Tack coat is thin layer or film of asphalt emulsion which is
applied to promote adhesion between an existing pavement
layer and a new layer of hot-mix.

Adequate bonding between the existing road surface and the new overlay is critical in order to assure that the completed pavement results in a system capable of withstanding traffic and
environmental loads.

In New York State, tack coat material, and its application, must conform to the requirements of Section 407 of the New York State Department of Transportation Standard Specifications.

Albany Asphalt & Aggregates Corp. maintains a number of asphalt “distributors”, tank trucks which are specially designed in accordance with Section 407-3.01 for the application of tack coat. Omitting tack coat can result in delamination, fatigue cracking, potholes, rutting and other stresses which reduce pavement life and may lead to total pavement failure.