Paved asphalt surfaces are made for all-weather use. The area of any property is refined by the clean, smooth look of professionally laid pavement. Other benefits include heightened safety because stumbling hazards are reduced, enhanced dust control, and minimal maintenance time. Asphalt paving falls into two categories: New Construction and Entire Removal & Replacement of Existing Asphalt.
New Construction
As the name entails, New Construction is the arrangement of new asphalt surfaces. First, excavation and grading of the area is accomplished as needed to establish desired level and drainage. Next, an aggregate base (AB) is placed and compacted with an asphalt sealed Base Course. Finally, specially mixed asphalt is applied to produce a surface according to the client’s needs.
Removal & Replacement
Asphalt can deteriorate over a period of time with lack of maintenance, overuse, or simply aging past its expected lifetime. In these cases, old asphalt might need to be removed and replaced or refurbished with one of the following options:
Regular Overlay
When an asphalt pavement surface deteriorates to the point of needing repair, an asphalt overlay is a solid solution. A standard asphalt overlay consists of a new layer of asphalt applied over the existing asphalt surface. The thickness of an overlay is typically 1 1/2 inches, but type and amount of traffic as well as individual customer’s needs are also considered. The existing asphalt surface may be milled if grades need to be maintained or altered. Milling is a process by which a machine is used to plane the pavement surface to an appropriate depth before it is covered with the new layer. Once the milling is finished and the overlay is completed, the customer is left with a brand new surface, ready for pavement marking.
Fabric Overlay
(see Fabric Overlay page)
Pulverizing
Utilizing a pulverizing machine, the deteriorated asphalt is recycled by grinding it into small bits. This material is then graded and re-compacted for use as part of the base for the new pavement. This method is environmentally sound and is used whenever possible. Drainage and grade considerations help determine if this approach is a valid option.
Complete Removal and Replacement
Severe sub grade deficiencies may require complete removal of part or all of the pavement and base material. After excavation and removal, pre-existing conditions in the sub grade such as excess moisture, shallow utility lines, missing aggregate base, or incorrectly prepared subgrade may require additional steps in the base preparation. These conditions are usually not discovered until the overlying asphalt is removed. After careful inspection, your ABC Design representative can recommend the most effective methods to resolve these conditions. When pre-existing conditions have been corrected, new aggregate is supplied as needed and re-compacted. The new asphalt is then placed and compacted with vibratory rollers to finish the process.
