Alligator cracking means too much stress.

The most notable kind of pavement cracks are alligator cracks (sometimes crocodile cracks), so named because they look like the markings on an alligator’s back. Alligator cracking is a sign of serious fatigue and means the pavement is overloaded, bearing too much weight for what it was built for. Tell your contractor your needs instead of looking for the bargain, so you know your sub-base is quality.

Poor drainage.

If there is little to no drainage on your property, or you’re getting a lot of run off from a nearby slope, this can cause serious issues for your sub-base or even start to separate the asphalt layers from the aggregate (that’s the layer of stone or slag under the construction area). A sealant will help with this.

Heavy thaw and temperature change.

Much like cracks caused by poor drainage, if you suffer from heavy spring thaws or rapid, highly variable temperature changes, your pavement can crack from over-expansion of an asphalt layer, or just water weakening the sub-base. To treat it, get a pro who knows how to layer properly and it will save you money.

Stripping and raveling.

This is what happens when the asphalt separates from the aggregate, often as a result of an improper first layering. When this happens, you’ll need a pro to fix it. To make sure you don’t spend an arm and a leg on pavement repairs, make sure you hire the best the first time around, or at least on the first fix!

Lack of edge support.

The edges of your pavement can crack in crescents and penetrate the sub-base if the support around the pavement area has not been properly laid, and water has begun to seep into the mix or the base. Again, sealant can help when you start to notice small cracks, but once they’re big, you’ll need a professional.

If you have problems with cracking and are in need of pavement repairs, call Dykes Paving, with four decades of experience in the Atlanta metro area!

Just this past June, in the St. Paul suburb of Little Canada, cars were seen jolting over a large bulge in the road, which functioned much like a speed bump and could easily have caused an accident. Further south, near the state line with Iowa, travelers on I-90 encountered even worse heat damage, highways that had buckled to the point of creating “jump ramps.” Several consecutive days of 90s-plus weather were responsible for both of these “blow-ups,” as they are typically called. The sub-asphalt, concrete slabs had absorbed so much heat that they expanded into each other, tightened the joint, and buckled the highway.

But this is not the only kind of damage a heat wave can do to an asphalt road, and if it can do it in a state like Minnesota (famous for -50ºF temperatures) and in a town aptly named “Little Canada,” roads further south are certainly not exempt.

High temperatures can also cause roads to crack, rather than buckle, under pressure. Fissures small and great then make an opening for summer rains, which can erode sub-surface asphalt layers and create “air gaps.” Air gaps are like “bubbles waiting to burst,” as soon as the heavy pressure of a large vehicle rolls over them, and once they implode, they leave behind a pothole, a rut, or a sag.

But what can you do to protect asphalt roadways, parking lots, and driveways from the summer heat?

The first answer is to ensure a reputable, conscientious company installs your pavements to begin with. With already-damaged roads, the best option is to repair all problems without delay, whether that means filling in isolated cracks and potholes, giving your pavement a fresh protective coat with asphalt resurfacing, or contracting for pavement reconstruction where damage is already extensive.

When damage is not yet severe, but you want to exercise basic maintenance to keep a road from falling into poor condition, resurfacing is far superior an option to seal coating, which does little to strengthen your asphalt, erodes in only a year or two, and creates a health hazard. Asphalt resurfacing, by contrast, hot pours a fresh 1½ to 2 inch layer of asphalt while recycling your existing top layer. The result is strong, durable, smooth, safe, and effective at shedding water.

Considering the safety and legal risks of leaving “heat-afflicted” roads and pavements as is for months on end, along with the cost-effectiveness of quickly correcting problems to prevent them from growing worse, it simply makes good sense to maintain your asphalt with a quality resurfacing job at least every few years.

It is also key that you select an experienced asphalt company you can trust to do the job right. In the Atlanta Area, Dykes Paving has been installing, repairing, and resurfacing asphalt roads and pavements for nearly half a century. They have the knowledge, equipment, and manpower to handle all manner of asphalt jobs, both small and large. Dykes also uses recycled, environmentally friendly asphalt sources, including their innovative Perma Flex asphalt overlay system, which can often make the difference between overlaying versus replacing cracked asphalt.

To learn more or to get a free quote, call Dykes Paving at 770-448-392 or to fill out the online inquiry form. We serve Atlanta, GA, and all the surrounding areas.

The Process of Applying Sealcoat that Lasts

Laying down sealcoat to bind with asphalt requires knowledge of the complex interplay of humidity and temperature in the Atlanta region. Since the sealcoat needs to bind with the surface, all the water has to evaporate from it so that it can dry without having destructive air pockets trapped at the interface. Essentially, sealcoat is quite temperature sensitive.

If the atmospheric humidity is elevated, for example, the sealcoat won’t dry for a long time; a lot of moisture in the air thus delays the use of the road. Similarly, cold temperatures also lead to longer drying times. Both cases occur because the water in the sealcoat must evaporate, and cold temperatures make it harder for moisture to evaporate.

It’s easy to see why higher humidity – which means that the air is saturated with more water – also leads to longer drying times. There’s so much water in the air already, that there are fewer places for the water molecules from the sealcoat to occupy; thereby decreasing the rate of evaporation.

Although Atlanta temperatures aren’t like the East Coast, the chilly nighttime air can cause the incorrectly laid sealcoat to split and crack, decreasing the lifetime of the road or pavement. As such, you need to make sure a professional does the job, so that they’ve evacuated all the water out before the coat dries – otherwise the water will freeze and break through.

Repairing Damaged Asphalt

If you’ve had your surface seal coated in the past by a subpar contractor, chances are that the road is already suffering – it only takes a single winter for the effects of a poor job to start showing. At Dykes Paving, we perform rehabilitative surfacing too; structural damage can be repaired to look and perform like new. The benefits of repairing early are that you avoid having to shell out for entire road replacement down the line, and you reduce damage to vehicle tires from the grains chipped off from poorly coated roads. Our servicing techniques have been demonstrated to help pavement last for decades.

The sealcoat technicians at Dykes Paving understand the intricacies involved with laying down water-based sealcoat that can perform throughout the temperatures to which it will be subjected during the year. A well-executed process means that your costs will be reduced, and the asphalt will hold up much better to the environment. For your own peace of mind, get yourself a contractor from Dykes Paving in Atlanta – we know sealcoating and asphalt better than anyone else. Contact Dykes Paving today for a free consultation.

Temperature fluctuations, snowfall, and plowing are all hard on asphalt paving. Over time these extreme temperature swings coupled with the everyday wear-and-tear from vehicles can cause asphalt to develop fissures or even dangerous potholes.

These potholes are bad enough in their own right, but when left untreated they can create even larger vulnerabilities. So, when are potholes most likely to develop and worsen?

You tend to notice a lot of potholes in the latter part of winter as well as the beginning of the spring season as this is the time of the year in which asphalt is combating the heaviest amounts of excess water and thawing.

Too much water and extreme temperature fluctuations don’t do any favors to asphalt, yet there is something you can do about damage that’s already occurred.

Cold Mix Asphalt for Potholes

Cold mix asphalt is made in pug mills by combining asphalt emulsions with aggregates designed to increase the integrity of your asphalt.

Because cold mix asphalt can be made to provide a coarser, stonier asphalt binder with a very high load factor or be used as a base or leveler, cold mix asphalt makes a great all-purpose material to work with. Cold mix is also extremely ego-friendly.

• Proven track record

For this reason, cold mix asphalt is also ideal for filling in potholes. Cold mix asphalt is actually quite flexible yet, because of how it’s constructed, also extremely durable and resistant to damage from the freeze-thaw cycle that can ravage your property in the late winter and early spring.

Cold mix asphalt already has a long track record of being used for temporary patching, even in the winter time. One of the reasons that many engineers and paving services actually prefer cold mix to hot mix asphalt is that cold mix can be used at lower temperatures and stored for later use if needed.

Whenever hot mix asphalt is hard to come by, or when conditions drop below a certain temperature, cold mix asphalt is the go-to material for maintaining roads and filling in potholes, especially from November to February.

• How it works

Because cold mix asphalt combines bitumen emulsion, cold aggregates designed for tough conditions, and even anti-stripping materials, it can be used in a wider range of weather conditions.

Not only that – cold mix asphalt is seen as easier to work with and more flexible than its hot mix counterpart due to the fact that cold mix asphalt has a longer cure time.

Although cold mix asphalt is already lab designed and tested to provide the best combination of flexibility and durability, different additives can be combined to the mix in order to render cold mix asphalt the perfect solution for your next project.

Cold mix asphalt can even be formulated to provide a long-term solution to improving the integrity of rural roads and parking lots to their original condition. In short, cold mix asphalt is very ease to work with, durable and can even be stored for months until you need another pothole filled.

• Cold mix exceeds expectations

Some people might be wondering about how cold mix asphalt holds up against hot mix asphalt in terms of meeting design guidelines.

Know that cold mix asphalt is resilient to cracking and fatigue and even has the capacity to self-heal. In addition, cold mix asphalt can be formulated to match the high AASHTO standards established for hot mix asphalt.

Make sure to regularly check your parking lot or home driveway for fissures and potholes. Too many potholes can even be a sign that your asphalt needs a sealcoating or routine spring maintenance. Contact us today to make sure your free of potholes and you have a grade A driveway or parking lot.

An uneven parking lot also makes it more difficult for suppliers and customers to carry fragile materials in their cars, increasing the risk that valuable supplies will be broken.

Reliable Rehabilitation

Small cracks, chips, and holes in your pavement are a prelude to more serious structural damage. If you repair them early on, you’ll avoid having to replace the entire pavement, saving thousands of dollars and reducing hazards to drivers and pedestrians alike. Dykes Paving uses hot pour resurfacing to fill in pavement cracks and other damages as soon as they appear, extending the life of your pavement by as much as 20 years. We’ll give your pavement a beautiful, sleek appearance while minimizing all costs, whether financial, environmental, or health-related.

Professional Paving

The Dykes team is made up of 70 well-trained employees who are committed to providing quick,  professional paving services. We’ve been active in the Atlanta area since 1968 and have paved over 12 million square yards of asphalt. We’ve worked on a myriad of high-profile projects in the  city, including recycling the Atlanta Airport’s old concrete runways in 2002 as well as replacing  the old Atlantic Steel mill with Atlantic Station in 2003. However large or small the project, we  provide quick, affordable solutions and will stay on sight until the job is complete.

Sustainable Service

Though asphalt is already one of the most sustainable paving materials available, Dykes Paving has led the way in further reducing the environmental impact of paving projects. We have pioneered new methods for recycling asphalt and make all of our aggregate materials from 100% recycled content. This reduces the amount of energy and raw materials needed to carry out new paving projects while keeping asphalt waste out of the landfill. We rely almost entirely on local suppliers and materials, lowering greenhouse gas emissions from transportation while promoting businesses in our community. With Dykes, you’ll never have to choose between saving the earth, supporting your community, and purchasing quality, affordable paving.

Catering to Customers

Dykes Paving doesn’t impose solutions. We work with customers to find the paving projects that will work best for them. We answer all requests courteously, provide as many proposals as possible, and are happy to work with businesses, homeowners, property managers, and all other customers. So, don’t let poor paving get out of hand. Contact Dykes Paving today for professional, sustainable commercial paving services.

Fatigue cracking in asphalt is generally recognizable by what’s known as alligator cracking, so named because the cracking takes the shape of the spikes on an alligators back. Something like chicken wire or a lightning bolt. These start small and spread and appear near each other and connect eventually requiring serious repair.

Just like it sounds, fatigue cracking is a symptom of over use, either by loads too heavy for the pavement or more repetitions of a given load than designed for. Poorly drained bases beneath the surface layer of asphalt will make the problem worse.

3 types of Fatigue Cracking

The Federal Highway Administration’s identifies 3 levels of severity for fatigue cracking:

• High severity fatigue cracking is when the cracks have connected in large areas and there are several pieces of surface asphalt that are very loose. This is when the pavement has been stressed to the limit of its fatigue life. It is no longer attractive and is barely functional. Pavement in this condition needs repair immediately.
• Moderate severity fatigue cracking is distinguished by the arrival of connecting cracks and the alligator type cracking pattern. The cracks may be swollen slightly and lower layers of road materials be become evident. Pieces of the surface layer of asphalt my move and break off if subjected to traffic.
• Low severity fatigue cracking is when an area of asphalt has only small cracks with very few or none of them connecting to display the zig zag alligator type shape. Also the cracks are not evidently removing lower layers of the road materials.

Repairing Fatigue Cracking

Repairing fatigue cracking and the potholes it creates does more than just improve the appearance of the site. Fixing cracks and holes reduces safety hazards. In Atlanta, no one is better at resurfacing and rehabilitation of asphalt than Dykes Paving. You can find information about their resurfacing work here.

New studies on old roads have shown the best way to prevent fatigue cracking is to start from the bottom up with better materials and better processes. Although it is impossible to prevent fatigue cracking indefinitely, roads are getting better and more durable every year. But traffic and use of trucks has also been increasing in recent decades. When an old road has reached the end of its fatigue life and high severity fatigue cracking is apparent then work has to be done to fix the road. Typical surface treatments sometimes lonely 3-4 years which is terribly expensive. This may be a sign the base materials have shifted and are now highly conducive to creating these surface cracks. This can be because of a combination of poor drainage and shifts and cracks in the base materials which allows water into areas it shouldn’t be allowed.

At this point the best thing to do is to rebuild the road from the bottom up. You will have to dig up all the layers and re-lay it better and more carefully. Especially if the road is old, the new bottom up treatment will last significantly longer due to technology and materials improvement. But for roads who aren’t quite that old it may seem like a lot of work to dig it up and start again. Repaving and resurfacing can help save the life of your asphalt and keep it attractive.

The road may not necessarily transform suddenly into an undulating sea of tar, but high temperatures, coupled with the friction produced by a high volume of fast-moving rubber tires, can contribute to a very unstable and unpredictable scenario for the unsuspecting motorist.

And, though the visual of a melting road may seem like something straight out of a cartoon, it is no laughing matter for drivers! High temperatures can compromise the road’s surface. Depending on the amount of traffic on the road, ruts and ridges can soon develop, making it difficult for drivers to maintain control of their vehicles.

Different Stuff for Different Roads

Generally speaking, asphalt is built to withstand a wide range of weather conditions; however, different types of asphalt are able (or unable, in the case of melting asphalt) to endure and withstand different temperatures.

The surface temperature of an oft-traveled road can be, on average, about 20 degrees higher than the temperature of the air. This means that it doesn’t take much, especially in hotter climates, for the road to become compromised.

Lower-grade asphalt, which is usually a mix of asphalt and concrete, is more likely to succumb to the heat and begin to liquefy in the 120-125 degree range; at the other end of the spectrum, higher-grade asphalt tends to withstand the heat better, though it is more susceptible to crack during the winter months.

Besides cost (the higher grade being more expensive), the difference-maker in the different grades of asphalt lies in the amount of bitumen binder used. The more bitumen binder used, the more resistant to heat the asphalt becomes.

Theoretically, the higher cost for higher-grade asphalt could lead a municipality to reserve the higher-priced material for only its most intensely trafficked roads.

What Can You Do As A Driver?

As a driver, perhaps outside of contacting your Department of Transportation when and if problems arise, there’s not much you can do directly to stop the problem of melting roads. Generally speaking, however, your speed affects your tires’ friction on the road surface, so you and other drivers can contribute positively by driving at or below the speed limit.

The problem of melting asphalt on roads is no surprise to experts in the paving industry, especially since the same phenomenon can occur on virtually any surface paved with asphalt; for example: parking lots and driveways.

You’re not responsible for the integrity of the road running past your home or business, but you would definitely want to enlist the expertise of a paving company if you’re considering surfacing or repairing a paved area on your property, especially to avoid a situation like the one you would see on a melted road!

Contact a paving professional from Dykes today for more information on the right solution for your home or business.

So, who is this strange man? He’s Ron Chane, and he recently came forward to ABC News and admitted to being the infamous pothole-fixer. Having fixed 101 (and counting!) potholes with allegedly stolen asphalt, Chane explained to ABC News that he signed his handiwork with his covert signature: “citizen fixed.” While no formal charges have been filed at this point, the city is looking into how Chane acquired the asphalt, something they believe he did illegally, though Chane himself sees absolutely nothing wrong with his actions.

A Serious Problem

Regardless of what you think of this bizarre story or of Ron Chane himself, there is a serious pothole problem in bumpy Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson isn’t the only US city that suffers from majorly pock-marked roads either. Atlanta, Georgia has also come under some scrutiny for the many potholes that line the city. Potholes can cause serious accidents and can pose hazards to pedestrians as well; they are a problem that needs to be addressed by both cities. But is vigilante pothole paving really the answer?

The Problem with Chane’s Pothole Paving Antics

While it can be viewed as an example of citizens stepping up and doing what the city should be doing, there are actually many things wrong with pothole vigilantism. For starters, the people hired to pave city potholes are professionals; they have the equipment and training necessary to get the job done right. With no training and potentially low-quality asphalt, Chane could actually be doing more harm than good. Furthermore, vigilante pothole pavers tend to do their work at night, often without the proper lighting or other safety equipment, which means they could find themselves hit by a car or causing serious traffic accidents. And, of course, there’s the simple matter of stealing asphalt that was earmarked for other purposes.

A Right Way to Do Things

So what should you do if you live in a city like Jackson, Mississippi or Atlanta, Georgia and are tired of dealing with potholes? Well, instead of stealing and doing the job yourself, how about working to raise awareness of the problem? You could form a legal, peaceful protest about the issue, or you could get a group together and make your voices heard at the local City Hall. Or you can report it to local media, like CBS Atlanta’s Pothole Patrol. There’s also the option of gathering signatures for a petition to make your city act on the pothole problem, and if you’re truly concerned, you could even raise money and donate it to your city with the stipulation that the funds be used to fix the potholes. There are are few alternative to doing the job yourself.

The bitter cold temperatures of winter can definitely do a number on an asphalt parking lot. Cracks spread easier, painted lines fade, and the overall stark black color, turns an ugly gray. If you’re up to your neck in dealing with other spring cleaning property issues, it’s easy to understand why giving your parking lot a “clean slate,” might not be something you’re jumping at the chance to have done. Nevertheless, in order to extend it’s lifespan, a parking lot restoration is highly recommended.

The walk-through

The first thing you ought to do before you have the actual paving done, is to do a simple walk-through of the parking lot. Generally, you may notice that your parking lot may need some repairs, but take the time to cracking patterns, spalling etc. Take a few notes, so you can explain some of the problems to the paving contractors before they come by. Your local commercial paving contractors will do there own walk-through of course, but it’s always good to give them a heads up on what they’re going to be dealing with.

Calling the paving contractor

Your paving contractors won’t only find a way to deal with the “here-and-now” problems of your asphalt parking lot, they will create a long-term plan of attack, so that your parking will continue to be in good shape for years to come. Many paving companies will work with you to create a maintenance program, prioritizing what needs to be addressed right now, versus a few months down the line.

Starting the parking lot restoration

Patching

With a long-term plan in place, the current repairs are ready to commence. One of the most common jobs in a parking lot restoration is a “cut-and-patch.” This techique helps target specific problem areas, like a pothole, for instance. The paving contractors jackhammer the damaged areas, before putting in new processed stone, and covering it with a thick layer of asphalt.

Overlaying

Although many people think that overlaying is a quick, effective fix to asphalt deterioration, it can sometimes be a big waste of money. If your parking lot is generally in good shape, then, overlaying might be a good solution for getting it in better shape, but if the pavement is already faced with serious problems, overlaying can actually create reflexive cracking – making things worse. If you’re looking for a temporary fix, and an aesthetic make-over for the time being, a simple “overlay,” might be appropriate.

Seal-coating

Seal-coating basically reduces the ultraviolet effects on pavement. Seal coating prevents the pavement from turning gray, and it also helps it maintain its oils and elasticity. The procedures is usually done for preventative maintenance, and when the parking lot is around a year old. Each seal coating procedure should be designed specifically for the parking lot. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all type of procedure.

Crack Filling

Crack filling is another very common type of parking lot repair. This type of procedure is done to  prevent water from entering into the cracks, and penetrating into the subgrade of your pavement, which will cause further damage. If you have a pavement that is in decent condition but you have a few visible cracks, filling those cracks to prevent water infiltration is key to extending its lifespan.

Taking care of problems before they’re problems

Overall, just an annual pavement maintenance is the secret to a healthy and long lasting parking lot. If you have any questions about this, your local commercial paving contractors would certainly be able to help you.

If you are in need of a parking lot rehabilitation, don’t hesitate to contact Dykes Paving, your number one commercial paving contractors in Atlanta.