Best Practicesto Extend the Life of your Asphalt Pavement

Asphalt pavement parking lots add value to commercial and residential lots.

Like any asset, it needs to be maintained in order to keep its value and extend its useful life.

Poorly maintained asphalt pavement is

obvious to spot.

The number one fault of agencies is that they wait until a problem develops before they address it.”

Larry Galehouse, P.E., Director of the National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP)

“

A typical asphalt pavement can last about 20 years.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

+Asphalt is made up of:Rock,Sand, &Aggregates

Asphalt Cement(the binder)

UV rays break down the binder.

Without the binder, the aggregates, rock, and sand loosen and rise to the surface.

Exposure to oxygen fades the color of your pavement and makes it brittle.

Black(good)

Flexible

Gray(oxidized)

Brittle

Brittle asphalt pavements are more likely to CRACK

under traffic load.

Image Credit: yaybiscuits123

Cracks will allow water to enter into the base course and cause further damage to carrying capacity.

Alligator cracks indicate a base course failure as the pavement continues to crack.

Eventually, alligator cracks

turn into potholes.

Your asphalt pavement without maintenance after 20+ years

And you mightthink about

repaving.

But repaving is pricey;

$6 - $8 per square foot.

Image Credit: 401k

Not to mention the inconvenience to your tenants.

This “do nothing” approach is

6 -10 times more costly than having a maintenance plan.

Image credit: Wikipedia

Pavement Maintenance Plan

1.

Image Credit: Focx Photography

An asphalt pavement maintenance plan will allow you to re-allocate resources to other initiatives.

So let’s put together a pavement maintenance plan, comprised of our best practices.

BestPractices

SWEEPING & BLOWING

Sweeping keeps your asphalt clean and helps uncover any hidden cracks.

CONTROL VEHICLE LOAD

If possible, have larger vehicles access your property only if it is necessary.

Fix Drainage Issues

Proper drainage will prevent water from penetrating into your asphalt pavement.

SEALCOATING

Like sunscreen, a sealcoat prevents damage from the elements.

Image Credit: Jeff Wilcox

A sealcoat also restores the black color to your pavement.

You should sealcoat your pavement

6-12 months after it is installed.

And again every

3-5 years.

Sealcoating ranges from

40¢ - 60¢ per square foot

Image Credit: hamad M

~1/10th the cost

of repaving

Image Credit: hamad M

CRACK FILLING

Crack filling will prevent water from entering the base course.

Crack fill ranges from $5 - $10 per linear foot.Crack filling ranges

from $5 - $10 per linear foot.

POTHOLE PATCHING

Pothole patching prevents further water damage to your base course.

Pothole repair cost:

~$42/bucket

But it doesn’t FIX your base course…

To repair a pothole, the damaged area needs to be cut out and replaced.

Image Credit: Mark Harrison

Heat is applied to the area to soften the asphalt.

Image Credit: Mark Harrison

The heated area is then removed and re-compacted.

Image Credit: Mark Harrison

Repair cost ranges from $45 - $60 per potholebased on several potholes per site.

Remove Oil Spots

Oil spots softens asphalt, weakening its load capacity.

Oil stain removers should be used on relatively fresh stains.

Our product costs about $28 per 32oz bottle.

Wait longer and you’ll likely need to cut out the damaged spot.

The longer you wait to address a problem, the more expensive it is to fix.

That’s why it’s so important to have apavement maintenance plan.

Control loadSweep & blow Water drainageSealcoatingCrack fillingPothole patchingRemove oil spots

We’re here to help you

execute the

plan.

And answer any questions you have.

Image Credit: Ethan Lofton

Visit our blog for educational information.

www.GPMaintenanceSolutions.com/blog

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