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What to Ask a Commercial Paving Company

Anyone that owns or manages a commercial property will know how important it is to have a quality parking lot, walkways, and other paved areas. To ensure the job looks great and the paving lasts for a long time, you need to hire a quality commercial paving company. To ensure that you hire the right company for your needs and situations, you should make sure that you have all of your questions answered. There are three questions in particular that you should ask any commercial paving company.

What Projects Have You Completed Lately?

Whenever you are going to hire any commercial asphalt company, it is always helpful to see the work that they have done in the past. One of the advantages of a pavement contractor is that you are often able to check out the work that they have done for yourself. You should ask a commercial paving company for a list of projects that they have worked on over the past few years.

You should take a look at some recent projects as well as those that were completed a few years back. This will allow you to see what the final product looks like as well as whether the paving holds up to the elements. If you see work that looks sloppy or cracked, it could be a red flag. The contractor should also be able to give references that you could contact to see what their overall experience was like.

What is included in the scope of work?

When hiring a commercial paving company, it is very important to fully understand what you will be getting in your contract. If you ask for multiple bids from different contractors, you should have each contractor carefully list out all of the services that they will be provided along the way. This will make it much easier for you to compare services on apples to apple basis.

Today, many contractors offer a range of different services to their customers. The team at Superior Aggregates, Inc can provide many different asphalt and paving services. This can include design, commercial concrete and asphalt installation services, ongoing maintenance, commercial seal coat, and striping services, as well as many other services that may be needed for your project. By comparing bids, you will get a better sense of whether the offer you are receiving provides you with the most value.

Have you done work in this area?

A commercial asphalt company will ideally be experienced working in your city. There are many reasons why this is advantageous. If they are experienced and licensed in your area, it also means that they have gone through the process of getting all zoning and local approval work done. Depending on where you live, this could end up saving a lot of time and frustration. Additionally, when you are speaking with a pavement contractor, you should also confirm that they are fully licensed, insured, and bonded.

Another reason why local experience is important is that it will ensure the contractor is experienced with working terrain similar to yours. If a contractor is new to your area and is not used to the type of land that your property is situated on, it could lead to challenges that the contractor is not expecting. A local and experienced contractor will have already dealt with these challenges successfully.

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What Causes Asphalt Pavement to Deteriorate?

Asphalt pavement is the most commonly used material the world over for roads, airport tarmacs, parking lots, and driveways because it is very durable, resilient, cost-effective, and quick and easy to put down. When proper inspection and asphalt maintenance is conducted it can be expected to last for as much as 25 years. However, it’s not indestructible, and there are many factors that can cause pavement damage over time, including exposure to the elements, improper construction techniques, and just normal wear and tear. Here are some of the most common causes of asphalt pavement damage.

Causes Of Asphalt Pavement Deterioration

  • Water and moisture. Water will always seek out the cracks and seams on any surface, breaking down the material that holds the asphalt together and washing out the foundation from underneath, leading to cracks and collapse. This is especially true in areas with heavy rainfall and poor drainage.
  • Heat and sunlight. The UV rays from the sun and the heat they generate will eventually dry out the flexible asphalt material and cause it to lift up and separate from the compacted material of its foundation, again causing cracks and fissures that also allow water in leading to further pavement damage.
  • Petroleum and other chemicals. Asphalt pavements that are used to accommodate motor vehicles such as roads, airport tarmacs, and driveways are constantly exposed to leaks of oil and gasoline as well as the chemicals emitted from combustion. This can cause the asphalt to begin to break down in as little as a few years without proper maintenance. Asphalt companies routinely do repairs on damage from these chemicals.
  • Utility work. When utility companies have to service underground gas, sewer, or power lines they often don’t do a very good job of repairing the asphalt pavement they have to tear up to get at the lines, leading to immediate and accelerated future damage.
  • Tree roots. Especially in dryer regions or those with sandy soil where tree roots have to grow further out in search of water, they can do a lot of damage to any asphalt pavement they encounter by undermining the foundation and causing a collapse of the road or driveway.
  • Heavy traffic. Obviously any asphalt pavement that has hundreds or even thousands of heavy vehicles traveling over it every day is going to need repairs of potholes and fissures more frequently due to normal wear, and asphalt companies are constantly at work maintaining them, as every driver knows.
  • Expansion and contraction. Asphalt pavement that is exposed to extreme cold and hot temperatures will expand and contract as it heats and cools. This causes it to weaken and can lead to upheavals, or blowups, that can happen literally overnight and cause a major hazard to drivers and their vehicles.
  • Poor construction and application. Improper construction techniques are a common cause of asphalt pavement damage. This usually means that the base foundation below the asphalt was improperly compacted or the asphalt was too thinly applied or applied at the wrong temperature.

When asphalt pavement has been installed by a reputable contractor and is properly inspected and maintained it will normally provide many years of service. It’s important when choosing which asphalt companies to use that they have the experience and expertise to do the job right and be available to service their work.

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How to Sealcoat Edges

No matter why or where you are building a parking lot or sidewalk, sealcoating the edges is important for various reasons. By simply adding a thin liquid layer over the paved surfaces, sealcoating can help you maintain your parking lot or sidewalk for many years to come. That said, the following is an overview of the benefits of sealcoating as well as the steps you need to take to properly sealcoat your sidewalks and parking lots.

Benefits of Sealcoating

If you are wondering why you should sealcoat your sidewalks and parking lots, the most common benefits are as follows:

  • Prolongs Life Expectancy: One of the top benefits of sealcoating is that it helps to prolong the life expectancy of the asphalt pavement by providing a protective layer that helps to safeguard it against water, vehicle fluids, UV rays, and more. It also helps to fill in surface damage.
  • Saves Money: Given that sealcoating is a low-cost method, this helps you to save money over time on maintenance and other repairs.
  • Enhances Appearance: No matter if the asphalt is new or old, a fresh sealcoat will make your sidewalk or pavement look shiny and new.
  • Ice and Snow Protection: One special benefit of sealcoating is that it helps to accelerate the melting of ice and snow. Moreover, it also helps to protect the pavement from related issues such as water penetration, frost and/or snow damage.
  • Repair Minor Cracks and Other Wear and Tear: The process also allows you to repair minor cracks and other issues caused by everyday wear and tear.

How to Sealcoat

Now that we’ve gone over the benefits of sealcoating, let’s take a look at the steps you need to take to sealcoat your asphalt:

  1. Preparation: Before you can begin installing your sealcoat, you must prepare the area you are sealing. This means you will take the type to assess the condition of the area, clean the area with tools such as rotary brooms, commercial sweepers, and hand steel brooms. From there, you need to shut off nearby sources of water runoff, such as sprinkler systems.
  2. Repair: Once you have prepared the area, you must take the time to repair it. This involves filling cracks, repairing areas that have been seriously damaged, and repair things such as potholes.
  3. Application: After that, you will need to prepare the mixture to be applied to the asphalt. For longer-lasting results, apply two coats.
  4. Re-Striping: From there, you will need to re-stripe the pavement and/or apply any necessary markings that were covered during the process.
  5. Clean-Up: Lastly, you need to take the time to clean up and discard or store any trash and materials that are leftover.

Overall, if you are considering applying a sidewalk or parking lot sealcoat, you certainly should. Not only can it help to protect the pavement against ice and snow, extend the life of the pavement, help you save money on potentially costly repairs, and much more. While the process of applying a sealcoat is relatively easy, you should be sure that you have enough experience, knowledge, and stamina to complete such a job if you wish to do it yourself. Other than that, be sure to hire a qualified construction company you can trust.

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5 Types of Asphalt Pavement

Did you know that asphalt is the most reused, recycled, and most versatile pavement material? Well, 94% of the 2.6 million American paved roads are made with asphalt. It has been known to be smooth, quiet, safe, and durable.

The pavement structures can be developed in such a way that they can handle any kind of load from passengers to cars and heavy trucks. During asphalt construction, the surface mixes can be customized to reduce splash, absorb noise, and even treat rainwater.

If you are a business owner planning to take on a pavement project, here are five asphalt types that you may want to check before making a decision.

1. Porous Asphalt

The porous asphalt has been there since 1970. It is majorly used in parking lots to allow smooth drainage of rainwater after heavy rainstorms. If storm water isn’t appropriately drained and pools on an asphalt surface, it may cause other defects like potholes, which are dangerous to both pedestrians and motorists.

Porous asphalt prevents potholes and other water-related damages by offering the rainwater a channel to drain. The asphalt companywill place a layer of porous asphalt over a reservoir of the pen graded stone. This way, the water will travel through the pavement, to the stone bed, and eventually infiltrating the soil. When carefully done and maintained, porous asphalt can last over 20 years.

2. Perpetual Pavement

This is a combination of the several layers type of design process and asphalt. From that collaboration, you can tell that they’re long-lasting, smooth, and durable. The process begins by applying a base layer that is base crack-resistant, flexible, and strong enough to handle traffic tension.

The mid-layer offers structure, and the top layer provides that rut-resistant surface to give asphalt the required durability. Installing perpetual pavement is quite straightforward for any experienced asphalt company. It is fast and does not disrupt traffic. If well maintained and given that restorative care, perpetual pavements can last more than 50 years.

3. Quiet Pavement

From its name, quiet pavement is a unique type of asphalt that helps reduce traffic noise. Paving roads with asphalt reduces noise both outside and inside homes and workplaces.

The porous and the open-graded asphalts are popular quiet pavement mixtures as they dissipate the sound energy made by tires. Finely mixed asphalt mixtures can significantly reduce noise as they can decrease contact between the tire and the pavement.

4. Warm-Mix Asphalt

The warm-mix asphalt is made the same way as the hot-mix asphalt only that it is about 50 -100 degrees cooler than the hot-mix asphalt. Reducing asphalt temperature has a number of benefits, including lowering greenhouse gas production during manufacture and mixing, and also reduce fuel consumption.

Other benefits include increased production, improved long-term durability, extended paving season, and the ability to incorporate the reclaimed asphalt pavement.

5. Thin Overlays

Thin overlays reduce pavement distress, lifecycle costs, noise levels, and improves ride quality. Thin asphalt overlays were the most commonly used in preventative maintenance treatments according to a 1999 survey by AASHTO. They provide functional improvements that increase smoothness and safety.

However, it is essential for a business owner to understand that thin overlays aren’t appropriate for all pavements. You may need to carefully examine the existing pavement to determine the functional, structural, and drainage conditions of that pavement.

 

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The Life Cycle of an Asphalt Parking Lot and How to Care for It During the Different Stages

Starting from the day it officially opens, an asphalt parking lot will progress through various stages, and as the owner or caretaker of one, you must be able to employ the maintenance measures necessary to prolong its life.

How much you need to do will vary depending on which stage of the life cycle of asphalt your parking lot is currently at. To understand more about what kind of asphalt maintenance methods you need to employ, please read on.

First Stage: Years 0 to 5

It will likely be a while before you have to do any kind of major maintenance on your asphalt parking lot beyond regularly cleaning it. Asphalt is a remarkably durable material and for at least the first five years, it should hold up very well.

Still, you can’t just turn a blind eye to the parking lot. What you need to watch for here are unexpected impacts that could significantly damage the surface of the asphalt.

Something heavy falling on the asphalt could cause cracking. It would be better to address that right way if you want to keep the surface in good condition for decades to come.

Second Stage: Years 5 to 7

At around the 5 to 7-year mark, you should see that the asphalt surface itself is still mostly in good shape, but this is also the point when smaller cracks may form.

Small cracks are inevitable, but they should not go unaddressed. Otherwise, they could be the reasons why your parking lot falls into disrepair sooner than expected.

Here is where you can employ maintenance measures such as crack sealing and seal coating.

Per Nashville.gov, crack sealing involves using hot-pour crack sealant on the asphalt. Meanwhile, seal coating refers to the maintenance method that utilizes both an asphalt emulsion coating and a coal tar sealer, according to The Balance.

Both methods are meant to patch up any openings that have emerged on the surface of the asphalt.

Third Stage: Years 7 to 15

Because of the maintenance measures you used in the second stage, the third stage of the asphalt life cycle should prove easy enough to navigate. Here, you may again have to perform crack sealing and seal coating to fix the noticeable blemishes that have shown up.

Given that this stage stretches across a longer period of time, don’t be surprised if you end up having to perform those maintenance measures more than once.

You may even have to perform some patch repairs. This will typically involve cleaning out the cracks and then filling them up with patching compounds.

Fourth Stage: Years 15 to 25

By the time you enter the fourth stage of the asphalt parking lot’s life cycle, you should be glad if all you have to do is just patch a few cracks. Chances are that the asphalt has been used enough that larger fissures have formed on it.

Crack sealing and seal coating may no longer be enough at this stage, and patch repair may be too inefficient to serve as a workable solution.

What you can do is either apply a new coat of asphalt to cover the larger cracks or perhaps resurface the entire parking lot.

You can enlist the help of a milling machine to remove the old asphalt and set a new surface in place with the aid of a paving machine.

Fifth Stage: Years 25 and Beyond

You are now in the final stage of the parking lot’s life cycle and here, the damage that has accumulated on the asphalt may simply be too significant. You can try resurfacing again, but inspect the parking lot closely first. There may be big enough gashes underneath the asphalt that resurfacing will not suffice.

To ensure the safety of everyone using the parking lot, the smart move here would be to look into not just introducing new asphalt but perhaps even rebuilding the structure itself.

Conclusion

The life cycle of asphalt can extend over decades, but it is important to remember that it will only last that long if you care for it properly. Pay close attention to the asphalt as it continue to age and use whichever measures necessary to keep it in the best condition possible.