The pavement must be adequately broomed before asphalt is applied. This must be performed thoroughly to ensure an adequate bond of the asphalt to the pavement. A finished seal coat will also be broomed to remove excess aggregate particles. Power rotary brooms are used for these purposes. An example of a rotary broom is shown in Figure 7‑1. A vacuum sweeper is another type of broom which may also be used to clean the pavement.

Rotary brooms for seal coat work should be self-propelled, four-wheeled, and capable of operating in both forward and reverse. They are powered by either a gasoline or diesel engine. The bristle brush should be capable of being raised, lowered, and rotated horizontally. The bristle brush on a rotary broom is shown in Figure 7‑2.