Asphalt is one of the world’s most-used yet least-understood substances. It’s been used continuously for at least a couple thousand years.
Asphalt Paving
Asphalt is one of the world’s most-used yet least-understood substances. It’s been used continuously for at least a couple thousand years. And in spite of improvements through modern technology, we still haven’t found anything that can replace asphalt paving for day-to-day applications.
The asphalt used for road paving contains gravel, sand, oil-based liquid asphalt, along with some other constituents. Asphalt paving is flexible and durable, which are its most important qualities.
Day after day, year after year, asphalt expands and contracts along with hot and cold weather, and it provides a smooth, safe, high-traction surface for vehicles’ tires and pedestrians’ shoes alike.
Lifecycle
Liquid asphalt is derived from the thickest residual portions of petroleum. Even after mixing with gravel and sand, asphalt in pavement may take up to a year to harden and cure. Here in Tucson, well-applied asphalt usually lasts about fifteen or twenty years.
Some of the factors that determine the durability of asphalt pavement include how well it was designed and laid, how well it’s maintained, whether it’s been sealed regularly, how often water flows over and around it, and whether it experiences unexpected heavy use, such as truck traffic on light-duty paving.
When a new asphalt pavement is laid, you can walk on it immediately. But, vehicles should stay off for 12 hours or more, so that it can harden properly. Of course, under Tucson’s bright sunlight recently-laid asphalt will soften during the day, then harden at night.
On very hot days, you can help cool and harden fresh asphalt by spraying a bit of water on it. Don’t worry if soap suds result, since it’s a natural reaction to the high levels of chlorine in our local water supply.
Of course, while asphalt is fresh you’ll want to avoid parking heavy vehicles in the same place each time. And, be careful to avoid turning the steering wheel sharply while a vehicle is in a stationary position, because it may scar the surface. Still, although scuffing and power-steering marks are common on new asphalt, they usually fade quickly.
Likewise, the kick-stands of motorcycles and bikes, the tongues of trailers, or any other hard-pointed item (even a woman’s high heels) may cause holes or gouges in fresh asphalt. Keeping a piece of plywood under parked tires or other pressure points can help avoid this issue.
Fortunately, asphalt paving is self-healing because of its flexibility. Over time, and under the weight of vehicle traffic, scars and rough areas tend to heal themselves. And, larger tears can easily be touched up.
As the hardening process continues, asphalt becomes less susceptible to damage. Once your asphalt paving has cured, it’s best to apply a sealant through a process known as “seal coating.” This helps prevent damage from spilled gasoline, anti-freeze, oil, and other vehicle fluids.
Asphalt or Concrete?
After years of research, most experts have concluded that hot-mix asphalt (HMA) is more cost-effective than Portland cement concrete (PCC) when used for roadways.
A landmark study, conducted by Drs. Stephen A. Cross and Robert L. Parsons of the University of Kansas, demonstrated that over a 25-year period the yearly expenditures for concrete pavements were 2.4 times more costly than for asphalt pavements.
The same study also showed that the cost of concrete pavement over the long-term averaged about $2 million per four-lane mile, while the cost of asphalt pavement was only about $600,000 per four-lane mile.
Whether your paving project involves asphalt pavement or a combination of asphalt and concrete, our expert teams ensure that it’s done right, so you’ll enjoy many years of good service.
Tucson Asphalt is Pima County’s leader in paving and related construction. No matter how large or small your project, for a quick response and top quality results, just call us.
Fabric Overlays
Fabric overlays offer a cost-effective way to strengthen asphalt pavements and reduce cracking. Fabric overlay technologies allow us to boost your pavement’s tensile strength, waterproof it, and reduce fatigue. As a result, your pavement will last far longer.
How Do Paving Fabric Membranes And Overlays Work?
The synthetic fabrics that we use for paving overlays are excellent at stopping cracks from growing because the fabric helps spread loads across a larger area. These fabrics are made of woven or non-woven polypropylene, polyester or nylon. We apply them during the asphalt paving process over cracked or worn existing pavement, then we place an asphalt overlay above them.
Overlays help protect the pavement base by forming a waterproof barrier between new and existing layers of pavement. By using paving fabric membranes and overlays, we can greatly extend the life of your asphalt and concrete pavements.
Since we’re experienced with the best technologies and most cost-effective paving methods, we generally use the Petromat System, which is made by Amoco Fabrics & Fibers Co. This product consists of a polypropylene fabric, and it’s engineered to give superior results.
Our teams attach the Petromat fabric on top of cracked or distressed existing pavement with a tack coating of asphalt to hold it firmly in place. Then, we put a top-quality asphalt overlay above those lower layers.
We usually don’t install paving fabric overlays in all areas curb-to-curb, nor do we use paving fabrics on steep grades. Instead, we generally use this technique only in those areas which require special attention.
The Petromat fabric helps absorb stress, and it forms a barrier that limits water infiltration and damage. The result is a much longer-lasting pavement which resists cracking and fatigue. Whether used in new applications or over existing older surfaces, fabric overlays can greatly extend the life and durability of your pavement.
At Tucson Asphalt, we choose and use only the best paving products and technologies, in order to ensure that your new pavement will provide good service for many years to come.
If you’d like to learn more about the advantages of using paving fabric overlays and membranes, contact the experts at Tucson Asphalt today.
Maintenance
Interestingly enough, people walk and drive on Asphalt all their lives, yet never really look at it with interest until they have a pavement project on their property.
Asphalt is made up of various sizes of stone, sand, liquid asphalt, and other elements. Some areas will look smoother than others…some surface hairline cracks, scars, and surface ravellings are not unusual. It can take up to 12 months for the liquid asphalt in blacktop to harden and cure. You can walk on the surface immediately but it is recommended that you keep vehicular traffic off at least 12 hours or longer after paving during our hot summer months.
Asphalt surfaces are flexible and as temperatures rise and fall you may notice the surface will harden and soften. This is normal, so on really hot days you may want to lightly spray water on the surface in the heat of the day to cool and help harden it. Don’t be alarmed if soap suds appear, this is a natural reaction between the asphalt and high chlorine levels in our water. Power steering marks and scuffing are common in new asphalt and newly seal coated surfaces. Try to avoid turning the wheel with the vehicle in a stationary position. Turning while stopped can cause the asphalt to move and scar the new surface.
Try not to park in the same spot every time. Excessive weight from large vehicles can depress your new asphalt. Motorcycle and bicycle kick stands, lawn chairs, jack stands, car ramps and even high heels can create holes or depressions in your new asphalt. Excessive weight from the tongue of stored campers or boats can cause depressions. Placing a piece of plywood under the tires or jack will help prevent this problem.
Spills from gasoline, oil, anti-freeze, power steering and transmission fluids can all cause damage to the asphalt surface. The inherent flexibility of asphalt allows rough areas and scars to heal themselves in time and under traffic, while larger tears can be touched up. Asphalt hardens as it ages and becomes much less likely to depress or scar. Once your asphalt has completely cured it is advisable to apply a sealer to your pavement. This process is called “seal coating”.
Milling & Inlay
When an existing asphalt pavement has a sound foundation yet needs some rehabilitation work on the uppermost layers, we can often provide excellent results with our expert asphalt mill and inlay techniques.
Milling involves grinding down into the upper layer of the existing asphalt in order to remove any cracks, ruts and imperfections. Then we place a layer of inlay paving on top of the milled surface, which fills any holes and levels it off. Finally, we place an asphalt overlay on top to finish the process.
When it’s done by our highly skilled team, milling and inlay techniques are a great way to get the most mileage from existing asphalt and concrete, by giving them a fresh new asphalt surface.
Advantages Of Mill And Inlay Methods
One of the advantages of using mill and inlay methods to rehabilitate asphalt pavements is the fact that, if done properly, it can be used to fix serious surface defects while still maintaining the same pavement height overall.
This is especially important when it’s deemed necessary to keep existing curbs and shoulders the same height as before. For example, in some cases a paving project might be much costlier if too-thick layers of new pavement would affect curbs and shoulders along a road.
In these situations, mill and inlay techniques offer a perfect way to enjoy the benefits of a new asphalt pavement while avoiding the complications of having to do unnecessary work on adjoining curbs and shoulders.
Here in Pima County, Tucson Asphalt Contractors is your best source for asphalt milling. We make sure each job is completed with expert attention to detail, so you can enjoy the benefits of fresh new asphalt pavement while saving money.
We have over 30 years of experience with milling and inlay. To learn more about the benefits of rehabilitating a pavement through our mill and inlay services, just call us for an assessment and quote.
StreetPrint®
StreetPrint® is a proprietary stamping technology that uses an asphalt-reheating process to produce highly realistic brick, stone and slate imprints on an asphalt base. StreetPrint® offers the flexibility and durability of asphalt combined with beautiful, decorative design effects.
This technology offers architects, designers and property owners a wide range of design possibilities. Most importantly, it provides the look of brick and stone without their expense.
Why Use StreetPrint®?
StreetPrint® uses proprietary asphalt-reheating equipment and special coatings to yield creative finishes on any ordinary asphalt pavement surface. The results are both elegant and environmentally-friendly.
Unlike most solvent-based substances used for marking asphalt, the StreetBond™ coatings used in the StreetPrint® process are water-based. That means there are no harsh chemicals or petroleum-based solvents that might harm people or the environment. Still, any asphalt coated by StreetBond™ can be entirely recycled.
StreetBond™ Coatings
These coatings are a water-based epoxy-acrylic polymer. The acrylic components help reduce color fading and give the coatings an ability to withstand the sun’s harsh rays here in Arizona. And, the epoxy components help the coatings withstand heavy traffic.
Yet, StreetBond™ coatings are flexible enough to allow for the expansion of asphalt without cracking. The coatings adhere extremely well and are resistant to peeling. At the same time, the coatings’ cross-linked polymers resist the effects of water.
The Advantages Of StreetPrint®
Asphalt is often preferred for roadways and other surfaces because it’s a continuous unbroken surface, which inhibits problems such as weed growth, erosion and shifting. StreetPrint® offers the advantages of a brick or stone appearance while preserving all the benefits of a continuous asphalt surface.
Stamped decorative asphalt is much faster to install than hand-laid bricks, stones or pavers. And, asphalt is more flexible and durable than brick. So, the cost of installing and maintaining StreetPrint® asphalt is much lower while offering the same beautiful, elegant appearance.
Best of all, StreetPrint® is highly adaptable – It can be applied directly over new or existing asphalt or concrete pavements.
We’re proud to be Tucson’s leading source for the StreetPrint® process and its related StreetBond™ coatings.
To learn more about the beauty and cost-savings of StreetPrint®, contact us today.