Your asphalt pavement should last for about 20 years if you used the right materials and if you called in asphalt specialists to install it. However, most asphalt pavements don't last half of the expected lifespan before they demand repairs or even replacement. Every asphalt pavement installation requires professional preventive maintenance to avoid unnecessary repairs and to remain in good condition for many days. Asphalt specialists should inspect your pavement and fix the minor problems before they become catastrophic. You won't spend more money on crack filling and seal coating as you would do when repaving or replacing asphalt. See what indicates that asphalt specialists should work on your asphalt parking lot or pavement:
Does the Pavement Look Disintegrated?
Your asphalt pavement is disintegrating if you find some small, loose fragments on the surface. Complete rebuilding will be the only option if you don't fix disintegration when the early signs appear. Progressive disintegration leads to ravelling. This occurs when the aggregate particles are washed away or dislodged. Ravelling occurs when the asphalt binder – the glue or substance holding asphalt layers together – deteriorates. Pavement pockmarks are reliable ravelling signs, and you should fix them before the pavement becomes jagged and rough. Potholes also show that local disintegration has taken place. Potholes occur when the patches, cracks and other deformations undergo continued degradation.
The Pavement Gets Distorted
Most asphalt parking lots and pavements go through various surface distresses, and pavement distortion is among them. Your pavement gets distorted when the subgrade or base layers are weak or due to unstable asphalt mix. Such problems allow more water to accumulate and penetrate the pavement, causing serious damage. If the asphalt's foundation is poor, the pavement will form birdbaths or depressions. Water will fill up any depression on the pavement, and this is how you spot them. Patching fixes minor depressions, but you will likely need to replace the pavement if the depressions are severe.
Formed Cracks and Fractures
You shouldn't take asphalt repair lightly if cracks and fractures have begun to form on your asphalt parking lot or pavement. Cracking is normal if your pavement is over 5 or 10 years old. Cracks are of different types, and they are signs of wear that you shouldn't dismiss if you want to avoid serious structural damage. Longitudinal cracks appear on your asphalt pavement due to simple pavement fatigue and poorly constructed joints. Transverse cracks form when the asphalt binder hardens or when the temperatures get low. Other types of cracks that form on the pavement include joint reflection cracks, slippage cracks, edge cracks and alligator cracks.
Repairing the cracks and potholes on the pavement is part of the pavement maintenance that competent asphalt specialists do. They also sealcoat the pavement to ensure the ultraviolet rays, pollutants and harsh weather will not damage your pavement. Ignoring these repairs causes further deterioration. So, any of the above signs indicate that asphalt specialists should come and work on your pavement.
To learn more about asphalt repairs and maintenance, contact asphalt specialists in your area.
