11 Steps to constructing the perfect asphalt patch
Posted by Jesse Willoughby on Thu, Jan 15, 2009 @ 12:17 PM
Pothole repair options have increased tremendously from a variety of types and sizes of equipment and proprietary mixes to help repair potholes faster, better, more safely, and more affordable. But when speed isn't the essence, and problems are deeper, and you want the BEST QUALITY you can have, you need to remove and replace the pavement. Here is how to construct the perfect patch.
1. Mark 1 foot into the sound pavement around the pothole. Sawcut a clean cut.
2. A vertical edge and right angles assure a sound patch. Once cut, break out and remove pavement within the sawcut area.
3. Remove material, including subgrade, until you reach a firm base. Compact. The Asphalt Handbook says deep patches can be backfilled with dense-graded mix.
4. Once compaction of the base and/or subbase is complete, apply a tack coat to the vertical sides of the cut. This helps it bond.
5. Place hot mix into the sawcut area. Rake or lute to level out the mix.
6. If placing mix in multiple layers, compact each layer after it is placed and leveled.
7. Add hot mix so the repair is slightly higher than the surrounding pavment (1/2 inch for a 2-inch deep repair is a good rule of thumb).
8. Sweep scattered mix onto the patch, then lute and level before final compaction.
9. Compact from the outside edges in toward the center of the repair. The next two passes here will be perpendicular to those already made.
10. Finish Compacting the entire patch. Vibratory plates are as effective as rollers. The size of the area to be compacted is the main determiner for whether compaction plates or rollers are used.
11. The end result of this step-by-step process is a structurally sound patch in which damaged pavement has been removed and overall pavement strengthened.
