Water On Your Asphalt Parking Lot

Water On Your Asphalt Parking Lot

When a heavy rain falls, your parking lot may appear to be one gigantic puddle. The same may be said if a thick layer of ice or snow decides to spontaneously melt. However, once the initial deluge has ended, you should not have isolated puddles loitering in your parking lot. If you do, you may have depressions, ruts or low spots that are allowing water to pool. Puddles of water that linger on top of your pavement can lead to damage that can be costly to repair, and your parking lot could deteriorate long before it should.

Water On Your Asphalt Parking Lot – The Causes

What Causes Ruts?

Ruts are often the result of poor compaction during the installation of your pavement. Less frequently, ruts can form from a high volume of traffic following the same path for a long period of time. Heavy equipment or large trucks can also leave ruts if your pavement was not engineered to support such loads. Ruts typically show as narrow trails that are longer than depressions or low spots.

What Causes Depressions?

Depressions are deformations that occur when asphalt pavement is compressed beyond its ability to rebound from the pressure. The depressions often bear the impression of the loads that made them. For example, if you store a drum of chemicals on your pavement, you may find a circular depression underneath when you remove the drum. If you allow a fully loaded truck to park in your lot, you may find depressions matching the tire patterns when it departs.

What Causes Low Spots?

The same things that can cause ruts or depressions can also cause low spots, but low spots are often an indication of improper installation or a destabilized foundation. If the foundation is not compacted to form a level surface on which to install the asphalt, there may be spots that lack the support needed to bear the weight of traffic. As vehicles pass over the weakened area, the pavement can sink, forming a low spot. A similar situation can occur if the foundation has been eroded and rendered incapable of supporting the pavement.

If You Need Help, Contact Dirtworks

Dirtworks is an asphalt contractor with more than 20 years of experience in the asphalt industry. We are a full-service asphalt contractor serving the greater Cape Cod area. Our experience, training and dedication to quality allow us to offer exceptional work at competitive prices. Our services include asphalt paving and repairs, site work, parking lot striping, sealcoating and asphalt milling. We also offer excavation services and site work. To receive a free quote, call (508) 240-5541 or complete our convenient online form.

See recent FAQ’s below-

https://www.dirtworkscapecod.com/uncategorized/asphalt-paving-contractor/