Asphalt Paving and Sealcoat  Blog

Common Misconceptions about Asphalt

We all have certain misconceptions that we've heard over time, read on a blog, seen on TV, or just believed we had reliable information. I'd like to address some common misconceptions about asphalt, and the paving industry, that I've heard before.

Misconception 1: There shouldn't be any rocks showing in the asphalt.

When asphalt is made it has a few ingredients in it. It has crushed rocks and a mix of petroleum composites that are produced in oil refineries. The asphalt ingredients are heated up and then mix together. After the asphalt is placed on the ground, it can be different sizes. Typical rocks in asphalt are ¾ inch, some are ½ inch, and some are 3/8 inch. The different sizes will obviously have different appearance once it is spread and compacted. Because concrete usually has high sand and water content and is smoothed with a steel trowel it is a smooth surface appearance.

Misconception 2: Asphalt should be like concrete.

Some consider that most pavement surfaces are alike, when in reality they are made with different mixtures, ingredients, chemicals, and rocks. Asphalt is petroleum based and concrete is water based. There are different installation procedures, various equipment used, and concrete is more labor intensive than asphalt.

Misconception 3: The black top asphalt color will come off on my shoes?

Some people think that because it's hot, black, and looks like clay sometimes, that it will cling to your shoes. Asphalt, once installed and compacted should not get on your shoes. Seal coat, however when freshly applied will get on your shoes, so don't walk on it for 24 hours.

Misconception 4:Paving contractors always try to give you a change order.

We have been in business more than 20 years and the jobs that have kept us in business are not from change orders. The times a change order arrises into the project is when an unforeseen problem develops that was not part of the original scope of work. Paving contractors do not create the change orders, the issue that comes about as a surprise to everyone creates the change order. We are in business for the long term, not to make a quick dollar on a change order. We use high quality materials, well-trained employees, and well-maintained equipment and we are considered by current and previous customers as a reputable contractor. Feel free to read some testimonials.

Of course many misconceptions arise when expectations are unclear. To learn more visit www.hotmix.org

Happy New Year!!

Well, we're here and it's 2010. Happy New Year everyone. We hope you had a great holiday season and are ready to get back to work. We are right at it again with some projects going on in San Jose, Mt. View, Santa Clara, Oakland, and Seaside. 

We're doing concrete ADA ramps in Mt. View and Santa Clara. We've got a church parking lot going on right now in San Jose.  There is work to be done and we are trying to service everyone after our two weeks of closure for Christmas and New Year's. 

We just want to wish everyone a prosperous and healthy year. We hope the best for everyone's business endeavors and personal success.  We believe 2010 is going to be better and brighter. 

Some feel there will be job growth this year and let's all hold on to that and keep our mindset positive. 

http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/channels/video/127962.aspx

 

 

We look forward to working with you and if we can be of any service, give us a call and ask us a question. 

Bread and Butter: Asphalt, Sealcoating, Concrete

As contractors in the paving industry, there are some things we do because they fit our category of work and there are some things we are just fantastic at. When you need work done on your driveway or parking lot it usually fits into one of the categories that is our bread and butter.

You might need help with asphalt paving, which could be new pavement, maintenance of cracks and repairs, overlaying the existing pavement with new asphalt, or regrading an area to have better drainage and slope to help water run-off. That is how we started 20 years ago paving. Now we've added to that sealcoating, crack sealing, line striping and stencils, signage, ADA upgrades, etc. with our long-term maintenance plan. Most recently in the past three years we have been doing concrete flatwork, curbs, gutters, slabs, saw-cutting, sidewalks, and ADA ramps. So now I would consider these three areas our bread and butter: asphalt paving and repairs, sealcoating and striping, and finally concrete work.

We can install drainage and do other basic underground work, but we're specialists at making pavement maintenance and upgrades SIMPLE!

Beat the Competition's exterior facility

A shoddy looking parking lot is a possible sign that interior improvements might be lacking as well. I'm not trying to sell anyone on paving, but your entire exterior image is the first indicator of a well maintained facility. With all the distressed commercial sites on the market, you don't want to be lumped in the "distressed" category. Now, we all know it can get costly doing upgrades and improvements. But keeping the lot clean is a matter of making preventative maintenance a priority. You've got to do not just what some of the competition is doing, BUT OUTDO ALL THE COMPETITION.

Have the #1 best exterior at every site, and you'll get more calls, more tenants, more business, better contracts. The news is full of stories about how commercial real estate is hitting it's bottom and how office space will continue to lease low...even as low as 2002 prices according to this article. The year is ending, but it's a good time to set yourself up for success by doing a few minor maintenance items on your checklist. If it's time to check all the exterior lighting, the landscaping, the drainage, the cracks and potholes in the parking lot, etc. then choose to do it today before you find yourself in mid-2010 and the competition creeping ahead of where you are today.

People get to places because they purpose to get there. You can get there by seeing what difference it makes in staying ahead of the game and taking action.

Pavement Maintenance Should be SIMPLIFIED. 

COMMON ASPHALT PROBLEMS part1

Cracking Repairable with Sealant or Fill

Asphalt cracks that form in the pavement surface can allow many harmful substances - including water, salts and engine oils - into the base and subgrade, effectively leading to the failure of the pavement surface. There are many types of asphalt cracking and many causes for these differing problems. In many cases, cracks develop because of the expansion or contraction of the base or subgrade or because of voids that form between the layers or courses of pavement. These cracks can form randomly or in the following specific forms. In all cases, if repaired while still within ¼" to ½", these cracks are easily repaired and maintained.

Transverse cracking

Transverse cracking, or cracks that occur across the pavement surface about perpendicular to the parking lot center, are often caused by the asphalt expansion and contraction due to temperature changes and or this movement due to asphalt aging. Initially, these cracks will be relatively equally spaced depending on traffic but will eventually become more prevalent in the parking lot or roadway. In some cases, as these cracks become more prevalent, block cracking forms where the Transverse cracks develop into squares throughout the pavement.
Also, these cracks may extend either entirely or partially across the pavement area or roadway.
Transverse cracks begin as "hairline" cracks - or cracks up to ¼" wide - but will widen to ½" or wider with age and lack of proper repair. Because these cracks are allowing water into the pavement base and subgrade, lack of proper asphalt repair or maintenance will lead to more cracks developing parallel to the original transverse cracking. If not properly repaired, these transverse asphalt cracks will be appear with greater prevalence and the cracks will become wider; eventually, the cracks will be so prevalent that entire areas will be broken or "alligatored" (see Alligatoring section) leading to a more serious, cutting and patching asphalt repair.

Next we'll cover longitudinal asphalt cracking... 

Source: U.S.Pavement Services 

Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Life-Cycle Costs Benefits

• Reduces costs for initial construction.
• Requires less maintenance over the life of the pavement.
• Repaired and maintained cost-effectively with HMA overlays instead of complete removal and reconstruction with concrete.
• When maintenance is needed, HMA offers the widest variety of alternatives geared to solve the precise problems on the surface.
• Can be overlaid to add structural capacity to account for increased traffic loading. 
• Eliminates the need for costly reinforcing materials, which are subject to corrosion, which lead to more frequent and more costly repairs. 
• Properly designed and constructed HMA pavements will last 50 years or more with occasional resurfacing, relieving road agencies of the need for costly, time-consuming and disruptive reconstruction. 
• HMA can be recycled (milled and replaced along with fresh materials), saving dollars and preserving nonrenewable natural resources.

The Benefits of Seal Coating

When it comes to protecting your asphalt pavements against deterioration. There is no greater value than a correctly applied emulsion. Sealcoating substantially reduces maintenance costs and at the same time extends the life of asphalt pavements by as much as 300%. The cost of sealcoating is truly a minor expense when compared to the cost of pavement replacement.

A few of the benefits of sealcoating: 

Appearance
The dark charcoal black color of newly applied pavement sealer improves the appearance of new and old asphalt pavements. Unprotected asphalt surfaces gradually lose their rich black color due to oxidation and weathering. We can preserve the smoothness and resilience of asphalt surfaces and help hide rough spots, small cracks, patches and some surface depressions. Pavements coated with a pavement sealer look cleaner because rainfall washes dirt and debris easily from the smooth, non-porous surface. Traffic lines become more visible.

Stops Oxidation
Actinic rays in sunlight can oxidize the Asphalt oils in pavement, causing brittleness and resulting loss of aggregates which may rob up to 50% of the original asphalt thickness in just five years. A pavement sealcoated will resist oxidative degradation and retain its value.

Reduces Costs & Increases Value
The intrusion of moisture into asphalt pavement structure accelerates it deterioration and is strongly related to pavement distress. The sealing of well-cured asphalt prevents the seepage of moisture from snow and rain, thus preventing damage from freeze-thaw cycles.

Resists Fuel Penetration
Resists gas, oil, salt and chemical penetration. Asphalt is a petroleum derivative, soluble in distillates such as gas, jet fuel and oil drippings. Sealcoating prevents damage from distillates and chemicals.

Prevents Water Penetration
The intrusion of moisture into asphalt pavement structure accelerates its deterioration and is strongly related to pavement distress. The sealing of well-cured asphalt prevents the seepage of moisture from snow and rain, thus preventing damage from freeze-thaw cycles.

Protection
We only use the best OVERKOTE sealer that is specifically designed to protect bituminous pavements. It forms a tough, durable and flexible coating that protects asphalt pavements from the damaging elements of weather, water, salts, gas and other petro-chemicals.

Application
Asphalt sealer must be applied to structurally sound pavements by experienced applicators. Asphalt pavement should be protected by two coats; however, the quantities and coverage rates must conform to manufacturer's detailed specifications. Average coverage rates are 0.18 to .20 undiluted gallons per square yard. A latex rubber additive and silica sand may be added for increased traction and durability.

You can trust ALANIZ CONSTRUCTION to maintain and custom blend only the best possible mixture of sealer to meet the specific need for you pavement. We usually recommend a one (1) or two (2) coat squeegee application.

 

Asphalt: The Choice of Engineers

There are many reasons to use asphalt for your pavement surface. One of the reasons is its cost effectiveness, which right now is a great reason to use asphalt. Often asphalt is 1/2 or 1/3 less than Concrete. 

Today's Hot Mix Asphalt is a high-tech product that can withstand enormous traffic loads ranging from 18-wheelers to commercial airliners. It is a highly versatile product that can be used for many applications-from Interstate highways to airport runways, parking lots, bicycle trails, and private driveways. 

There are seven reasons why most engineers who have closely studied the new high-performance asphalt are convinced that it should be the pavement of choice for designers of future roadways... 

Click here to read the 7 reasons. 

Cost Saving Facts About Asphalt

1. A well-surfaced and striped asphalt parking area demonstrates your care for overall safety and aesthetics of your property. Maintaining a healthy parking area attracts and retains tenants and customers.

2. Sound maintenance of asphalt extends the life of a parking facility, decreasing your overall repair costs and improving the return on the investment of your property. Just as the exterior of a building or any painted surface needs preventative maintenance to prolong its life and reduce the cost of ownership the same is true with asphalt.

3. The constant weight of a parked or slow moving vehicle is greater than a faster moving vehicle. Stresses placed on asphalt in parking lots often exceed the loads experienced on highways and streets. Stay educated about distress signals and take appropriate remedial action.

Pavement Markings and Striping Issues

Pavement Markings Issues
Pavement marking effectiveness is based mostly on the durability and the visibility of the markings. Durability is
usually tracked by the simple amount of material remaining on the pavement surface over time, but can be more
scientifically tracked by measuring the bond strength of the material to the surface. Visibility related mostly to the
brightness and reflective nature of the material. Glass beads mixed into the pavement marking traffic grade paint
can add to the visibility by greatly increasing the material's retro-reflection characteristics.

Fading
Faded pavement markings and parking stall lines make these important traffic control devices invisible to
customers, tenants and other motorists, leading to potentially dangerous outcomes. Arrows, stop bars, and other
traffic control markings ensure the proper flow of traffic and optimize customer flow in and out of parking lots. Fire
lanes, curbing and no parking zones ensure that vehicles will not be parked in important areas and potentially
block emergency response vehicles. Furthermore, faded parking lines lead to insufficient use of parking lot space
and leading to less customer and tenant parking than the parking lot space will allow, including accessible parking
spaces.

Pavement Markings on Fresh Sealcoat
Although thermoplastic paint are the ideal type of pavement marking on sealcoated surfaces, water-based or
latex-based paints are far more economically feasible relative to their durability and visibility. Water-based or
latex-based traffic grade paints must be applied, however, after the sealcoat has properly cured; this curing can
take as little as a few hours depending on sun exposure, humidity, traffic conditions and other variables. If
sufficient curing time is not allowed for the sealcoat, traffic grade paint will being to "bleed" and discolored.
Furthermore, excess traffic on fresh sealcoat will also "scar" the pavement markings with tacky sealcoat that has
come onto vehicle tires and is tracked onto fresh pavement markings. All of these potential issues can be
avoided by allowing sealcoat proper dry times before applying pavement markings.