Asphalt surfacing is a great way to create roads, driveways, and parking areas, and this interesting material has been used in one form or another for centuries. In fact, the ancient Greeks and Romans used a simple form of asphalt for some of their roads. However, asphalt did not become a common surfacing material in the United States until the late 1800s because there was no practical method for paving all the roads. Thankfully, this has changed because asphalt makes it possible to drive longer distances, and this helps with the supply of goods and services. Unfortunately, an asphalt surface can wear and force the need for Asphalt Repair.
There are several types of asphalt in use today including porous asphalt and warm mix asphalt. Warm mix asphalt allows contractors to easily apply the material while porous asphalt is better at reducing storm damage. Of course, there are other differences. For example, porous asphalt tends to resist cracking and can have a service life of twenty years or more. Warm mix asphalt tends to have better compaction rates and can be recycled frequently. Other kinds of asphalt surfaces include the so-called quiet pavement and permanent pavement materials. These are designed for specific purposes such as roads with a lot of traffic or those where noise reduction is required. Noisy pavement is often the result of using large aggregate or from a poorly laid surface.
The most common reason for Asphalt Repair is cracks and potholes. Cracks can happen because of temperature changes or water washing away the supporting soils. Potholes develop when the underlay of the asphalt washes away, typically due to storm damage. Most potholes take a while to spread, and this happens as traffic moves over the weakened area. Repairing the damage usually requires additional asphalt, but removing the old material may also be necessary. The next type of repair is surfacing. That is, laying a thin surface of asphalt over the existing one. Surfacing fills in all those small cracks and makes the pavement look like new. Sealing the asphalt may also be an option. Sealcoating provides additional protection from the elements and improves appearance.
