Asphalt Pavement & Project Management
Asphalt Pavement & Project Management
If you have ever driven by a job site where asphalt pavement was being installed, the process may have seemed rather straightforward. To the untrained eye, it may appear the construction of asphalt pavement involves little more than dumping the hot asphalt and rolling it smooth. However, asphalt paving contractors have a precise process requiring careful, detailed planning.
Asphalt Pavement & Project Management – Initial Phase
The planning process often involves multiple phases. During the initial phase, the contractor will need to find the answers to several important questions.
• How will the pavement be used? Is it a residential driveway, a highway, a parking lot or a suburban street? Will recreational vehicles, 18-wheelers and trash trucks drive across or park on the pavement, or will access be limited to passenger vehicles?
• On average, how many vehicles of each type are expected to use the pavement each day? Will there be 20 tractor-trailers making daily deliveries or 100 trucks parked on the pavement overnight? If the pavement is a public thoroughfare, will it need to support 300 passenger vehicles daily or 3,000?
• Are there any project-specific requirements? For example, must the work be performed during certain hours or on certain days? Are there stringent specifications detailing the exact materials that must be used?
Steps Involved in the Intermediate Planning Process
During the intermediate planning phase, the contractor will visit the proposed site to gather additional information.
• If there is an existing pavement that has failed prematurely, the contractor will look for signs indicating why it failed. Did it fail prematurely due to neglect, overweight vehicles, unstable soil or drainage issues?
• How accessible is the job site? Will the contractor have difficulty moving his equipment to the site? Are there areas that will require manual work?
• What type of soil is present at the site? Is it sandy, or does it contain a lot of clay?
• How many square feet will the pavement cover? Is it a parking lot that will contain 100,000 square feet, or is it a two-lane street that is three blocks long?
Steps Involved in the Final Planning Process
Armed with the necessary information, the contractor can then finalize the plan. During the final planning phase, he must make a number of decisions and calculations.
• What materials will be required for the project?
• How much of each material will the job require?
• What is the total cost of materials?
• What will be involved to remove the existing pavement and dispose of it, and how much will that cost?
• How far is the job site from the asphalt plant?
• Which pieces of equipment will be needed on the job site?
• How much will it cost to transport materials, equipment and crew members to the job site?
• How many crew members will be needed?
• How many hours will it take to complete the project?
• How much will labor cost for the project?
• Do any of the requirements for the project, including the timeline and necessary equipment, conflict with existing commitments?
• What is the total cost of the project?
Detailed planning is essential if the contractor is to deliver a quality project that is on time and within budget. Experienced asphalt contractors know this, so they will not dive into a project without considering all of the factors that could potentially affect the quality of their work or their ability to deliver on their promises.
Dirtworks Has Been Paving Cape Cod Since 1995
Dirtworks is a locally owned asphalt company with more than 20 years of experience. In addition to installing asphalt pavement, we offer asphalt repairs, parking lot striping, asphalt milling, sealcoating and pavement markings. We also offer excavation services, snow removal and site work. We are committed to providing every customer with quality work and personal attention at competitive prices. If you have more questions about Asphalt Pavement & Project Management or would like to receive a free estimate, call 508-240-5541 or submit the convenient online form.
Dirtworks is a Premier paving company servicing the counties of Barnstable, Plymouth and Norfolk.
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