It is never too late for you to learn new things, and asphalt pavement installation can be a confusing subject for homeowners, property owners, and municipal employees.

Please take a look at the step-by-step guide to asphalt pavement installation. It covers everything from demolition to smoothing out the new surface.

Step 1: Demolition and Removal

First, remove any existing asphalt surface.

  • Heavy machinery is used to remove and demolish buildings, including small bobcats, forklifts, and, when needed, front loaders and large dump trucks.
  • Then, the debris is removed.

Step 2: Grading and Sloping

Technology helps asphalt specialists prepare the surface for proper water drainage.

  • Asphalt paving Philadelphia uses laser-guided transits to grade the surface for paving to ensure water runs off correctly.
  • Your asphalt drainage system must be in good working order because water can cause major damage to asphalt, such as cracks and potholes.

Step 3: Prepare the Sub Base

It’s not something you would expect, but the sub-base is the most important component of any new asphalt surface.

  • The sub-base is a solid surface that supports new pavement.
  • The sub-base acts as a frost barrier and helps to reduce winter damage from freezing and thawing.
  • Base stability and base thickness are important considerations during installation. The asphalt surface will not last for years if the sub-base isn’t properly compacted.

Step 4: Proof Roll, Undercutting and Sub Base Repair

Then completes a proof roll to make sure the sub base is ready for new asphalt.

  • The Paving Proof Roll involves driving a quad-axle dump truck, loaded with 72,000 lbs, row by row, over the entire surface.
  • If gravel is more than an inch below the truck’s weight, the foundation is not supported properly which can cause you to cancel the orders and set your home again.

Asphalt paving Philadelphia will make the necessary repairs to any areas that the proof roll identifies as weak in the sub-base for it to be supportive.

  • Soft spots can be repaired by using undercutting. This involves digging below the surface for 2 to 3 feet and then replacing the soil or soft clay with a stronger aggregate material.
  • Pioneered the use of plowing, a new method for paving. This involves undercutting the subbase, but rather than removing all the soil and soft clay, it is mixed with aggregate to increase the strength of the affected areas.

Step 5: Binder and Surface Course

After the sub-base has been laid and any weak areas have been repaired, it’s time to add the binder.

  • It is a large aggregate mixed with oil to make it strong and long-lasting.
  • The strength of any new asphalt surface can be referred to as the binder layer.

Step 6: Install New Asphalt Surface

After the supporting structures for a new asphalt surface have been installed, the top layer is applied to give a smooth, clean ride.

  • Surface asphalt is composed of small aggregates, sand and oil.
  • When properly installed, this combination creates jet-black asphalt. It provides a smooth ride as well as a shiny, attractive finish.

Step 7: Butt Joints and Transitions

It is rare for an asphalt surface to be installed that is not connected to existing driveways, roads, or parking lots. Asphalt-paving contractors need to find a way of smoothing the transition from an old surface to a new one.

  • Butt joints are where the asphalt meets concrete.
  • These areas are transitional and require particular attention to ensure proper grading.
  • To ensure pedestrians and drivers don’t notice any differences in the surfaces, butt joints are essential.

To complete the Project: Final Roll

After the asphalt and butt joints are laid, the entire surface should be smoothed out and compacted.

  • The new asphalt pavement surface can be compacted using a roller truck.
  • This step makes sure that no stones or aggregate are left behind on the new surface.