Searching the internet to find out how long asphalt takes to dry, will leave you more confused than when you began searching. Lucky for you, that’s why you came to the right website; Paving Finder has the most concise and proper answers for you.
So, How Long Does Asphalt Take To Dry?
Typically, residential asphalt applications dry within 2-3 days after being applied. 72 hours is enough time to allow the surface to dry. However, depending on your specific location, extreme temperatures and other factors that this article will cover, the asphalt may take closer to 9-12 days to dry before you can use it.
Once the asphalt is paved, there are two phases the asphalt goes through before it is finally its finished product and can be sealed and protected; it has to DRY and then the asphalt must CURE BEFORE you can seal It.,
The factors that determine how long it takes asphalt to dry are:
Whoever you do hire to do the job, will most definitely be checking the weather, to ensure they have the most IDEAL conditions. This will help speed up both of the processes; drying and curing.
Such elements that affect how long asphalt takes to dry, include:
Dry Weather Conditions
Low Humidity\Dew point
Dry Heat, such as the Midwest USA, etc
Windy conditions will help speed up the drying and curing. Imagine a blow dryer on hair. It’s the same concept.
Lots of sunlight -clear, sunny day’s will definitely speed up the both processes
What is the difference between asphalt drying and curing?
When waiting for asphalt to DRY, you are allowing the asphalt to cool and loose its malleability.
Asphalt is very hot when a surface is being paved, so allowing it to cool and start hardening is what the DRY time is critical for. If you drive or walk on an asphalt surface before it has the proper time to dry, you WILL leave indentations and\or marred spots in the asphalt, guaranteed.
Using an Asphalt surface before it dries properly can create costly expenses down the road.
Hiring a pro, a company that is reputable to do your driveway or parking lot and having them tell you the proper amount of times to wait before using your newly paved space, will be priceless in the long-run for you. If you use the surface before it has dried completely, the indentations that were mentioned cause insurmountable damages. When it rains, or your lawn irrigation soaks the driveway and puddles form, that water will weaken the asphalt surface.
When you allow the asphalt time to properly dry, you can prevent this.
Now that the asphalt is almost done drying and you know specifically how long that is likely to take, the curing process is silently beginning without you even knowing it. To simplest explanation is you are allowing time for the oil to evaporate from the asphalt. When air (oxygen) comes in contact with the asphalt surface and reacts (the oil evaporating from the asphalt) this is called OXIDATION.
You will notice when your driveway or parking lot is paved, it is a shiny and dark black. As the product (asphalt) cures, it will begin to slowly lose its, dark, mysterious luster and turn a lighter grey color. This is the curing process and it is NOT A BAD THING. Don’t worry- this is the surface curing. Once fully cured, it will be a much lighter grey than when it was paved. THEN, you may sealcoat or paint the surface.
Why does asphalt need to dry and cure?
Knowing how long it takes asphalt to dry and cure, may be more important than knowing WHY, but here are the reasons WHY you need to let the surface dry and cure.
If it isn’t dry and you drive or walk on the surface you will leave indentations, marks, ruts, footprints, etc. Even once the surface has dried, in the early days of it being used, it’s important NOT to park extremely heavy equipment or vehicles in one spot for long, due to the same reasons mentioned above.
If it’s not dry, it won’t cure. If neither happens, your driveway or parking lot will surely be in ruins in no-time.
You want the surface to cure so that you can seal the surface to extend the life of the asphalt and PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT.
Commonly asked questions regarding asphalt drying and curing:
How long before you can walk on asphalt after paving?
Generally, you should be able to walk on the asphalt after it has set for 24 hours. However this depends on where you live and may take longer-ask your local paving pro.
How long before you can drive on asphalt after paving?
It’s strongly urged that you allow 48 hours for the Asphalt to dry before you drive on it. Again, these times may be less or more-depending on location.
How long should asphalt cure before painting?
Allow the surface to cure for 30 Days BEFORE painting.
Final Thoughts
Now that we answered the question: “How Long Does Asphalt Take To Dry?” you can take steps to ensure you get the best results for your asphalt surface.
The Better Business Bureau and Paving Finder encourage you to spend the time and resources to hire a reputable contractor. Once they’re done paving your driveway or parking lot, have them inform you of specific dry and cure times for your location, as well as any necessary steps you need to take to maintain your investment. It is very important and will save you a lot of money and headaches down-the-road.
Tim is a seasoned paving expert with 30+ years of experience in the industry. He has worked on countless projects, from small residential driveways to large commercial parking lots.
https://pavingfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/asphalt_1.jpg455782admin123https://pavingfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/logo.jpgadmin1232021-01-15 16:33:242024-02-16 13:39:53How Long Does Asphalt Take To Dry?
Curb appeal is not an exception to residential properties; it is similarly vital for a business. This is because the outside of your facility gives the first impression to customers. As a commercial facility manager or business owner, it is your responsibility to maintain many structures and systems in and around your properties, ensuring they are in good condition.
The nature and visibility of your business driveways, walkways, and parking lots are essential. Whether you run a retail center, worship centers, hospital, school, etc., maintaining the parking lot or driveway pavement is hugely significant.
So, why is commercial asphalt paving and maintenance necessary for your property?
It enhances the curb appeal, reduces the likelihood of unintended accidents, and can significantly impact the perception of your business. Well-maintained outdoor surfaces demonstrate that you esteem your customers and their safety, besides curb appeal and showing the pride you have in your business.
Beyond aesthetics, commercial paving services provide various advantages. Hence, it would be best to consider its benefits when updating your exterior surfaces or installing a new one. There must, after all, be a valid explanation why so many companies have asphalt surfaces.
Services offered by commercial asphalt companies
Whether your company wants to install a commercial parking lot, build an extra lot across the street, or are proposing repaving an existing one, you should consider commercial paving services.
As your business expands, you need to install freshly paved surfaces around your newly built buildings, and that requires just the right process to ensure the asphalt’s longevity and durability.
So, what are the services offered by commercial asphalt companies?
Constructing new driveways and parking lots for commercial customers is one of the services that expert paving contractors are known primarily for. Besides, they also offer:
Repairs of asphalt pavement
Resurfacing the asphalt pavement
Preventative maintenance of the asphalt pavement
seal coating the asphalt surface
A poorly constructed asphalt pavement would have a very brief life. Commercial pavements must be able to handle the projected traffic weight and volume. If the paving contractor does not correctly build the pavement, premature cracking, potholes, subsidence, and other issues may occur in as little as one year.
Constructing new driveways and parking lots
A solid, well-paced, and durable driveway or parking lot is an important element for any business or home. Commercial paving companies often consider several factors when carrying out asphalt paving, ensuring that it is perfectly installed, saving both time and money. Because a poorly installed asphalt can lead to early damage, resulting in the need to repair the pavement far too quickly.
For instance, parking lots around airport runways or commercial buildings accommodate quite different traffic and loads than your driveway at home or typical retail parking lot. Requirements will differ regarding the stone base depth, wearing course density, and binder depth, depending on the type of traffic a particular surface can handle.
Crack sealing, pothole repair, and patching are things for your usual commercial asphalt maintenance to-do list. And to ensure excellent outcomes, these services are best carried out by expert paving contractors. Not only do cracks in your asphalt pavement along with potholes and raveling decrease your property’s value and render them unattractive, but they are also a safety hazard and trigger problems for visitors.
Any incidents like damage, slip, and fall or damage to the car may lead to an unexpected lawsuit.
You can avoid that by having periodic asphalt repairs made to your surface by professional asphalt maintenance contractors who will keep your parking lot clean, appealing, and in good shape, using the best available materials. They have a strategy that your budget can go along with.
Resurfacing the asphalt pavement
Suppose your business has been based in the same building for several years. In that case, it is evident that your paved surfaces require some professional intervention, and it could be time for a complete resurfacing project. Resurfacing an asphalt pavement can lead to improving driving conditions and road appearance. Also, several work crews need to be involved, and traffic controls need to be followed.
Resurfacing should only be undertaken when the existing asphalt is free of asphalt failures. Instead of fixing the problem, resurfacing a damaged asphalt pavement is merely putting a “band-aid” on the issue. It would help if you covered any small cracks with appropriate material before resurfacing the pavement.
Asphalt pavement maintenance is vital for the protection of vehicles, their tires, and the surface itself. It is a perfect way of ensuring the pavement’s long existence. As a result, over the years, asphalt preventive maintenance has provided momentum. The protection of road surface from environmental issues, including water intrusion through cracks and fissures into the base, alongside oxidation of the pavement’s upper surface, will significantly contribute to the life of the pavement system.
Preventive maintenance is not adequate for pavement that shows structural problems or vulnerabilities. Professional pavement maintenance contractors can offer reliable advice for the upkeep of your paving properties.
Sealcoating the asphalt surface
Asphalt seal coating is utilized to repair the asphalt surface by filling any voids or tiny holes. The liquid agent is used mainly for sealing cracks and is not identical to the asphalt binder. Sealcoating asphalt shields the surface of a parking lot or driveway from oxidation and degradation from oil, gas, and salt. It also mitigates the need for repairs to the asphalt by weathering the surface, which effectively prevents water from seeping through cracks.
Your asphalt pavement will begin to unravel, and potholes form if not perfectly sealed.
The crack sealing technique protects your asphalt paving against different elements of the weather. Water will pass through your asphalt if you do not promptly seal the tiny cracks, resulting in asphalt oxidation and solidification. It can also lead to wider cracks that may need filling processes if that happens.
We recommend that you use the services of professional commercial asphalt repair companies to maintain your asphalt pavement.
The different types of asphalt installations
The different ways of asphalt installation include:
Remove an existing asphalt pavement and pave on the soil
Remove the existing asphalt pavement and install an aggregate base
Paving over an existing asphalt pavement (the wrong way)
Allowing the base to settle (the right way)
Hurrying to put on asphalt
Installation of asphalt pavement is a complex operation that renders most homeowners and business owners unsure how to go about it! You may find it difficult to install asphalt yourself, but learning the process will ensure that it is done correctly by your hired contractor. There are several ways to have an asphalt driveway installed. You can attempt to go through it yourself or rely on a reputable installation company. But in all, the installation quality will rely on who you pick.
We highlighted below the different ways (both wrong and right ways) contractors install an asphalt pavement:
Remove the existing asphalt pavement and install an aggregate base.
The preferred process is to install a new aggregate base. Any of the hot asphalt mixes are partly replaced by an aggregate stone base. Then a 6 to 8 inches aggregate would typically be placed under 3 inches of asphalt.
Remove an existing asphalt pavement and pave on the soil.
With this asphalt installation option, the current pavement is removed wholly. After that, 4-6 inches of hot asphalt mix is placed right on top of the soil. This option is quick and less costly, but it is less reliable.
Paving over an existing asphalt pavement (the wrong way)
Some commercial asphalt paving contractors recommend that you pave your new asphalt parking lot or driveway over the current ones, as it saves time and may theoretically reduce the cost. This is an awful idea, though, as the construction of asphalt pavement over an uneven surface declines its foundation. The removal of all the existing driveways, parking lots until installation is worth the time and effort.
Allowing the base to settle (the right way)
There is a base underneath every correctly installed asphalt pavement, commonly built of soil and crushed rock. This base is essential for drainage besides all other construction-related issues. The base requires lots of time to settle to be able to pave asphalt over it. It is imperative to allow this time for proper installation.
Hurrying to put on asphalt
Installing the highest proportion of asphalt pavement is a priority for certain contractors because it significantly increases their profit margins. This usually contributes to poor installation jobs that wouldn’t last. Suppose your contractor fails to allow the base time to settle and hurries to install the asphalt surface immediately. In that case, he or she prioritizes profits over the efficiency of your installation project.
Repair and resurfacing services
Keeping your asphalt pavement in good shape is critical. Because a broken pavement is challenging to drive over or walk on, when your asphalt pavement starts to deteriorate and requires fixing or resurfacing, you should get in a competent contractor to address the problems.
Professional commercial asphalt paving contractors offer repair and resurfacing services. They also ensure that you have a catch basin in your parking lot or driveway when the weather changes, ensuring improved drainage so that water does not pool up.
If the underlying foundation is structurally sound and the surface is deteriorated or badly eroded, resurfacing is required. If you find a depressive grade and or wide parts of alligator regions on your asphalt pavement, it is time to resurface your pavement. There are various reasons for these failures, but water penetration through unsealed or poorly sealed cracks, high traffic volumes, irrigation system runoff, and heavy traffic loads are the most common.
Furthermore, when an area of pavement begins to develop potholes, patching is a standard solution to remedy the issue. Potholes develop when water percolates into the pavement via uncovered or poorly sealed cracks. It extends and expands the crack as the water freezes, creating a hole as the ice beneath the pavement melts.
Professional paving companies offer these much-required services for commercial properties, including parking lots, driveways, roadways for business parks, shopping centers, and apartment buildings.
The benefits of commercial asphalt paving
Asphalt paving has tremendous benefits for commercial properties and communities that will save your business time, hassle, and money. And if you are considering employing an asphalt paving contractor, the below advantages will help you in your decision.
If properly installed, it saves you money in the long run
It can be installed easily and quickly, saving you time
It only requires low maintenance expenses to elongate asphalt lifespan
It is a flexible solution, extending its lifespan and improves ease of repairs
It is multi-use
You can add a shining finish
It offers a high-quality first impression
The difference between commercial asphalt companies and residential asphalt companies
Whether you want to pave your parking lot, driveway, activity area, etc., you need to do some homework on the service provider. Also, work on the feedback from reputable sources, third party evaluations, and recommendations when choosing a reliable asphalt paving company for both commercial and residential projects.
In general, reputable asphalt paving contractors with a strong record of happy customers do not market themselves commercially or residential-only. That’s because the business of constructing commercial parking lots and driveways is very related, so most can do both. Undoubtedly, a commercial parking lot contractor can install a standard driveway. A residential driveway contractor can also build a quality parking lot.
The two projects are not interchangeable. There is a distinction in the depth and drainage style. You can consider it a supportive system of the pavement’s surface, which needs to be removed from soft spots. So, paving contractors will analyze the layer and often compact it by driving a complete, heavy truck over it or adding clay or disintegrated granite to strengthen up the area.
To be explicit, the equipment a paving contractor will use to build commercial driveways is the same as what they will use for a residential project. But in both cases, what counts is the quality of the job.
Pros of commercial asphalt paving company
A commercial paving company with several years of experience operating in a particular area has the capacity and expertise to adapt to the unique needs and environmental demands of the geographical region in which they operate. They recognize that every location has a specific set of weather conditions and patterns that can affect your asphalt parking lot or driveway’s overall quality and durability. Whether you are installing cold or hot asphalt mix, the aggregate must be produced and installed as per your location’s particular environmental needs, ensuring a high-quality outcome with a little need for repairs.
Conclusion
If you are planning an asphalt paving project for your commercial property, it is imperative to employ an experienced pavement construction company for the best result. Although a DIY method is sometimes suitable, it is best to get in a professional contractor, guaranteeing the needed durability and flexibility. They are experts in the field of pavement and can recommend the best solution for your pavement needs.
Tim is a seasoned paving expert with 30+ years of experience in the industry. He has worked on countless projects, from small residential driveways to large commercial parking lots.
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As the time approaches the cold and long months of the winter season, you will want to be proactive in all aspects. Including ensuring that your driveway is secured from the icy and snowy conditions accompanying the winter season, making it difficult and unsafe to use your asphalt driveway.
Many homeowners and business owners usually use salt for asphalt driveways as a standard solution to post snowfall and blizzard effects.
Is salt damaging to asphalt driveways?
Salt is widely used in the winter season to manage asphalt pavement; however, many people are worried about its effect on their driveways. The good news is that:
Salt does not damage asphalt
Rock salt or other deicers don’t adversely affect asphalt
It is a popular misconception that using salt for asphalt driveways degrades the driveway. Hot-mix asphalt is made to withstand the freezing and icy conditions of the winter season. Hence, salt would not affect the surface of your asphalt as long as it is installed properly.
However, a salt application can affect other unsealed materials like brick pavement and concrete because the bonds that bind these materials together can be broken down by salt, and they also freeze quicker.
If you are worried that salt will create potholes on your roadway, know that potholes on a driveway are not the direct consequence of salt application. When you observe crackling on your asphalt surface, you should seal it immediately before it is too late.
Potholes are commonly developed by water that gets under the ground surface. During the expansion and contraction of the water, the gravel foundation becomes weakened, and the weight of vehicles is what typically contributes to the development of potholes.
But does driveway salt actually melt ice?
Many people believe that driveway salt melts ice is a misconception because it is not really the case. Putting salt on your driveway does not melt it; instead, it modifies the water chemistry.
Water at 32° F freezes. When you put salt into the water, it decreases the water freezing point, indicating that the water can freeze only at the point it gets to an even lower temperature. Therefore, you should expect to have enough ice left on your driveway if the salt you put on it (irrespective of the quantity) does not lower the freezing point enough.
Pros and cons of using salt for asphalt driveways
People living in environments threatened by snow and ice during the winter frequently turn to salt applications to make it safer.
The many benefits of using salt in the winter are possibly why it has been used ever since and continues to be the most famous deicing material on the market today. It is readily available, inexpensive, and proven to be useful for melting ice and snow.
Although there are benefits of using salt on asphalt and concrete, there are also many disadvantages. Rock salt is a widely used material for this job, but there is a major worry that using salt on asphalt creates hideous and potentially harmful effects.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to make yourself conscious of some of the many adverse effects that come with the use of salt for deicing before applying it to your asphalt driveway.
The pros:
The advantages of using salt for asphalt driveways include the following:
One of the biggest advantages of applying salt on your asphalt driveways and other paving properties is that it prevents snow and ice buildup. Deicing is critical when you have asphalt pavement in your home.
In certain situations, preventing the ice from forming on your driveway and roadway will significantly minimize the damage incurred by slipping, falling, or sliding on the ice.
It is very pertinent to apply salt on your asphalt driveways or parking lots before and after winter to prevent snow and rain from forming a thick layer of ice on them. It also makes it easier to remove the precipitation that falls on your treated surfaces.
Applying salt to driveways increases asphalt surface friction, making it an extremely efficient way to minimize dangerous and even fatal vehicle accidents on slippery roads in poor conditions.
Road salt is a practical lifesaver and happens to be pretty inexpensive. Many states use it because it is readily affordable.
Salt does not degrade asphalt if it is correctly installed for your parking lot or driveways by a professional. Hot-mix asphalt pavement is a mixture of sand, stones, and petroleum combined in quantities to meet the needs of the area being paved. Your asphalt pavement is designed to endure the freeze-thaw cycle and is not influenced by salt or other deicing agents.
The following are cons involved with the use of salt for asphalt driveways:
Road salt aggravates the damage to already degraded asphalt as a result of the combination of high precipitation levels, cold winter temperatures, and traffic weight. This is because water saturated with road salt boosts the number of cumulative freeze-thaw cycles. Therefore, road salt can result in potholes under severe cold and on already damaged roads.
Road salt commonly causes corrosion of vehicle parts. Many vehicle owners park their car in a garage, allowing the snow, ice, and salt to sit and rot away at the car’s building components. This small mistake speeds up rusting and triggers the exhaust and muffler system, piping, coil springs, and frame to suffer harmful effects.
Due to the chemical composition of road salt, the more your vehicle interacts with it, the rustier it is probably to get. This is because precipitating water places parts of metal cars in close contact with each other. As the free-flowing ions in road salt interact with water, iron oxide formation can be increased by increasing the rate at which it forms. This implies that your car can easily become rusty unless you regularly wax and wash it during and before winter.
Salt can be hazardous to the environment. While salt helps to prevent accidents related to winter, it does affect the environment. The salt can impact plants, animals, and local wetlands in water runoff. Salt mainly causes dehydration, which results in foliage damage and triggers osmotic pressure that hurts the development of roots.
Due to the many apparent effects of using rock salt for asphalt driveways and other home pavements, many homeowners and even the government are seeking safer alternatives to rock salt as a means of taming winter roads. There are many rock salts substitutes; each has its uses and may not be suitable for every condition.
Below are a list of six rock salt alternatives you may use for your asphalt driveways and other home foot-traffic pavements. These alternatives are not all inherently exclusive, so be free to mix and match and find the option that works perfectly for you.
Calcium chloride (Cacl)
Magnesium chloride
Potassium chloride
Potassium acetate
Cat litter
Snowmelt mats
Calcium chloride (Cacl)
Calcium chloride is a by-product of certain chemical production processes, which is an excellent choice in the country’s sub-freezing areas that are hitting temperatures as low as 24°F. Its properties, especially regarding removing solid ice, enable it to be much more efficient than rock salt. It acts rapidly and works almost instantly, but its snow-melting and deicing capabilities continue to work for up to 24 hours after you apply it on the pavement.
It is necessary to properly store Calcium chloride in plastic or metal bins with lids since it easily sucks up water. Crew handling this product should wear good protective kits like respirators and gloves to prevent its effects on the body.
If you use Calcium chloride properly, it won’t damage plants, but it can leave an oily, slippery trace. And because of this, it may not be the option of preference in and around buildings with high foot traffic rates.
Magnesium chloride
This is another deicer among rock salt substitutes that comes in a liquid solution or granule form. It is environmentally friendly to use around plants, but professionals should not apply it too hugely due to its slippery nature. The granular form sucks up water too easily, so crews should ensure to store it in a dry place and cover it, or it will harden.
Magnesium chloride resembles calcium chloride, but it is potent only down to 1º F (-17.22° C). In comparison, it does not melt ice as quickly as calcium chloride, but it is much more potent than rock salt.
Potassium chloride
Potassium chloride is an all-around right deicer product available in pellet form and shares some fertilizers’ chemical composition. It is suitable for pedestrian areas and performs very well when dealing with temperatures between 10 and 12°F.
Although not exactly perfect, the substance is much less detrimental to the environment around it. Sadly, the price tends to be almost twice that of rock salt, and you need almost double the quantity to cover the same area.
That makes it only appropriate for small properties or coverage areas, particularly for anyone on a spending plan.
Potassium acetate is an environmentally friendly liquid solution that can be used as an alternative to rock salt to keep snow and ice from developing and sticking to paved surfaces. It is eco-friendly and exists in liquid form. It is recommended that technicians should apply it before a winter storm to achieve optimum efficacy.
Potassium acetate is more efficient and capable of melting snow and ice even at temperatures below 76°F, and as a result, it is the most costly option on the list. It is not a good choice for larger projects, particularly in regards to eliminating snow and ice from long stretches of road.
Cat litter
This rock salt alternative is phenomenally effective when it comes to melting snow and deicing different areas. It is more costly than rock salt, hindering its feasibility for large-scale projects. Still, it is an excellent substitute of rock salt for asphalt driveways and other outdoor pavement that homeowners and property managers can adopt to keep their local areas safe.
The biggest problem with cat litter is that once the snow melts, particularly after the winter seasons are over, it can create a mess.
Snowmelt mats
Snow melting mats are built to be installed on a highly traveled area to help clear away snow, ice, and sleet. They usually have integrated wiring and heating coils to heat the mat and melt away the nearby snow. They are small in size and usually consume energy; hence, they need an active power source, resulting in larger energy bills over the winter.
How to properly use driveway salt
It is not good enough to choose the right salt to use, but it is also pertinent to use the right salt properly to effectively melt the ice and snow without impacting your pavement adversely. Below are a few things to note when using salt for asphalt driveways and other outdoor pavements:
Spread it evenly to cover as much surface area as possible without using too much.
Do not apply too much salt to your driveway, as it can cause severe damage to your driveway and lawn soon after the snow melts.
Clean paws and hands, as many salts are abrasive and can make your skin itchy and red
Choose the right salt that suits the temperature of the region it is being used.
Although it may seem like hard work to you, always ensure to shovel the snow before you apply salt to the driveway.
Conclusion:
Whether you are dealing with rock salt or one of its several substitutes, it is necessary to consult a snow and ice specialist. They can get you a cost and product breakdown, product durability, facility requirements, the number of hours required, the amount required for desired results, as well as possible environmental hazards.
In most situations, these products can have a detrimental effect on the pavement surface if you use too much or too little of it, making it dangerous, if not more so.
Furthermore, it is vital to take into account the material you use and the best way to apply it to nearby areas.
Using one of the several alternatives to rock salt for asphalt driveways discussed here eventually means fewer volumes of rock salt being added into the atmosphere and local infrastructure, and that’s better for all of us.
Tim is a seasoned paving expert with 30+ years of experience in the industry. He has worked on countless projects, from small residential driveways to large commercial parking lots.
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Asphalt or concrete are widely used to finish the majority of the residential and commercial driveways. And when you want to pave a new driveway, parking lot, etc, or refinish an existing one, you will want to consider the material that would work best for your needs.
Although asphalt and concrete are both cost-effective, asphalt has lots of advantages over concrete. If you are choosing your surface paving material, you would most likely pick asphalt; not because it is generally used everywhere, but because of its many benefits.
Asphalt is mainly used for road construction due to its many advantages over some of the alternative pavement materials, such as concrete. Hence, it is often advised to use asphalt when carrying out any paving projects in your home.
Here are the advantages of asphalt, a recommended material for your surface:
Cost-effective
Durable
Safe to use
Comfortable and attractive
Recyclable
Naturally flexible
Easy to maintain
Quick to construct
Asphalt is cost-effective
There is a fair chance that you’ll find yourself trying to decide between concrete and asphalt while you’re on the market for a new driveway. Although both materials have their advantages, asphalt is generally the way to go if you’re concerned about keeping within your budget.
Also, asphalt pavements provide a more uniform, smooth road surface that makes the road safe and saves money. As a result, roads constructed with asphalt decrease wear and tear on vehicles due to fewer road bumps, lowering your vehicle’s operating costs.
Asphalt roads can also be constructed more quickly, and cost-effectively than other pavements and can be built as a permanent pavement that requires only occasional maintenance to stay in good condition.
Asphalt is durable
The durability of asphalt makes it possible to:
Withstand extreme weather conditions
Endure occasional overload
Be viable for several decades
Toughness and durability are the two characteristics that asphalt is known for; hence, lots of people prefer it as the best choice material for any paving project. Its durability and sustaining existence have also highly attracted both state and federal government preference for all road projects.
If you take proper care of your asphalt pavements, it will serve you excellently for years to come. An asphalt driveway’s average lifespan is around 15 years. The good thing is, the maintenance needed to get this kind of lifespan out of your driveway is low.
All pavements built with asphalt are flexible with a bridging action, meaning they can endure occasional overload without serious damage. They can be built to adjust to any traffic, soil, and material conditions. Asphalt only needs occasional maintenance to stay in good shape forever.
You may be wondering the secret behind the durability of asphalt pavements; the reality is, they are often constructed using thick base courses to carry the principal load above an unbound granular layer. After that, a strong-load holding intermediate course is put above the base course. Next, a 30- 40 surface course follows the intermediate (binder) course.
Properly designed, built, and maintained intermediate and base courses continue to be strong and viable for several decades and often without ever requiring complete rebuilding. One wonderful thing to know about asphalt is that, even after you strip old asphalt from your pavement, it will continue existing for a longer time.
Asphalt is a durable material that is weather-resistant and can be used to construct driveways in both winter and summer. It can even withstand extreme weather conditions and the heaviest of truck loads. It is also possible to design asphalt to suit a particular purpose!
Asphalt is safe to use
Safety characteristics of asphalt include:
Its smoothness helps prevent driver fatigue
Its dark color helps melt snow and ice
It offers high contrast for lane markings
It minimizes highway accidents and fatalities
Asphalt pavement can be designed to facilitate water drainage, prevent skidding, and protect drivers during severe weather conditions. When you drive on roads built with asphalt, its smooth surface will provide optimum tire contact with the driveway, increasing skid resistance. Its dark color helps melt snow and ice, reduces glare, and offers high contrast for lane markings.
Asphalt roads can be constructed quickly, enabling contractors to efficiently carry out construction without delay, significantly decreasing safety risks for workers and road users.
Studies have also shown that asphalt roads are smoother than concrete ones and help prevent driver fatigue, meaning that you need not worry about feeling overtired while driving even on long journeys.
The invention of colored or textured surfaces has been another latest asphalt advancement. These are progressively used to make it easier for you to define lanes set aside for particular purposes, such as bus lanes, bus stops, and bike paths, as a protection measure. Colored asphalt is often used to signal unsafe areas like concealed junctions/sharp curves and areas such as outside schools requiring extra safety precautions to anyone driving on the road.
A particular type of road surface called open-graded asphalt can reduce splash and spray during rainstorms and minimize highway accidents and fatalities. Materials for asphalt paving often prevent potentially hazardous and costly pavement blowups.
Asphalt is comfortable
What characterizes asphalt pavement’s comfortability?
Smoothness
Quietness
Attractive look
Pavement designed with asphalt creates quiet and smooth rides with pleasant aesthetic and low rolling resistance. If your driveway is designed with asphalt, you are sure to get consistent comfortability on the go. Airport users also benefit from these features because runways and taxiways designed with asphalt offer safer landings and takeoffs since such surfaces are smoother and easier to maintain.
Some of the features of asphalt pavement responsible for its comfortability are:
Smoothness
Studies have shown that roadway smoothness is a defining factor of vehicle fuel economy, meaning the smoother the pavement, the lower your vehicle consumes fuel. Asphalt pavement is usually smooth and often lasts longer because trucks’ tires roll more quickly over the pavement rather than bouncing on bumps. Such bouncing often speeds up road degradation.
Asphalt is a flexible pavement constructed in different layers with a consistent flow of material moving through the asphalt paver. There are no construction joints required. This method of construction provides the smooth, quiet ride that you love and improves fuel economy, decreases your vehicle wear and tear, leading to prolonged pavement life.
Quietness
Road noise is a typical type of environmental pollution. And as widely known, the perfect way to reduce road noise is to treat the cause from its source. The noise created by the rear wheel-pavement interface (noise that affects you as you go about your everyday lives) can be greatly reduced by paving roads and highways with asphalt.
Instead of constructing expensive, unsightly noise walls, it is more efficient and cost-effective to pave driveways with asphalt. Road noise can cause distractions in your car and at home (when you are going about your daily activities). Pavement built with asphalt reduces noise from vehicle tires significantly. Asphalt roads also lower the need for expensive and hideous sound barriers
Aesthetically pleasing
Since it is important to have your pavement built with asphalt to provide a smooth surface to drive on, it is also very pertinent that it is aesthetically pleasing for those going on it. When you talk of beauty, asphalt pavement is a thing to look at.
The rich black color of asphalt offers a highly appealing surface hue for every road surface. Also, you can easily clean your asphalt pavement of oil stains, dirt marks and other stains at inexpensive cost. This is the reason your asphalt pavement will stay excellently attractive even after several years of usage.
To maintain this beautiful look in your home, ensure you seal-coat all your asphalt pavements, roadways, parking lots, and driveways after installation and reseal them every 2-3 years. This would save you lots of money. They should also be labeled and striped to increase safety and enhance the color contrast on the beautiful pavements.
Investing in new roads means improving the appearance of our communities and in the welfare of our people.
Asphalt is recyclable
What benefit does recycling asphalt offer?
It minimizes our waste problem
Preservation of our natural resources
It can help generate job opportunities
It can be reused overtime, saving money
Asphalt is the most recycled material in the United States and is 100% reusable. In potential paving projects, old pavement can be removed, squashed, and blended with fresh asphalt for reuse, lowering its impact on the environment.
Asphalt pavements are also rendered sustainable by it.
Creating new asphalt pavements requires a few new petroleums (bitumen), and about 80 million tons of new aggregate are still in the reserves. Researchers are working hard to build a pavement utilizing 100% recycled asphalt.
Asphalt can be used repetitively, and its life-cycle never ceases. It is also possible to dig up asphalt roads and reuse them again afterward. This is what makes asphalt such a famous material in this modern time. If you use asphalt, you are preserving our natural resources by recycling the same material over again.
Recycling asphalt driveways, despite its elaborate process, will help local councils save money from having to rebuild roads with new materials. The act of recycling also creates new market opportunities and, at the same time, helps to create a greener world in the long run.
The availability of recycled asphalt on the market goes beyond meeting the enormous demand for asphalt, but as more asphalt recycling plants are built, it can help generate job opportunities.
Recycling asphalt also helps to minimize our waste problem, ensuring that less material is transformed into waste, and hence, put into landfills! Asphalt also protects the environment because when it is spilled, it will not run into our rivers, as it converts into solid mass very easily.
Asphalt is naturally flexible
Have you ever been nervous as a guest pulled into your roadway in a big truck? It would be hard for you not to visualize what sort of damage such a large vehicle might be exacting on your driveway. You do not need to worry much about this issue with an asphalt driveway.
There are particularly unique asphalt mix solutions available for motorways, suburban, rural and urban roads, and their versatility is especially useful in dealing with the stresses of large bridge traffic loads. In terms of flexibility, asphalt is the best option for any road.
It is not just the material itself, but because it can be constructed to offer effective solutions for all sizes and types of roads, cycle paths, lanes, and so on. The flexible formulation of asphalt mixtures to particular regions of the world makes it possible for asphalt to conform to its environment and withstand any weather conditions.
Asphalt is easy to maintain
What makes asphalt easy to maintain?
It can not be damaged by freeze-thaw activity
It can be upgraded easily
If your asphalt pavement starts to show some linear cracking, you can fix it easily at inexpensive costs. Since asphalt pavements have no joints to fix and are not damaged by freeze-thaw activity, it is much less costly to maintain.
The crack sealant materials you need to maintain your asphalt driveway are readily available at home remodeling retailers. It is not expensive and can easily be applied on your own, even if you have practically no prior paving experience.
As traffic levels increase, asphalt-surfaced roads are easy to upgrade. Instead of reconstructing, the existing surface can be improved by adding an overlay or lane widening. This flexibility of the application also ensures that asphalt roads stay partially open when being upgraded and can be reopened easily without the need for lengthy curing times, helping to keep traffic going.
Furthermore, regular preventive maintenance such as crack filling, seal coating, sweeping, and general upkeep can prolong the lifespan of your asphalt driveway to 20 years or beyond.
Asphalt is quick to construct
Paving with asphalt significantly decreases construction project time and removes the lengthy curing periods associated with concrete. This is vital for general road upkeep to maintain roads for the road structure’s longevity, providing a secure and smooth road surface for vehicles.
Asphalt is ready for use immediately as it is compacted and cooled, implying that roads do not have to stay closed for curing. This increases the flow of traffic and reduces closures and delays that may irritate you while driving.
To get the most out of your paving projects, ensure you hire a professional paving company with an excellent track record. You can do this by doing a little search online to review their past portfolio.
Conclusion
The advantages of asphalt as pavement material can not be overemphasized. Its popularity and wide acceptance as the ideal material for paving roadways, parking lots, driveways, and more is due to its many benefits. If you are considering any paving project for residential or commercial use, you have lots of reasons to choose asphalt as the perfect material. This ensures you get your desired expectations.
Tim is a seasoned paving expert with 30+ years of experience in the industry. He has worked on countless projects, from small residential driveways to large commercial parking lots.
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