Petroleum asphalt is the most used type employed in paving applications. Produced as a byproduct of the petroleum refining process, this thick, heavy, viscous fluid is comprised of various aromatic compounds, asphaltenes, and saturated hydrocarbons and form the binder component of modern paving applications. This binder is then combined with various sizes of mechanically sorted and crushed aggregates, graded sand mixes, stone dust as well as any desired or required chemical components as specified for the intended project. Recycled material can be and is often used in place of newer aggregates, although some applications will require the use of both depending on the strength required and paving purpose. 

Once the non-binder added mix has been combined, it is then heat dried to remove any excess moisture and to allow it to bind completely with the binder. Once this drying process is complete, the binder is added to the aggregate composite via a mechanical mixer and this final material is then loaded on to vehicles for delivery to the project site. In addition to the production of virgin material or a plant produced, combined RAP product, another process is available, depending on project requirements, in which the RAP is hot mixed on site for immediate reuse. 

Regardless of your project size, employing asphalt as a paving material is the optimal economic and environmental choice for your specific application. For residential, commercial or industrial applications, allow the specialists at Dykes Paving to show you how you can get the most benefit from this type of paving material and how it can contribute to your project’s overall success. 

Winter weather requires careful preparation for your home’s (or business’s) exterior and landscaping. However, when preparing for the cold your asphalt shouldn’t be ignored. Asphalt is also vulnerable to the cold and careful preparation is required to avoid damage, injury, and expensive repairs. When preparing for the winter keep the following four tips in mind.

Preparing Your Asphalt For The Winter

1. Clean Up: one of the first things you should do to prepare for winter is to clean up. Debris that is easily ignored in warmer weather can quickly become unsafe when exposed to snow, ice, and moisture. Removal of trash and collected refuse also allows for easier cleanup and snow removal.
2. Fill Cracks And Sealcoat: during the winter snow can get into cracks which later melts and then reforms into ice once the temperature drops below freezing. This process can greatly weaken your asphalt and cause further damage as the expanding ice increases the size of existing cracks. Filling these cracks prevents this from happening and a sealcoat further protects your asphalt from the elements.
3. Pay Attention To Pooling Water: pooling water can be caused by dips or drops in your asphalt. In the winter collected water can quickly become ice which is a safety hazard for both residents and visitors. By being aware of areas where water collects you can have it removed before it freezes. Areas where water pools should also be repaired as needed by professionals.
4. Repair Potholes: potholes are not only unsightly but they allow snow, ice, and other debris to collect over the winter. If left unattended potholes can cause much of the same damage that cracks cause but on a much larger scale and can threaten the structural integrity of your asphalt. If potholes are a common issue special cold weather asphalt may be required when repairs are made.

Final Thoughts

As the above information shows winter weather can be damaging to asphalt if you are unprepared. By taking the above tips into consideration you greatly reduce the possibility of damage during the colder parts of the year. Also, consider hiring professional help to properly seal existing cracks, repair damage, and properly prepare your asphalt for the winter.

Several factors affect your commercial property value. One of those factors is the aesthetic appeal of the property. If you have a lot of pavement – usually in the form of a parking lot – it can have an impact on your property value. Whether it’s a positive or negative impact, is up to you.

Looks Make a Huge Difference

You’ve likely heard the term “curb appeal.” Looks drive property values, and commercial property has to look visually appealing. Good-looking grounds do more than increase the property value; they also attract business in general.

Something like parking lot can take up an incredible amount of visual real estate. It draws the eye and helps people come to conclusions about the property. If your pavement is in disrepair, potential clients, investors or buyers may assume that other parts of the property are in disrepair as well.

Maintain or Increase Your Property Value by Maintaining Your Pavement

To start take a walk around your property and make note of obvious flaws that need repair. If you’re unsure where to start, you should consult with a professional pavement contractor. A pavement contractor can help you with any or all of the following:

• Dealing with cracks in your pavement
• Repairing or patching any spots of deterioration
• Cleaning it properly (blowers, sweepers, pressure washers)
• Sealing the pavement (binding, waterproofing, strengthening)

This is all assuming you have pavement that isn’t too far-gone. In some cases, your paving contractor may suggest you take further steps.

Resurfacing or Repaving Your Pavement

If your pavement needs more than a few repairs, you should have it resurfaced. However, if you have pavement that’s torn-up and heavy on damage, you should definitely opt to have it repaved altogether. Remember that your pavement is an investment, and that investment will pay off in multiple ways – if you take care of it.

If you don’t know where you should begin, you need to speak to a professional Dykes paving contractor that can help you figure it all out. Contact us today.

It Is Not All the Same

To start, you need to understand that asphalt is not all the same. It is easy to think so if you never had to mix, roll, or lay it yourself. After all, from pavement to parking lot, it usually all looks identical. Asphalt, or bitumen, is a type of petroleum that occurs naturally. In general, asphalt pavement consists of the following:

• Aggregate (rocks)
• Bitumen (a mixture of hydrocarbons)

That’s it. This may cause you to wonder just how you get different types if the main two ingredients are always the same. The answer is in the mixture.

Aggregates can consist of any type of rocky material. In addition, the materials can vary in size, sharpness, roundness, and volume. Different aggregates create different mixes. Some mixes work better for some applications than others.

Asphalt itself is not always the same. Different types come from different regions, so the properties can vary. In addition, some types have things added in factories or labs that can help bring out certain properties over others.

The method of mixing the aggregate with the bitumen can also vary. Altogether, there are a tremendous amount of mixes that these disparate things can create. So no, it is not all the same. Far from it actually. However, there are some types and mixtures that have stood the test of time and shown to work remarkably for their intended usage.

Cold Mix and Hot Mix

The difference between cold and hot mix can often confuse people. Professionals understand when one solution will work better than another, but it’s not always easy considering that different proprietary blends are out there.

Hot mix– These mixes are the most common type. The mix is heated, and rolled on hot. Hot mixes have the most variety as far as types and usage. That is why it’s important to use a hot mix with a good track record for your intended use of it. A good, premium hot mix can give you permanent results rather than temporary ones.

Cold mix– These mixtures involve not heating the aggregate. These mixes work well for patches and repairs. Traditionally, cold mix has often been thought of as consumer grade asphalt. Meaning that it’s often store-bought, good for do-it-yourselfers, but largely not as strong and durable as hot mix.

As previously stated, it’s all in the mix. There are many commercial-grade cold mix solutions that work as well, if not better, than hot mixes, depending on the temperature and intended use. Cold mix patches tend to cost less, and take less time to administer. They are ideal for making repairs during cool, cold, wet, or arid months.

What’s the Right Mix for Your Project?

Choosing the right mix is not easy. It’s also something that no property owner should do without seeking the help of a professional.

You may find that you require a custom mix for your particular project. You may find that you cannot complete your project using the type of mix that you originally wanted. You may not know where to start with the project.

The professionals at Dykes have the knowledge, experience, and mix expertise to help you make the best of your project. Speak to us first about your project.

Alligator cracking

If the parking lot you want to pave has underground water issues or widespread alligator cracking, you should install geotextile paving fabric such as PetroMat, Mirafi, and Glass Grid. Doing so prevents the cracks from reappearing through the surface. The price of paving fabric usually ranges from 0.14 to 0.22 dollars per square foot.

Milling

If you have a parking lot with drainage problems, severe cracks, and a curb reveal –space between the existing asphalt grade and the top of the curb – that is less than six inches, you will benefit from asphalt milling. What does asphalt milling entail? The top one to three inches of asphalt is grinded using a milling machine to allow for new paving. On average, milling costs from 0.25 to 0.60 dollars per square foot.

Fuel volatility and raw material availability

The cost of asphalt is not constant; it changes on a monthly basis. Check its price on your state’s Department of Transportation website. When the cost of hot mix asphalt rises, so does that of liquid asphalt cement. Availability of raw materials also affects the cost of paving. For instance, if there are 3 asphalt plants within a five mile radius in a given town, the cost of raw materials will be low. However, if there is only one plant within a 25 mile radius..

The cost of disposal millings should also be considered because some plants are at full capacity to stock recycled asphalt. This means that they cannot take in new asphalt until they reduce the stockpile to state-required levels. If you want to move millings to another location, the cost of milling will go up.

Drainage correction or leveling course

If your parking lot currently has large areas covered by water and extensive puddles due to improper grade, the problem needs to be corrected before paving. You can do this by installing an asphalt leveling course to shim low spots. The contractor can shoot elevations using a laser grade system and direct the milling crew during ‘profile milling’ to influence the grade and improve drainage. The cost of drainage is usually quote-per-project after a detailed site evaluation by a qualified paving professional.

Type of company

Which company is doing your parking lot paving? The industry is filled with companies which want to make a quick buck. They do so by using inferior workmanship and materials. Their end game is to increase their profits while cutting corners. The most popular way of doing this is by installing less asphalt than required. Less than a year later, when your parking lot asphalt starts cracking, you will discover that they installed less asphalt than proposed. How can you identify such outfits? They tend to ask for large deposits upfront. They do this because they do not have enough capital and credit to buy raw materials. To avoid this pitfall, ensure that your check is made out to a business, not an individual.

Another factor that affects the price of paving your lot is job accessibility. Is it easy to transport heavy equipment to and from your property? Additional factors include ease of paving and work schedules. Dykes Paving has sufficient equipment and manpower to pave your parking lot. Contactors from Dykes are professional. Contact us today for a quote.

How cold temperatures affect asphalt

When winter comes, the temperatures often drop to a point where freezing occurs both below and above the asphalt, which can result in cracks occurring. When cracks occur, water can seem into the asphalt. This is a serious issue during the winter months, since the water that has penetrated the asphalt can then freeze if it gets cold enough. You can imagine what happens next – since water expands when it freezes, the asphalt will split even further, which can result in the beginning of a pothole.

How hot temperatures affect asphalt

Just because you live in a warmer climate does not mean that your asphalt won’t be affected by extreme temperatures. Heat can cause cracks as well, which can result in water seeping in. The water may not damage the asphalt in the same way that it can if it freezes due to cold temperatures, but it can damage the asphalt by eroding the sub-surface layers. This results in an air gap forming within the pavement. If the pavement above these sub-surface gaps experiences any pressure, such as the weight of a vehicle passing over it, the top layer of the asphalt will sag, collapse and then crumble, thereby forming a pothole.

How rain affects asphalt

There tends to be more rain during certain times of the year, such as the fall and spring seasons. Like we mentioned previously, if your asphalt has any cracks, it becomes even more vulnerable to rain since water can then penetrate the asphalt and cause serious issues later on. However, steeper terrain can impact the erosion of asphalt as well. If the asphalt is at a steep elevation, then rain can wash away the liquid asphalt little by little over time, leaving behind only bare rock and aggregate. The aggregates and asphalt are then more likely to break off and end up run-off, storm drains and gutters. What exactly is liquid asphalt? Basically, it’s a petroleum based product that is used to bond together aggregates, such as stone and rock, that form the asphalt.

Preventing the seasons from damaging your asphalt

As you can see, your asphalt can be seriously damaged due to the weather, whether it’s the heat, the cold or even the rain. To prevent serious damage from occurring, you should seal your asphalt every few years in order to protect the surface layer. This will help to keep water from penetrating the asphalt and add an extra layer of protection against extreme temperatures.

Additionally, any cracks and holes that do form should be repaired immediately. Not only do they negatively affect the curb appeal of your property and create a safety hazard for both pedestrians and drivers, but asphalt cracks and holes will only worsen over time. The quicker you fix even the smallest crack, the less of a chance that water will penetrate the asphalt and that the crack will grow even more.

If it’s about time to reseal your property’s asphalt, or if you have identified cracks or holes in your asphalt that requires resurfacing and rehabilitation, then contact us at Dykes Paving today for more information about our asphalt resurfacing and rehabilitation services.

The use of asphalt started thousands of years before the founding of USA. Mesopotamians are credited as the first to use asphalt to waterproof temple baths and water tanks. It was also used by Phoenicians to waterproof their merchant ships. Asphalt was first used for road building in Babylon at around 625 BC. The Romans took up the road system from Carthaginians and built roads for easier travel by the military.

Asphalt Roads in Modern History

John Metcalf, an Englishman was built the first asphalt roads in Yorkshire in late 1700’s. He built about a hundred and eighty miles. Later on, in early 1800’s, Thomas Telforld built over nine hundred miles of roads in Scotland. This art was perfected by John Loudon Macadam, who used broken stones and asphalt to construct his roads. This method was adopted by builders that led to the name ‘tarmacadam’ shortened as ‘tarmac’ pavements

Asphalt Roads in America

In 1870, a Belgian chemist, Edmund J DeSmedt, laid the first asphalt pavement in US at Newark. He later used fifty four thousand square yards of sheet asphalt from Trinidad Lake to pave Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. In the same year, Cummer Company opened hot mix production facilities. The following year, 1871, Nathan. Abbott of Brooklyn, N.Y filed the first asphalt patent.

In 1900, a patent for ‘Bitulithic’ pavement was filed by Frederick J. Warren. It was a mixture of bitumen and aggregate. The name Bitulithic was derived from ‘bitumen’ and ‘lithos’ a Greek word for rock. In 1901, Warren Brothers built the first asphalt facility in East Cambridge, Mass.

By 1907, asphalt from refined petroleum has outstripped natural asphalt by both production and usage. Automobiles became increasingly popular increasing demand for more and better pathways and roads. This in turn led to a number of innovations in asphalt laying. There were also strides made towards mechanization with introduction of drum mixers, concrete mechanical spreaders and asphalt laying machines. Asphalt technology continued improving, more so during World War II in 1942. This was driven by the need for a better surface that could hold the heavy loads of military aircraft and its cargo.

In 1955,road construction firms formed The National Bituminous Concrete Association, a forerunner of National Asphalt Pavement Association.(NAPA).  It main mandate was to undertake a quality improvement program. In its execution, the association sponsored asphalt testing in private testing labs and at universities.

In 1956, the Congress passed the Interstate Highways Act. It allotted fifty one billion dollars to states to construct roads. This greatly improved road construction technologies since contractors required better and bigger equipment. Machinery such as electronic leveling controls, extra-wide finishers and vibratory steel wheel rollers have since been manufactured.

There was a national energy crisis in 1970’s that led to a rethinking of natural resource conservation. Today, asphalt is one of the most recycled materials with over seventy million metric tons recycled every year.

In 1986, The National Centre for Asphalt Technology was established by NAPA. It continues to test and improve asphalt. It is now a leading asphalt research center. From year 2002, asphalt is no longer considered a hazardous air pollutant by the EPA.

To understand the origins of asphalt concrete, one has to go all the way back to the 6th century BC in Babylonia where the first asphalt roads were laid. It was not until the 18th century, however, that asphalt roads first began to become more widely used and tested for reliability, durability, and firmness. This revolution in asphalt mixtures and widespread applications began in Great Britain.

The earliest forms of asphalt were built using a combination of stone, gravel, and various unearthed road-making materials. These early builders not only devised the first of many variant compositions of asphalt concrete, but also discovered ways to allow for proper water drainage and calculated the gradient and type of traffic that would travel on it to create firmer roads.

Asphalt’s American Debut

In the U.S., the first asphalt road was built in New Jersey in 1870 by Belgian chemist Edmund DeSmedt who had immigrated to the United States. His work would also lay the foundation for the paved roads on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. These early asphalt constructions were made with natural asphalt. The D.C. asphalt only lasted about eleven years before it began to deteriorate.

Since the primary sources of traffic were pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages, the use of stones and gravel overlaid by asphalt were sufficient for the time. It was not until the advent of the automobile that the weight and volume of traffic made these early stony asphalt mixtures obsolete. What followed was nearly a century of innovation and experimentation with different asphalt composite mixtures.

Innovations in Asphalt

Sand was one of the first additives combined with asphalt in the early iterations of modern day road pavement in the U.S. By the early 20th century, petroleum became the most widely used asphalt mixture over stones and natural asphalt. Though sand, water, and petroleum binding agents are still used to this day, many asphalt composite variations continued to increase durability and sustainability.

Today, the type of asphalt concrete that is used to build highways, buildings, and airport runways differs according to the weight of the traffic and the type of wear and tear that is anticipated. Some asphalt concrete is designed with mixtures that bear heavier loads, while others, such as highways, use variants of asphalt concrete that are more porous to allow for proper drainage. While concrete is used in some places to build firm walkways, most roads are made using asphalt concrete because it is less expensive, easier to maintain, and much more versatile than concrete is.

Paving companies, such as Dykes Paving in Atlanta, are continuing the long evolution of asphalt by devising innovative ways to improve the sustainability of asphalt concrete.

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.

What Happens When Archaeological Discoveries Are Made During Road Work?

When artifacts or ruins are found during road work, usually the nearest archaeologists are contacted and asked to review what has been found. When there are few artifacts, they are set aside and saved for the coming archaeologists. But for a whole ruin or grave site (which does happen) roadwork could be stalled to make way for excavation.

Sometimes, road workers find a way to work around the ruin, so that archaeologists can excavate and do their work at the same time. Eventually though, road work does have to continue into the area, therefore archaeologists are work hard and excavate diligently.

Paving the Way for America

In 2005, road workers redoing part of U.S. route 80 in Bloomingdale, GA uncovered an old log road just four feet below the asphalt. This road is possibly dated all the way back to the Civil War or as late as the 1920s. Either way this road had a lot of history, as it is almost a hundred years old.

Some also might wonder what the big deal is about an old road, but think about it. These roads paved the way for modern day USA – literally paved! Without these roads, travel would have been more difficult in addition to the communication between towns and cities. At some point these roads were probably the only way to travel from town to town.

An Insight into Native American Culture

During road work in the U.S. last year, hundreds of Native American artifacts were found. One great find in St. George, UT is an ancient ruin that once belonged to the Shivwits tribe. There archaeologists found Anasazi pit houses, pottery, arrowheads, dinosaur fossils, and other tools they used for everyday life.

Uncovering a Roman-era Burial Site and Farmland

The U.K. has also had their share of roadwork artifacts. In the county of Yorkshire, road workers uncovered a Roman-era (possibly even before that) burial site. This burial site was over 2000 years old and had the only complete chariot ever found in the U.K. Despite the wear and tear on the chariot, archaeologists were able to use it and understand its functions.

In addition, within multiple areas around the U.K., road workers have uncovered pottery, farm tools, and various other items that describe life in the Roman-era farmland. The remains and bones found at various road work sites have told archaeologists about common causes of death during the era they came from and about ritualistic burial practices of the past.

You Never Know What History Will Be Found

The next time road work is happening in your area, tune into your local news or read your newspaper to see if anything has been discovered. You never know, as there could be history under the very ground you’re standing on!