While there are many different materials available when it comes to paving, asphalt is overwhelmingly the material of choice. When it comes to choosing your paving material, you want something that looks good, lasts long, and is generally low maintenance.
Here are the main reasons why it is such a great material choice:
- Durability
- Versatility
- Easy maintenance
- Eco-friendly
- Cost effective
Durability:
Properly and regularly maintained asphalt can last anywhere from 15-30 years. The actual lifespan of your pavement is effected by the atmosphere, traffic volume, and level of care it receives. Water is the most detrimental element to pavement, and is just one of the reasons why pavement maintenance is so important. Most problems asphalt will experience can be remedied with maintenance practices like crack filling, repair, sealcoating, etc. Additionally, if necessary, the top layer can be replaced without removing all other layers, which helps to contribute to increasing asphalt’s overall lifespan and durability. A large benefit of asphalt is its ability to withstand colder climates and its resistance to deterioration caused by snow melting agents and chemicals.
Versatility:
Asphalt pavements allow for construction and thickness that meets the needs of any pavement project, making it extremely versatile. Each layer bonds to the underlying layers which forms a consistent pavement structure. With each successive layer, the load carrying capacity and lifespan of your pavement is substantially increased. The more layers, the more your pavement can withstand.
Easy Maintenance:
Asphalt repair is much easier than the maintenance and repair required for other types of surfaces. Not only is asphalt repair often simple, but it is extremely cost effective. Repair methods like crack filling are the most beneficial and cost-effective investments you’ll make. Parking lot repair and maintenances are also fairly quick projects that are often done at night and/or during low traffic times. While regular maintenance is extremely necessary, the maintenance and repairs needed are often not extensive and/or not extremely time consuming.
Eco-friendly:
With knowledge, education and advancements always at our fingertips, and increased awareness of, and desires to preserve our environment, “green” methods for all services and practices are not only popular, but necessary. Asphalt is able to be recycled many times over, meaning that your material has probably seen a previous life, or several. According to figures released by FHWA, more than 99 percent of asphalt pavement reclaimed from roads was collected for use in new pavements.
Milling, and pulverizing and full depth reclamation are environmentally friendly paving methods that focus heavily on recycling and repurposing. Full depth reclamation is especially eco-friendly, because it reuses the old asphalt to repave the same area. Using materials that are easily recycled results in less manufacturing of virgin materials, and thus less greenhouse gases and waste.
Cost Effective:
Asphalt is simple to produce and because of this, it is a more cost-effective material than others, like concrete. Often lower cost materials are also lower quality, but that is not the case with asphalt. Since it is such a durable, low-maintenance, eco-friendly, and versatile material, you are receiving great value at a lower cost, making it the most cost-effective paving material available.
Asphalt is the most popular material choice for streets, parking lots, driveways, and other surfaces because of all of these benefits (and these aren’t all of them). It is important to remember that in order for your asphalt to live a long and health life, regular maintenance is key. Asphalt is a great choice for your parking lot and EastCoat Pavement Services is your best choice for installation and maintenance! Contact us today for your free paving and repair consultation!