How Asphalt Paving Starts With Soil and Rock Construction
How Asphalt Paving Starts With Soil and Rock Construction
Asphalt paving involves multiple steps, but most people have never had the opportunity to witness the entire procedure. You have probably seen workers spreading the asphalt mix or operating the rolling machines used for compacting the asphalt layers, but have you ever wondered what else was involved in the construction of the pavement? If so, you might be interested to learn that a durable pavement starts with the preparation of the rock and soil underneath the pavement.
How Asphalt Paving Starts With Soil and Rock Construction
Why Is the Preparation of the Soil and Rock Important?
Building an asphalt pavement is a bit like building a house. Both constructions need a strong, solid foundation if they are to withstand the test of time. If a home’s foundation starts to fail, you can expect to see cracks in the interior walls, uneven floors, sagging drywall, and windows that are difficult or impossible to open. If the pavement’s foundation fails, you will find cracks in the surface that continue to expand, potholes will become common, low spots will develop in the surface of the pavement, and alligator cracking will occur. Some types of asphalt repairs, including the remediation of alligator cracking and large potholes, can be expensive propositions; the damage usually cannot be fixed without removing the pavement and rebuilding the foundation first.
To ensure that the pavement has a proper foundation, a reputable asphalt paving company will take steps to prepare the soil and rock. These natural materials are jointly referred to as the subgrade. The contractor will conduct various tests to determine whether the subgrade can be properly compacted, will be prone to shrinkage, or is likely to deform when it is placed under load.
Can an Asphalt Contractor Remedy Subgrade Insufficiencies?
When paving Cape Cod streets, driveways and parking lots, it is not uncommon to discover that a little extra work will be needed to prepare the subgrade. Depending on the issue that is present, your asphalt contractor may need to do one or more of the following.
• If the soil is loose and airy, it may be possible to remedy the problem through additional compaction.
• The soil can be amended by removing a few inches of the existing soil and replacing it with a more suitable alternative.
• Cement, emulsified asphalt, lime or another binder can be applied to make the subgrade material stiffer and more stable.
• If the ground is too rocky or too hard to be properly compacted, some paving companies use a milling machine to execute a procedure known as cutting the route.
• A prime coat may be applied to fill voids, promote bonding and provide additional protection against the movement of fine particles.
Dirtworks is a paving company and we know how to deal with the soil and rock commonly found in Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts. We are a highly respected asphalt company offering a range of services, including driveway and commercial paving, site work, reclamation, crack repairs, asphalt patching, pothole repairs, asphalt milling, sealcoating, snow removal, parking lot striping and dirt road repairs. Our customers include homeowners, schools and universities, religious institutions, health care facilities, municipalities and counties, subdivisions, restaurants, office buildings, hotels and commercial property managers. We are known for delivering exceptional work and outstanding customer service at competitive prices. You can obtain a free quote by calling 508-240-5541 or submitting the online form.
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