Asphalt Paving and Sealcoat  Blog

Replace Asphalt...Really? New Idea: Solar Roads

I just want to share a video I came across on Youtube today. What do you think about turning our roads into a power grid? This idea would create jobs and no doubt improve the roads we are driving on. 

Click here to watch this asphalt solar road video on Youtube. Let me know your thoughts. Would you vote for this?

Environmental Benefits of Paving with Asphalt

Recycling 

Hot Mix Asphalt gives the best return on investment of any paving material. But beyond just having that fact that it saves money, it also has environmental benefits.

Because the main ingredient in asphalt is oil, its price has increased dramatically in the last several years. Five years ago, government agencies paid $35 to $40 a ton for asphalt. However, now the price has escalated to over $90 a ton, and it is predicted that the price of asphalt will continue to climb. This has led to an increased demand for recycled asphalt which is lower in price and widely available. Asphalt and tar recycling has also become more popular because of environmental concerns. Recycled asphalt simply produces a less negative environmental impact because it is not being placed in landfills. 

Hot Mix Asphalt(HMA) pavements are 100 percent recyclable and are America's most recycled product. Approximately 80 million tons of Hot Mix Asphalt are recycled each year. Compare this to any other recycled products. Hot Mix Asphalt pavements are truly environmentally friendly.

HMA pavement recycling is more cost effective than using only virgin or new materials. The quality of a recycled asphalt pavement is as good, or even better, than brand new pavement.

Hot Mix Asphalt pavement recycling not only conserves our precious natural resources and speeds construction, it also saves American taxpayers over $300 million a year.

HMA pavements which are not recycled must be disposed of, usually in a landfill. Transporting old asphalt pavements to landfills does not make best use of a product that can be recycled. HMA pavements can be recycled numerous times.

Currently, even most new asphalt has between 15 and 20 percent of crushed, recycled asphalt mixed into it. Because of this, asphalt has now surpassed aluminum as the most widely recycled material in the world. 

ASPHALT IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PRODUCT

 

Environmental Liners

Asphalt paving materials have been used to line the surfaces of everything from fish hatcheries to industrial retention ponds. In the case of fish hatcheries, an inert material was needed that would not chemically react with the water. This allows fish and game experts to precisely monitor and control the environment during the delicate stages of incubation and early growth for various fish species.

- For example, Oregon and Washington state fish and wildlife agencies began using HMA to line their fish rearing ponds in 1987. Typically 1/2-acre in area, the ponds are home to chinook salmon and other fry for about 18 months before the fish are released into rivers and streams. Both the Washington and Oregon state agencies are pleased with the effectiveness of the HMA liners and plan to use them for additional fish hatcheries in the future.

For decades asphalt paving materials have been used as liners for water reservoirs.

- For example, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWDSC) has been using HMA-lined water reservoirs for more than four decades. Currently, the California Water Resources Board is completing construction on the Devil's Canyon Reservoir to store MWDSC drinking water. The 1 9-inch thick asphalt liner for the huge facility will hold 800-acre-feet of water. The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) in Oakland, California, has also been using HMA to line domestic water supply reservoirs since the 1 950s. A total of ten reservoirs store water in the EBMUD system.

Asphalt binders have also been used to line water pipes that supply potable water to humans.

When used for industrial retention ponds, the inertness of asphalt paving materials keeps liquid industrial waste material from percolating into the soil. This gives industry time to treat the liquid waste, and if needed, provides a platform with which to bring in mobile equipment to move the material to a processing location.

The ability of asphalt paving materials to be both chemically inert and strong enough to provide a structure for heavy equipment accounts for its use as both a landfill liner and cap. In landfills lined with asphalt paving materials modified earthmoving equipment can be employed to organize and compact landfill waste without fear of breaking the impermeable shell between the solid waste material and the soil.

Clean fill

Many states have tested discarded asphalt pavement and determined that it should be categorized as clean fill.

Even the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test, their most extreme and rigorous test for determining the toxicity of a substance, failed to show any appreciable quantities of toxic materials from asphalt pavement material.

Recreational Uses

HMA pavements are a perfect fit for the recreational industry. For years HMA has been used to pave running tracks, bicycle and golf cart paths, in addition to its traditional use for basketball and tennis courts.

Recently, there has been a move in the recreation marketplace to combine exercise with nature. Throughout the country old nature paths and abandoned rail lines are being converted into thoroughfares for bicyclists, roller skaters and roller bladers, besides the occasional pedestrian who wants to view nature while they exercise.

Asphalt pavements provide a safe and durable surface with which to accommodate both wheeled and foot traffic.

Other Uses

HMA is also used to pave cattle feed lots, poultry house floors, barn floors, and greenhouse floors. Asphalt not only provides an all-weather platform, it also provides protection against disease from waste materials. Asphalt is easy to clean and prevents pollution from getting into water supplies.

Asphalt mixtures are also used in sea walls, dikes and groins to control beach erosion. Its strength, waterproofing capability and inertness to sea water helps prevent the eroding action of tides and waves.

 

 

Asphalt

Asphalt sealcoat manufacturers association is a trade association made up of manufacturers, suppliers, and others involved in the asphalt sealcoating industry asphalt sealcoats. Asphalt and concrete for commercial, industrial, community full service asphalt contractor offering repair, maintenance and reconstruction for commercial and residential property serves the seven county metro area. Contractors asphalt premium quality asphalt sealer store for sealing any asphalt surface.
asphalt source asphalt mixer, asphalt mixing plant, mobile asphalt mixing machine from around the world find the asphalt mixers you need on alibaba.com now. Asphalt mixers - asphalt mixer, asphalt mixing plant, mobile asphalt asphalt general, asphalt and concrete for commercial, industrial, community and government in maryland mdot certified mbe/dbe, bondable, iicensed, insured asphalt and concrete. Asphalt sealcoating equipment and asphalt sealing equipment experts brief and straightforward guide: what is asphalt asphalt is a thick brownish or black substance derived from the same crude oil which produces kerosene, gasoline and vinyl.

All Concrete Isn't Created Equal

What You See is What You Hear...
Each concrete pavement surface texture shown above produces a different noise level, and at different frequency spectrums (tones). Historically, the highway community has focused only on overall sound levels. In the 1990s, however, it was demonstrated that the frequency of the sound produced by the surface texturing effects what you hear as much as the overall sound level does, particularly with uniform transverse tined pavements, which were recommended by the FHWA until recently. Transverse tine textures produce tonal spikes that we recognize as the "tire whine" heard as you travel down the road. Today, these issues are understood and the FHWA, in 2005, modified their requirements to allow other textures for concrete pavements that could potentially eliminate the tire whine.

Sound level is primarily a function of the surface finish, not the material it is onstructed of... The plot above shows typical ranges in over all sound levels for different concrete surface textures and types and typical hot mix asphalt. There is variability in the sound produced from all textures (even porous asphalt)...  The range of sound levels produced by concrete pavements is on the order of 16 dBA.  Then a sound increases by 10 dBA it seems twice as loud, so such variability can be quite significant.
You get what you spec... Simply by specifying a turf drag, diamond ground or longitudinal tined texture in lieu of a random transverse tined texture, it is possible to cut as much as half the noise on a concrete pavement.

Guess That Frequency?
The figure on the left shows the sound spectrum produced by two concrete surface textures. The tonal spikes that occur in transverse tining at about 600 and 1200 hz are what we hear as tire whine. Unfortunately, transverse tining is the texture FHWA has required for the last 25 years. Today, states may use textures that remain durable and safe over many years of service, but without the tire whine.

Architect finds beauty in the asphalt jungle

By Karen Campbell, Globe Correspondent

Most of us walk, drive, and park on it every day, but we rarely give asphalt a second thought - until we trip on a crack or hit a pothole or notice with dismay yet another instance where someone "paved paradise and put up a parking lot," as the Joni Mitchell song "Big Yellow Taxi" recounts.

But if landscape architect Paula Meijerink has anything to say about it, the way we vilify this most common of industrial materials is about to change. An assistant professor of landscape architecture at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, Meijerink has been addressing innovative ideas in asphalt design with her students and is cultivating a variety of grass-roots projects that bring new attention to what she calls "the asphalt universe." Meijerink wants people to rethink how we use the material in terms of both creativity and function.

Passersby in the South End may have been drawn into the "Steamroller Printing" event Meijerink and her crew held in the GTI Properties parking lot on Harrison Avenue last month. Using two steamrollers from sponsor Aggregate Industries, the group created more than 200 one-of-a-kind posters by pressing magnesium plates on tar paper. Featuring a planetary-themed design by Rik Olson and sporting the tag "Rethink the Asphalt Universe," the posters will be folded and included in a book called "Asphalt" that Meijerink is putting together and distributing through the design school in the next three months.

Meijerink, who is a partner in a local design collective called Wanted, also initiated a website, www.onasphalt.com, that is starting to bring designers, students, and industry professionals together with the goal of rethinking the material, and serving as a conduit for greater knowledge and creativity in asphalt design.

"It's one of the most liberating materials of the 20th century, increasing our mobility, allowing us to travel," Meijerink maintains, citing its cheapness, sustainability, and malleability. "It's the real public landscape, at the crux of what we're thinking about in terms of designing our open space, and we have to rethink the role asphalt plays in our lives."

Margaret Cervarich, vice president for marketing and public affairs for the National Asphalt Pavement Association, agrees. "Asphalt is an indispensable part of the modern structure of life. In the US, we do 550 million tons of asphalt hot mix paving a year. One of the important things Paula and her group are doing is just saying 'Let's take another look.' Seldom is something this common looked at with a different perspective. Paula's group is saying 'Here we have this extraordinary material that we take for granted - how can we use it in a new, relevant way so that we're being sensitive to the environment, to the needs of human beings, and still providing adequate structures?' 

  Click here to read the full article THE BOSTON GLOBE NEWS

The advantages of concrete curbs and gutters on parking lots and roads

Many people do not understand the use and importance of concrete curbs and gutter sections along the edges of streets, parking lots, and other pavements. The advantages of using uniform designs and standard sections are listed below.

A curb, by definition, is something that restrains; an enclosing border or edging; a raised edge or margin; a wall; or as a verb, to strengthen or confine something. As most people think of curbs, they are raised strips of concrete along the edges of streets or parking lots. The benefits of curbs have been recognized since ancient times, and stone curbs were placed along the edges of traveled ways by early civilizations. Today's concrete curbs still provide many of the same benefits, and more.

Concrete curbs or combined curbs and gutters serve several important functions. Curbs collect water from crowned pavements and convey it to points of collection, thus reducing the amount of water that gets under the pavement. They outline the edges of pavements and provide easily definable borders between traveled and untraveled surfaces. They confine pavement structures, especially if the pavements are composed of layers of materials that must be compacted in-place. Curbs help contain low speed traffic within the edges of pavements.

Besides serving the purposes listed above, curbs provide several other advantages. The neat, straight lines of curbs add to the attractiveness of parking lots and streets, and the commonly used expression "curb appeal" implies that attractiveness of adjacent properties are also enhanced by sharp demarcations between streets and lawns.

Curbs strengthen pavements. The confining of flexible pavements by concrete curbs improves compaction during construction and helps maintain the integrity of edges under traffic. The added thickness given to edges of concrete pavements by integral curbs increase strength and stiffness, reduce deflections induced by traffic loads, and therefore extends pavement life.

Curbs reduce the amount of space or right-of-way required for a street by eliminating drainage swales and their flat side slopes; curbs also reduce the lengths of driveways built from streets to homes or businesses. In some jurisdictions where both curbed and uncurbed streets are allowed by subdivision ordinances, streets with curbed sections require less dedicated right-of-way than streets without curbs, for example 50 ft for local streets with curbs, or 60 ft for local streets without curbs. The elimination of drainage swales also reduces maintenance by eliminating the cleaning of ditches, the mowing of ditch banks, and the care of culverts and their end sections that carry water under driveways.

Light reflective surfaces of concrete curbs delineate pavement edges and improve visibility for drivers at night, thus promoting safety. Where there are no concrete curbs to outline the edges of roads and streets, it is now common practice to mark the pavement edges with stripes of white paint.

Curbs improve the efficiency of street sweepers by concentrating debris for easy, mechanical pickup, as opposed to having it scattered along shoulders and drainage swales where it must be picked up by hand.

Concrete curbs have the integrity to withstand the impacts of snowplows.

A comparison of pavement sections with curbs and without curbs is shown in the figure below, illustrating the advantages in land use provided by concrete curbs. It should be noted that most of the advantages listed above pertain only to concrete curbs or concrete curbs and gutters that extend down to the bottom of pavements. Adding asphalt curbs along the edges of asphalt pavements cannot provide the confinement to improve compaction or other long-term benefits.

Help! My Driveway Has Cracks

One of the most damaging things for any asphalt pavement is cracking. Cracks allow moisture to penetrate the pavement. In the winter this moisture can freeze causing a multitude of more serious problems. In the warmer months weeds or grass can take root in the cracks causing extensive damage. There is one thing for sure; a crack is a future pothole waiting to happen.

Of course professional crack repair using specialized hot applied materials is best but if the cracks are not too numerous or large often the homeowner can be the first line of defense against the inevitable damage caused by cracks in asphalt pavements.

First we need to mention that not all cracks are created equal. If you have what is referred to as "alligator" or "chicken wire" cracking (terms used because the cracks resemble alligator skin or chicken wire) sealing won't help. This is characterized by numerous cracks close together forming a block pattern resembling the terms above. If this condition has existed long enough the area may be sunken slightly. These areas are already potholes and need professional repair. While they may not look like a pothole; all it takes is for one block to come out, and the entire area will soon loosen and come apart leaving a pothole. These areas should be professional repaired before this happens to minimize the damaged area and avoid more costly repairs later.

We also need to mention that pavement "sealers" (if you seal your asphalt yourself) are not suitable for filling cracks. Sure, you can put enough pavement sealer in the cracks to make it appear they are filled, but pavement sealers are made for the surface, not for cracks, and will quickly crack themselves and leave the crack open to damage again.

For common cracks there are many products available in home & hardware stores. We can't possibly know all the "brands" so look for one that contains rubber, the more the better. These products are usually packaged in gallon containers or caulking gun tubes although the tubes are sometimes far more expensive if you have very many cracks to fill. Reading the labels to find the best ingredients may be difficult but in general, if the store has more than one grade of product this is not the time to choose the "bargain" brand.

Now get ready for some serious work.
First the cracks must be prepared and cleaned. This means all vegetation must be removed. Sometimes this will require several treatments of a weed & grass killer (be sure it contains no petroleum products). You want to be 100% sure any vegetation is dead all the way to the roots or it will re-appear through the sealed crack. Then you may need to use some type scraper like a putty knife or screwdriver to be sure to get all the vegetation & roots possible out of the cracks.

Now the cracks need to be cleaned. If you have a leaf blower you may be able to scrape any dirt, gravel, or other debris loose then blow the cracks clean. A pressure washer may be used if care is taken to not leave any muddy residue on the sides of the crack walls and not to "blast" water underneath the surrounding pavement. If water is used the crack must be allowed to dry thoroughly before proceeding. Getting the cracks clean & free of debris is a most important step to achieve good results.

Now we can begin filling the cracks. Pick a warm sunny day with no rain forecast for 36-48 hours. Double check to be sure the cracks are still clean & dry. Most products come in packages with a spout of some kind. Apply the filler just until it is flush with the surface. You may want to keep a putty knife or old spatula handy in case you get a bit too much so you can smooth out the excess.

Once you have completed filling the cracks wait to walk or drive on the area for at least several hours depending on the weather to give the filler time to begin drying.

You may also find that as the filler dries it shrinks somewhat, leaving the filler below the pavement surface. If this happens you need to go over the cracks again to be sure the finished product is level with the pavement surface.

If your driveway has cracks make this a priority on your "to do" list. It is an investment that will pay for itself many times over by saving more extensive maintenance and repairs and by helping your pavement last as long as possible.

Perhaps after reading all this you have concluded that filling cracks is not as easy as it might seem; especially if you have a lot to do. If you are not physically able or don't have the time, contact a professional contractor. They not only have the manpower, but a professional contractor will have specialized equipment to more effectively prepare the cracks and a higher quality product to produce a better, longer-lasting, finished result.

 

We invite you to search for through our website, or call us if you have any questions. We provide free estimates with no obligation and guarantee our work. 

Striping Parking Lot

How to square a parking lot before layout:

All of your measurements should relate to one line - your base line. Choose the placement of this line carefully. Maybe if you have a long straight curb, you can use this as your base line. If the parking lot serves a building, make sure that the parking spaces will be square and parallel to the building. Once you have a base line, you need to turn a line at 90 degrees to this line. Here's how we do it:

Once you have your base line, go ahead and lay out the ends of the parking spaces. In this case they are all at 9 foot intervals. Select a mark to use as your center mark, count an equal number of marks on either side, and use your long tape to draw an arc roughly at right angles to your base line. Snap a line from your center mark through the point where the arcs intersect. This line will be at 90 degrees from the base line. The longer the lines used, the more accurate the right angle will be.

How Pavements Fail - Part 2

Increased Loads Accelerate Pavement Failure
The loads imposed by vehicles on parking lots, loading docks, and streets have increased historically both in magnitude and frequency. Weight limits for trucks were increased in the 1980s. Industry efficiencies have
led to an increase in the size of trucks. Truck size and weights have increased as a consequence. With more online shopping and ecommerce comes a rapid increas in trucks and delivery. Freight tonnage in the San Francisco Metro Area is estimated to double by 2030; 72% of this will be carried on trucks, up from 63% today. The region's travel forecast model estimates that between 2000 and 2020, the number of medium and heavy truck trips nearly double. The Port of Oakland is the hub of freight activity for the Bay Area. Arterial streets and parking lots that serve the Bay Area's industrial areas have the highest volume of medium and heavy truck trips today and in the future. Bay Area surface streets carry much of the truck freight that access Port facilities and truck freight terminals. Buses have increased in size and weight in the past two decades and bus trips are also growing at a pace that equals or exceeds the rate of growth in travel demand.

The sum result of these factors is an increased load demand on key freight routes and transit corridors and
accelerated pavement failure. Streets are failing at a faster rate than they did in the past and the requirements for pavement maintenance continues to increase. These trends are being felt world wide and
are due to just-in-time manufacturing, disinvestment in rail and other surface transportation modes. The
factors that influence pavement failure are well documented and need to be recognized in strategies to
address pavement management.

If companies and organizations wait too long to maintain asphalt pavement surfaces, it will cost 2X or 3X more to rehabilitate and reconstruct in the immediate future.

Asphalt Cracking - repairable with sealant or fill

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 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 repair or maintenance will lead to more cracks developing parallel to the original transverse cracking. If
not properly repaired, these transverse 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" leading to a more serious, cutting and patching repair.

 

 

This crack has formed across the
entire walkway. Eventually, as
moisture and other substances seep in
to the base, more cracks will form and
lead to pavement failure. 

Longitudinal cracking
Longitudinal cracking, or cracks that form down the center of the pavement surface or
roadway, usually develop due to the deterioration of longitudinal joints formed by
separate passes of an asphalt paving machine. When the parking lot is constructed, the
paving machine must make separate passes which form two lanes of asphalt; joints
develop between these two lanes because this is usually the least dense areas of
pavement and is not properly compacted. These cracks are fundamentally the same as
Transverse cracks, despite their difference in orientation, and also allow water, salts,
engine oils and other harmful substances into the base and subgrade. These
substances lead to more cracks in the pavement and eventual pavement failure around
the original Longitudinal cracks. Usually Longitudinal cracks follow the same type of size
development as Transverse cracks: starting as hairline or about ¼" cracks then
developing to larger, more serious problems; eventually, without proper repair and
maintenance, Longitudinal cracks will become more prevalent and areas, leading to
cutting and patching necessity. Block cracks also form from Longitudinal cracks.

This crack has formed at the center of a parking lot's drive
lane, at the joint of the separate passes of a paving
machine. Smaller cracks have developed around the
original crack.