How long does asphalt last? Discover here, and let Reliable elongate your asphalt’s life.
As personnel that manages municipal roads and highways or parking lots, it would help to have an understanding of your asphalts’ lifespan. As someone who drives on those roads or parking lots, it can also give you a good idea of what to expect and how the pavement should be. What are factors that affect asphalt lifespan? Reliable Contracting has the answers.
The Soil Beneath
The ground is not static. Depending on its composition, it can shift more often than not. Silty and clay-like soil is more likely to expand, contract, and shift with the temperature. It is also more likely to hold moisture, so when it is cold it will freeze and contract, and when it is hot it will expand. The asphalt contractor must treat the soil as well as possible before installing pavement.
The Road’s Construction
Asphalt pavement is not all the same. There is much more beneath the surface than the average person might realize, and its design and implementation matters incredibly, influencing how long it will last. The more weight and traffic a road expects to take, the thicker it will have to be. On average, however, asphalt roads have an average lifespan of 18 years.
Drainage
Aside from soil preparation and asphalt layer design, it must also have the correct grading. Grading is the slope at which the pavement allows stormwater and wastewater to drain into the nearest storm drain. If the grading is incorrect, it could cause the road to flood and wear it down.
The Weather
As mentioned, the temperature affects asphalt lifespan. Areas with more extreme weather, such as very hot summers, very cold winters, or dramatically fluctuating temperatures, are more likely to have broken-down asphalt than areas with even, temperate weather.
Wear and Tear
Overweight semi-trucks and heavy traffic will affect the pavement’s lifespan. Daily wear and tear from traffic and even harsh weather like hail and UV rays will break down the asphalt surface and its sublayers, no matter how thick they are.
Maintenance
Like anything, asphalt will become irredeemable much faster if no one is maintaining it. There is preventative maintenance and repairs, and these tasks will help any pavement live beyond its expected years.
ABOUT RELIABLE CONTRACTING
Reliable is dedicated to delivering quality products, displaying professionalism within the firm, seeking new opportunities for expansion and profitability, and providing an environment for individual success. If you have a commercial or residential construction project that you need taken care of, please contact Anne Arundel County’s largest site-work contractor today by calling 410-987-0313 or visiting our website. You can also follow Reliable Contracting on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Reliable Contracting Company serves the following and surrounding counties: Annapolis, Queen Anne’s, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Howard, Prince George, St. Mary’s, Talbot, and Washington D.C.