15 February 2022
 Categories: , Blog

Whether you are installing a new asphalt pavement or repairing an existing pavement, it is important to arrange for professional and skilled labor so that your investment stands the test of time. Here are some recommendations to help you have a good pavement installed on your property and to keep it maintained for many years.

Ensure Good Prep Work

A new asphalt pavement installation on your property will transform the area to provide you with a durable surface for your vehicles and outdoor projects. And to ensure that your asphalt is installed to last for years, it will need to be prepared on the correct foundation. Your pavement foundation area needs to be prepared so it is compacted to form a solid stable layer and any poor drainage in the soil is removed. Soil that is made up of clay and loam needs to be removed and replaced with good drainage soil containing gravel and sandy materials. 

Preparing the foundation materials should take up a good portion of preparing to pour the new asphalt. Make sure you hire a crew that knows how to grade and prepare the foundation soil to maximize the longevity of your pavement surface. This will eliminate any areas that may sink in the future to create low spots and crack over your pavement.

Evaluate the Pavement Surface

The surface of your new pavement should be smooth and attractive looking, but the structure of the pavement should provide good support in addition to looking nice. For a residential pavement, make sure you are getting a fine aggregate mixture within the asphalt product, which will be able to give you the smooth surface your property needs. However, if you will be using the pavement for heavy-duty vehicles and equipment, larger aggregate will provide you with a more durable surface, but won't be as smooth.

Also, look for a smooth transition at the edges of your pavement and onto surrounding surfaces. For example, look at the edges of your asphalt to make sure the edges of the asphalt align with any concrete curbing, stone pavement, or gravel areas. The edges of an asphalt surface should be level with an adjacent concrete patio or driveway apron. The strength of your pavement is going to be maximized when the edges are level with other surrounding areas and vehicle traffic does not exert extra pressure on any protruding edges.

For more information, contact professionals at a company such as Advance Asphalt.