Asphalt paving is installing a paved surface using asphalt concrete. It is a common choice for roads, parking lots, and driveways because it is durable and easy to install.
You might be considering a few concreting contractors for your home driveway or parking lot. So, let’s discuss asphalt paving in this article.
We will give you an overview of asphalt paving, including what it is and how to install it. But, first things first!
What is Asphalt?
Asphalt is a dark brown or black petroleum product that has varying consistency. You can also recycle it from your old pavements.
Once extracted, the asphalt is transported to an asphalt plant, where it is heated and mixed with other materials to create asphalt concrete.
How is Asphalt Pavement Installed?
The first step in installing asphalt paving is to excavate the area where the pavement will be located. This includes removing any existing vegetation, grading the soil, and compacting the subgrade.
Next, a foundation of gravel or other material is placed and compacted on top of the subgrade. After the foundation is set in place, asphalt concrete can be applied in one of two ways:
- Hot mix or
- Cold mix.
Hot mix asphalt concrete is produced at an asphalt plant and then transported to the job site, where it is installed while still hot.
But, cold mix asphalt concrete is produced at the job site either by using a portable mixing plant or by manual mixing.
After installing the asphalt concrete, it needs to cool down before it is ready to use. This can take somewhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the weather conditions.
Benefits of Asphalt Paving
Asphalt paving has its fair share of benefits in both industrial and commercial settings.
- Asphalt is eco-friendly: Asphalt roads have a lower carbon footprint than other alternatives. It is also possible to mix and pour asphalt pavement material at lower temperatures. It has the obvious benefits of cutting fuel consumption and the production of greenhouse gases.
- Asphalt is affordable: Asphalt has lower initial costs, lasts longer, and has a higher residual value than alternative pavements.
- Asphalt is 100% reusable: Asphalt is among the most recycled building materials. It extends the life of asphalt surfaces. Also, it requires less new asphalt to create new asphalt pavements, which saves tonnes of new aggregate. It is also possible to build pavement out of entirely recycled asphalt.
- Asphalt is easy to maintain: The absence of pavement joints decreases the need for maintenance. Asphalt pavements are substantially less costly to maintain since there are no joints to replace, and they are not damaged by freeze-thaw cycles.
- Asphalt lasts indefinitely: The wearing course of asphalt mixtures (such as Stone Mastic Asphalt) can endure for more than 30 years. Moreover, the latest developments in self-healing asphalt suggest that the service life of deteriorating courses on current highways might be drastically extended.
- Asphalt is flexible: Asphalt pavements can be 'custom fit.' It means they can be specifically created and built to sustain the traffic load and weather conditions of a particular region. There are unique asphalt mix options for highways and urban, suburban, and rural roads.
- Asphalt reduces noise: This is a great choice for the construction of roads as it can also reduce noise from vehicles. So, opting for noise-reducing asphalt can cancel the need for more expensive noise-reduction solutions such as noise barriers.
Drawbacks to Asphalt Paving
Now, let’s see the other side of asphalt paving—the disadvantages.
- Breaks: When asphalt paving is incorrectly laid, it cracks and pits. Uneven blacktop surfaces, improper mixing, and paving over existing breaks are all causes of cracks.
- Need for heavy machinery: It required the use of heavy machinery, regardless of the type of asphalt employed. Wholesaler trucks, paving equipment, sand spreaders, and graders are all necessary to create blacktop surfaces. You can hire this type of equipment for a small-scale driveway project, but it is pricey.
Conclusion
These are the basics of asphalt paving that you should know.
If you are considering having asphalt paving installed on your property, we recommend that you consult with a professional Industrial concreting company to get an accurate estimate of the cost and timeline for your project.
Comments (2)