Pavement maintenance can range from a cleaning, power washing, or more advanced form of maintenance to repairing cracks or breaks. Asphalt is built to withstand. Its purpose is usually to take on a lot of weight and traffic. The purpose of asphalt, after all, is to withstand high levels of vehicular traffic. Pavement is usually associated with pedestrian traffic, as it is more commonly used for paths, walkways, and places where people walk. So if your asphalt or pavement is cracking, here’s what you need to know. Before a repair is put in place, it’s important to understand the kind of damage and the root cause. The most common type of asphalt distresses include distortion, traffic loading, environmental or climate influences, or deficiencies in drainage. All of this can be attributed to increased traffic, environmental factors, or cut corners in the initial installation.
Asphalt is one of the most common materials used for parking lots, streets, and airport runways. It is comprised of a mixture of recyclable materials including, oil (bitumen) and aggregates (sand, gravel, crushed stone, etc). The asphalt mixture is heated to extremely hot temperatures and will arrive at the job site at 300+ degrees in the asphalt truck. The truck will then back up to the asphalt paver and will place the asphalt into the asphalt hopper of the paving machine. The paver has an auger that pulls the asphalt to the back of the paver. The auger then pushes the asphalt evenly across the screen for an even distribution of asphalt out of the paver. Once the asphalt is laid, it is sitting at about an 85% compaction level. An asphalt roller is then placed onto the slightly cooled asphalt and further begins the process of compaction by rolling back and forth evenly across the asphalt pavement.
A smaller roller puts the final touches of compaction into place by compacting the asphalt down to a 95-98% compaction level. Once asphalt is cooled and properly compacted, it hardens into beautiful new asphalt pavement. Asphalt is both a cost-effective and a durable installation, however like most new things, it is critical to take good care of your new asphalt pavement. All asphalt installations will require lots of maintenance and repair at very specific points it time over the course of the pavement’s lifespan. Maintenance is our bread and butter and our project managers can help you plan and estimate the cost and timeliness of your pavement needs in order to ensure the maximum lifespan of your asphalt pavement.
Definition of Asphalt Might Surprise You: Asphalt is best defined as a combination of aggregates, fillers, and binders. These materials are mixed together to create the surface material necessary for parking lots, roads, playgrounds, and other surfaces. Asphalt aggregates include gravel, crushed rock, sand, and slags. Bitumen is the most popular binder for holding everything together when asphalt is being made. So take a moment to think about everything involved in the asphalt beneath your feet the next time you step out of your car and walk toward your destination. There is much more to asphalt than meets the eye.
Making Asphalt: In terms of combining the materials, the asphalt creation process is akin to baking a cake. Specific amounts of each ingredient must be measured and mixed. The combined ingredients are subsequently heated. However, several unique layers are required for the proper installation of asphalt pavement. There must be clear distinctions between the asphalt surface that is visible, the intermediate layer, the base aggregate, the base, and the subsoil. Even the slightest error can sabotage the installation of your new asphalt parking lot or other space.
Aside From Asphalt Replacement: Do not assume your aged or worn asphalt requires a total replacement. Though a brand-new asphalt lot would look fantastic, a project of this magnitude might be better a few years down the road unless your property has significant damage. It might not be necessary to start all over again at square one if your asphalt is in average condition. One asphalt services solution is to add an asphalt overlay so you do not have to tear the lot apart and pay for a full replacement. As long as the surface is stable and solid, the overlay can be applied. If the pavement is distressed, there will likely be cracking or excessive wear sooner than expected. In the worst-case scenarios, the overlay ends up with similar structural breaches if it is applied to the pavement with excessive undulations or cracks. If time and money are a primary concern, give asphalt services, such as an asphalt pavement overlay, consideration.
Ashers Asphalt and Sealcoating
Tacoma
