Here’s Why You Need An Asphalt Expert on Your Project Team
Asphalt installation experts are key members of a construction team. Their role relies on experience and skills that are necessary to ensure a high quality and lasting asphalt installation, and cannot easily be replicated by general contractors or builders. Four of the skills that asphalt experts bring to the table are:
1. Identifying the Right Materials for the Job
Asphalt is asphalt, right? Not exactly. Warm mix asphalt… porous asphalt… recycled asphalt mixes… each are ideal for different kinds of projects.
Warm mix asphalt is different from the traditional hot mix asphalt, which is heated to 300°F and mixed in a central mixing facility and kept hot during transport by truck. Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) is a process that enables Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavement material to be produced, placed and compacted at temperatures that are 30-120 degrees cooler without compromising quality or performance. This technology advancement results in reduced paving costs, a longer paving season, improved compaction, improved working conditions, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Porous asphalt is an alternative to traditional pavements that allow rainfall and runoff to flow along the pavement surface, draining into adjacent catch basins and/or ditches of roads or parking lots. Porous asphalt instead allows rainfall and runoff to flow into and through the pavement structure. There are both environmental and safety benefits of porous asphalt pavements including:
- improved stormwater management
- improved skid resistance
- reduced spray to drivers and pedestrians
- potential noise reduction
Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is removed and/or processed materials that contain asphalt and aggregates generated when asphalt pavements are removed for construction, resurfacing, or to obtain access to buried utilities. When properly crushed and screened, RAP consists of high-quality, well-graded aggregates coated by asphalt cement. The successful use of RAP in asphalt mixes became common practice throughout Virginia and much of the rest of the U.S. in the 80’s and 90’s. This reuse of quality asphalt materials reduces the consumption of natural resources, and reduces cost and bid prices of hot mix asphalt materials.
Which asphalt material is best for your project? Find out by downloading Basic Construction’s free ebook, “Choosing the Best Material for Your Commercial Asphalt Job”.
2. Site Preparation
From operating heavy machinery – such as a Cold Planer and a Paver – to ensuring proper grade and soil composition, asphalt installation experts play a crucial role on-site long before it’s time to lay down asphalt. Their site preparation experience is key to ensuring that the final result will be smooth, level, support proper drainage, and stand up to decades of future wear and tear from extreme weather, ground shifting, and constant use.
3. Assessing How Soil Conditions Will Impact Asphalt Installation and Durability in the Long Term
Asphalt must be laid on stable ground today, and needs to maintain its composition for years to come. This long-term stability requires a complex understanding of the local soil, how it erodes, its drainage qualities and overall stability. The best asphalt installation experts have deep knowledge of the local soil’s composition and nuances, and have developed best practices for site grading within that context.
Read more about this important skill in our earlier post, “Does Your Grading Contractor Understand the Local Soil Conditions?”
4. Accurately Estimating an Asphalt Installation Project Cost and Schedule
How much will asphalt installation cost for your project? Does that include transportation costs, weather delays, and site preparation? Is the schedule properly coordinated with other specialty contractors to ensure appropriate lead times? A highly skilled asphalt installation expert has the experience to prepare a comprehensive and realistic budget and schedule for your unique project requirements.
To learn more about how to estimate for your next asphalt project, download Basic Construction’s free guide: “Tips for Estimating Your Project Right the First Time” or try our Asphalt Calculator tool. For a consultation with one of our asphalt installation experts, contact Basic Construction at (757) 249-3789.