Morristown NJ Asphalt Paving Process
Asphalt is arguably one of the best materials for building strong pavements. This is due to its tendency to last longer and quick installation process. Moreover, asphalt driveways have a fine appearance and are cheaper when compared to other paving types.
Sadly, many people opt for other paving types because they believe that asphalt paving installation is tedious. The paving process is not so challenging, and professionals can complete it in a few days.
This article will educate you on the different steps adopted by Morristown Paving Pros in the Morristown Asphalt paving process. More so, we offer the best asphalt pavement installation in Morristown, NJ. Read more below.
Steps Involved in Asphalt Paving Process
Firstly, your choice of a contractor matters because you need a paving company that delivers quality service. New Jersey has several driveway contractors, but not all of them can deliver an excellent job.
The whole process usually requires the use of several heavy machines. Morristown Paving Pro have skilled professionals, so you can effectively communicate your paving requirements and get them executed satisfactorily. We use asphalt compactors, motor graders, backhoes, cold planers, seal coaters, maintainers, water tanks, rollers, and road reclaimers. Finally, we also have experienced business professionals who can provide free estimates.
Removal of the Existing Driveway Paving
Having an old driveway paved with a new layer of asphalt will only create a pavement that will deteriorate in a few months. First off, we remove the old pavement regardless of the type – be it a gravel driveway, a concrete driveway, or an asphalt driveway.
The whole demolition step usually requires heavy machines such as bobcats. If there's a need, we may have to use a forklift. Furthermore, debris from the old pavement has to be removed from the site, except in cases when we deem them suitable for the sub-base.
We usually do this step before installing a new sub-base and, later, a pavement. If the old driveway was made of asphalt, we would store the debris for recycling into new asphalt. Asphalt derived from recycling the debris goes into future projects.
Grade and Slope The Area
In masonry, grading is a process that helps you to evaluate and adjust the slope of an area. Grading and sloping are essential processes for appropriate water drainage from the paving. It helps to prevent water damage from pooling or standing water on the pavement. This is necessary because such standing water affects the durability of your asphalt pavement.
Water will run off to the sides or bottom when your pavement is properly sloped. An easy way to check for sloping is to run water from a hose over the area and observe the water flow direction. The types of graders commonly used in this process are rigid frame graders and articulated frame graders.
Despite having both graders, we commonly use articulated frame graders for small pavements and driveways. This is because they are easily applicable when grading small spaces with limited space for them to turn or move around.
Installation of the Sub-base
You can think of the sub-base of your asphalt pavement as the foundation of a home. If a contractor is not careful with this step, your parking lots or driveways will likely crumble in a few years. While it may require light repair jobs in some cases, you may have to re-do the entire paving in extreme cases.
Frost can cause freezing and thawing on the asphalt pavement, but the sub-base helps to protect the pavement against this. Moreover, we always estimate the weight of any objects that will pass over the pavement in the future. This helps us determine the base's strength and the material we use.
A compact base is essential to prevent depressions and deeps after the paving installation process. Common materials to build strong sub-bases are crushed quarry stones or recycled aggregates.
Compacting the Sub-base
The next step involves making all necessary adjustments to ensure that the sub-base is firm enough to carry whatever load comes on it. Proof rolling involves using a quad-axel dump truck to drive over every bit of surface available on the pavement.
Also, we can achieve this using a twin drum roller or Sheepsfoot rollers. A typical roller for this purpose usually weighs a minimum of 3,000 pounds. At Morristown Paving Pro, we have some of the best rollers in Morristown, New Jersey, and its environs.
The weight from the roller or truck highlights weak spots in the sub-base through dips, shifts, or depressions. We further add aggregates to the weak spots to reinforce the sub-base and ensure that the entire surface is even.
Applying a Layer of Binder Materials
Between the sub-base and surface material, it's important to add a layer of binder material. The binder is an essential layer that binds the sub-base and the top surface. A binder is usually a mixture of oil (bitumen) and aggregate materials. Such aggregate materials can be sand, slags, gravel, or crushed rock.
This is usually the last step before adding the topmost layer of asphalt. Moreover, the binder and sub-base must be allowed to dry before applying the asphalt. Typically, the binder stays for about 24 hours.
Pouring the Asphalt Surface
After the binder has completely settled, it's time to apply the asphalt surface. The asphalt mixture used for the top surface is usually a mixture of liquid asphalt, sand, and a small percentage of aggregate. The asphalt is responsible for the rich blackness of the completed parking area or driveway.
The sand accounts for the smooth surface and further improves your home's curb appeal. Foundry sand offers the best quality for asphalt aggregates due to its fine texture. This smooth layer increases the pavement's resistance to wear and tear from constant contact with tires and similar objects.
Transitions and Butt Joints for Connecting Surfaces
This step is unnecessary except when you need to link different tracks. Moreover, it's rare to pave a new driveway without linking to other existing driveways, parking areas, or roadways.
Butt joints are areas that link new asphalt pavements to existing ones. Smooth transitions also ensure that there's no standing water on the surface. More so, if these transitions are correctly done, pedestrians won't be able to tell the difference between two different asphalt pavements.
Smoothing and Marking
After applying the asphalt layer, little chunks of aggregate may project through the finished smooth surface. To smoothen the surface and reduce its permeability, we use a process known as compacting.
The reduced permeability further contributes to the durability of the asphalt surface. Lastly, your parking area needs markings. However, we must wait for the asphalt to dry before applying markings.
Asphalt Pavement Repairs and Maintenance
Your newly installed asphalt driveway will eventually deteriorate with time. Repairs and maintenance will also require the services of professional pavement contractors. We will assess the damage and provide a free estimate to help you plan your budget for the service. Some problems covered by our repair services are briefly discussed below:
Cracked Edges
This usually occurs when heavy weights are run over the edges of asphalt driveways. Other common causes are poor drainage and heavy vegetation along the driveway's edges. This typically results in minor cracks at the edge of the pavement that may get worse if allowed to stay for long without repairs.
A common way to fix this is by using asphalt emulsions or seals. But whatever you do, avoid the temptation of doing it yourself if you want satisfactory and long-lasting results.
Linear Cracking
Also known as longitudinal cracking, this crack occurs if the joint linking two sections of large asphalt pavement isn't installed properly. This can also be caused by shrinking asphalt, standing water, or temperature fluctuations.
While we can fix this, it can also be avoided if considered during the initial installation of the pavement. Some quantity of emulsion slurry or sand in your asphalt mixture will help to prevent this.
Alligator Cracking
Also known as fatigue cracks, this kind of crack on asphalt driveways assumes the appearance of an alligator's skin. Some common causes behind such cracks are excessive loads, sudden temperature changes, and stagnant water.
Alligator cracks usually require thorough patches. This stems from the fact that they often affect deep down – way beyond the pavement surface. A professional service will ensure complete repair works to prevent such damages in the future.
Conclusion
Asphalt pavements boast higher durability when compared to gravel or concrete driveways. In addition, its installation process is not so demanding or expensive. Also, the installation of asphalt pavements takes a considerably short period to complete.
At Morristown Paving Pros, we have all the necessary equipment and pieces of machinery, as well as staff with the skill set and experience to meet all your paving needs. Moreover, we offer small-scale and large-scale paving services in Morristown, New Jersey.