Repair Potholes With Asphalt Patching Contractors

By Cornelia White


Asphalt material is used in laying down pavements because it lasts for long. The pavements designed of asphalt can last for up to 20 years or more if proper care and preventive maintenance is practiced. If there are big cracks and potholes, asphalt patching technique is applied in repairing such damages. This methods of repairing asphaltic driveways and lots helps restore the badly damaged areas of roads.

Asphaltic pavements suffer progressive deterioration as they age, and this is caused by the changes in the molecular structure of the material. Through the oxidation process, the materials change from its beautiful black appearance. It fades away thus attaining a grayish color. The quality of blacktop also diminishes and unraveling begins.

When water and ultraviolet rays act on the surface materials, cracks continue to form. Localized cracking such as alligatored cracks are repaired with methods such as patching. Alligator cracks appear like scales of the alligator, and you need the area to be excavated properly to remove any loose material before applying the filler material. Sink holes may occur in asphaltic pavements due to a major settling of the ground.

When the grounds shift following the application of asphaltic material, this may lead to formation of sink holes. These are also repaired through use of patches. Potholes are formed in roads that suffer from moisture intrusions and effects by freeze-thaw cycle. Ultraviolet rays from the sun heat and bake the blacktop of pavements making it unstable with time.

Inside the sub grade layer, that water causes other problems. The aggregate material becomes lose, and it cannot support the heavy weight that passes over the blacktop. Since the strength of blacktop is as good as the quality of the sub base, if the subgrade is damaged, then your blacktop surface also suffers. Potholes occur when the subgrade area is affected by water.

Preventive measures should be done to prevent this from happening. If you have open pavement surfaces from cracks, sink holes, or upheavals, then you need to make sure that they are repaired immediately. The patching process will help restore the good look of the roads and prevent weather elements from causing more troubles. Presence of potholes in roads leads to increased vulnerability to road accidents.

In addition, it helps prevent water from seeping down pavements. Water causes many problems in asphaltic blacktop, and this is because when it enters inside, it makes the compacted material to become loose. If the aggregate is loose, it means it cannot support any weight passing over the pavements. With the heavy traffic and load distress, the pavement starts crumbing down and forming sink holes as well as potholes.

The void left behind disintegrates and forms a hole, which makes the parking lots and driveways to deteriorate very fast. The holes continue to crumble down from the edges, and more sections of your road wear out. If it rains, water easily settles down the sub base layer of a driveway. With help of an asphalt patching contractor, you are able to restore the quality of the asphaltic pavements. With timely repairs, you can prolong the life of parking lots and driveways.




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