Asphalt Paving Questions and Answers

Answer: Leaving a parking lot's asphalt to the whims of nature and vehicles can be expensive. Not only will you need to repave the parking lot sooner than necessary if no maintenance is done, but your lot can create hazards that damage vehicles and injure pedestrians.

Defects on your lot are the owner's responsibility, and lawsuits filed by people who trip and fall in parking lots can put your business at risk. It is mandatory that your pavement looks excellent and remains structurally sound and free of defects such as cracks, depressions, and potholes.

Answer: Assuming that the initial asphalt pavement was designed and constructed correctly, the primary cause of failure is water penetration into the asphalt base. Asphalt failure often begins with the oxidation of an untreated pavement surface, which causes the asphalt to become dry and brittle. The top layer of fine particles erodes, exposing the larger aggregate and leading to small cracks on the surface. These cracks will grow if left untreated, allowing water to penetrate the pavement's base. When water enters the pavement's base, the base material shifts and settles, leading to further cracking and a depression in the surface. As water pools in the depressed area, the asphalt further deteriorates and becomes unstable. When the pavement reaches this stage, removal, and replacement of the old asphalt are often the only remedies.

Answer: Periodic and preventative maintenance is the key—budget money for crack filling every year. Typically, a few hundred dollars a year in crack filling will save you thousands in patching when resurfacing is required. If poor sub-base conditions cause deteriorated pavement, periodic patching may be required to keep those areas from spreading.

Answer: Asphalt pavement is usually 95% aggregate, such as stone, sand, or gravel, and 5% asphalt cement as a binder. The binder is a product of oil refining that glues the aggregates together. The aggregate and asphalt are heated, combined with the recycled material, and mixed. Then, we load the hot pavement material into trucks and take it to the site.

Answer:

• It costs less to construct and maintain asphalt than alternative pavements.
• Asphalt construction projects can be completed more quickly than alternative pavements.
• Asphalt pavements are the smoothest pavements.
• Asphalt pavements generate less noise than alternative pavements.
• The contrast of the black pavement and white lines makes it easier for motorists to understand driving and parking regulations, making asphalt safer.
• Properly designed, constructed, and maintained asphalt pavements last significantly longer than alternative pavements.
• Asphalt is recyclable.

Answer: Paving operations are weather dependent. We will sometimes work through it if it is just morning mist or very light rain. If it rains heavily or snows, we normally reschedule the project until a dry day. Asphalt can be applied year-round, provided temperature and ground conditions are adequate.

Answer: It is customary to see some tire marking since the sealer is still tender and hasn’t cured 100%. You will notice that the tracking and marking will subside after a week.