid and/or other materials, or by the growth of vegetation, at the outside edge of the shoulder.

Shoulder Drop-Off – This distress is characterized by the difference in elevation between the traveled surface
and the paved or unpaved outside shoulder. Shoulder drop-off is caused by successive increase in pavement
lane thickness (overlays), settlement of the shoulder base materials, or shoulder material loss from vehicles
pulling off the pavement onto the shoulder.

This distress can present a hazard to the motoring public. Drop-offs greater than two inches, whether created
by maintenance operations or edge deterioration, should be scheduled to be addressed as resources permit.
Signing and/or delineation may be required in the event repairs cannot be completed in the short term. See
Publication 408, Highway Specifications, Section 901 for guidance in this area.

5.5 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ROADWAY APPROACHES

Whenever a public road intersects a paved highway, the approach to the side road should be stabilized or
paved by PennDOT to the limits of the right-of-way of the through highway. Whether stabilization or paving
is required will depend on the amount of traffic using the side road. For private driveways, places of business,
and mailbox approaches, PennDOT is responsible to the edge of roadway not including shoulder and is not
responsible for the driveway approach. The Department will typically not skip over these areas when
shoulder grading is being completed.

The presence of even one improperly constructed entrance along a highway makes it difficult to provide
maintenance of the shoulder. Moreover, poor or improper drainage at the entrance often is a direct cause of
failure of the road surface, and an improperly constructed entrance sometimes creates a hazard to the
traveling public by directing surface water/ice onto the highway pavement. When an improperly constructed
drive entrance or approach causes drainage or any other undesirable condition, the owner and District Permit
Office should be contacted and advised of their responsibility to correct the condition.

5.6 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Environmental concerns such as wetlands, erosion control, and waterway pollution are to be addressed in the
disposal of all excavated and waste materials and in all other actions related to this activity.

All environmental policies, either by PennDOT, Department of Environmental Protection, or others in effect at
the time are to be adhered to by maintenance forces.

According to Best Management Practices (BMP) from Publication 464, Maintenance Field Reference for
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Erosion and Sediment Controls, should be reviewed for both installation and maintenance of erosion control
devices related to shoulder cutting as well as other earth disturbance activities should be reviewed.

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