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.

While some of the safety hazards of parking lots are inescapable and others can be minimized by implementing better traffic control measures and educating employees on parking lot safety practices, other safety hazards are caused by poor pavement conditions. Resurfacing or rehabilitating a deteriorating asphalt surface is a necessary maintenance expense that will greatly reduce the risk of injury and property damage on your company’s parking lot.

The upper layer of asphalt on your parking lot is designed to flex under pressure and deflect weight load to the supporting layers below it. When long exposure to heavy pressures create ruts or uneven surfaces, these dips can lead to further deterioration. They can also cause trips and falls, for even a height difference of a half inch is enough to cause a pedestrian to lose his or her balance.

Early Stage of Asphalt Decay

Small fissures lines, larger cracks, and occasional pot holes will also begin to develop as the pavement surface is worn by year after year of weather and vehicle traffic. These early stages of asphalt decay can only lead to more serious weakening later on. Once the lower layers begin to crumble, the pavement will have to be entirely rebuilt, at least in those areas where the support structure has been compromised.

As the asphalt wears, it can lose its surface friction, which increases the chances of vehicles sliding and colliding. As the pavement becomes more and more dangerous, drivers will become more and more distracted with navigating around bumps and potholes, which only increases the chances of an accident. By filling in eroded areas and overlaying the entire parking lot with a fresh coat of asphalt, you can reduce parking lot safety hazards to an absolute minimum.

Hot-Mix Asphalt

Most resurfacing involves laying down hot-mix materials, which include stone, gravel, sand, and liquid asphalt. Optionally, you can also insert a layer of moisture-resistant fabric between the old and new asphalt to add extra strength. Hot-pour resurfacing can extend the life of pavement for 16 to 20 years, and will greatly reduce the risks involved in walking or driving through your company’s parking lot.

If your pavement’s safety level is getting low, Dykes Paving, a local Atlanta pavement restoration company, offers excellent parking lot resurfacing and rehabilitation services. We have experienced personnel necessary to quickly transform your parking facility into a much less accident-prone environment. Contact us today and your new, safer parking facility will cure and be ready for use within a few hours of application.

Water allowed to stand for lengths of time in one place will eventually find a way to the subsoil. Working with oxygen and UV rays, the combination will begin to cause cracks in the pavement and the water will seep through. Eventually this will weaken the soil foundation beneath, thus causing more damage to the pavement.

Three things happen to water on a parking lot surface. Some water is absorbed, some evaporates and the rest will flow from high points to low points, if possible. Ideally the flow from high to low takes the form of “sheeting”, which is a wide film of water flowing to a low point. If the water reaches a level point, this sheet of water may result in a pool. According to one source, the Virginia Asphalt Association, paved surfaces in a parking lot should have a slope between 2% and 5% to drain adequately. A 1% slope is generally recommended as a minimum.

Also large areas of standing water create a safety hazard for cars and pedestrians. For businesses that rely on the parking lot, the financial impact can be enormous.

And widespread damage to the pavement, when neglected, can mean a significant repair expense for the parking lot owner.

The main objective for the paving company is to create a strategy to move all water to storm sewers, culverts or other channels and away from the parking lot surface as quickly as possible. This will result in a longer life for the lot and lower cost of maintenance for the owner.

Besides protecting against rainfall, the designer must also consider runoff from irrigation sprinkler systems often placed in parking lot islands.

According to the website, there are three principal means to prevent water accumulation and infiltration in parking lots. These are:

1. Impermeable HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) is properly compacted to minimize air voids. If the smallest crack should appear, it should be completely repaired.
2. Slope, as mentioned already, should quickly allow water to sheet flow to a drain or other construction to carry the water away.
3. Grade of curbs or gutters must be designed to bring all the water to a central collection point such as a detention pond or catch basin. A generally accepted minimum standard grade is 0.5 percent.

Environmental concerns are a consideration. The water channeled from the parking lot must minimize any effect on the natural balance of the area and  avoid any negative impact on surrounding properties.

Localized areas of pooling can be fixed without exacting enormous cost. Dykes Paving uses a unique technique called “asphalt skin patching”. As long as the subsurface has not been damaged, Dykes can employ a three step process which covers any damage and raises the level of the area to facilitate drainage. The three steps are:

1. Clean and apply a tack coat for adhesion
2. Apply a new coat of asphalt and fix with a vibrating compactor.
3. Feather or blend the edges to create a smooth service with the existing pavement.

Whether you are installing a new surface or repairing an old one, Dykes Paving has over 45 years of experience to back up the promise of a professional, attractive and long-lasting job. They understand potential problems with every paving situation and know how to avoid them.