
Asphalt is a robust, long-lasting, and widely employed material for jobs in construction and is a popular paving medium for residential and commercial buildings because of its extended lifespan and ability to resist a broad range of potentially harmful exterior influences. The installation of an asphalt pavement may be broken down into six easy steps, outlined below.
Step 1: Demolition and Removal
The first stage of jobs in construction is to remove unwanted objects or materials, which are often recycled. Asphalt is less harmful to the environment because 80 percent of its ingredients are recyclable. Use bobcats, front ladders, dump trucks, or forklifts to remove debris.
Step 2: Earthwork
The road’s construction area must be cleared of all vegetation, including trees, shrubs, and bushes. After this process is completed, the following steps involve shaping, mounting, and grading sub-base and base layers. All the materials to be used must be lab-approved standard materials.
Mounting: During this stage, bulldozers and excavation machines move and stack lab-selected murram soil over the road up to the level required for grading. Mounting is done on both the sub-base and base layer.
Grading: The road must then be graded after mounting. The surface layer is leveled and sloped from the center of the road to the shoulders using both manual labor and graders to the required level, then compacted using a heavy foot roller or a smooth wheel roller. This process is done both for the sub-base and the base layer.
Aggregating: After the surface has been graded and compacted correctly, the highway is stabilized with an aggregate foundation of murram, concrete, and limestone. Curbs, gutters, and drains are also built in this phase.
Bases compaction: To ensure asphalt pavement survives harsh weather, high traffic, fluid leaks, etc., compacting the sub-base and base in layers is compulsory. The base protects against frost in the winter and offers structural support for your asphalt pavement to avoid buckling, dips, and depressions. Compaction creates a smooth surface with a gradual slope from the center of the road to the shoulders and keeps the sub-base in place. Therefore, you should never ignore it in any similar jobs in construction.
After the base has been put down and compacted, it is crucial to check it for any soft or weak spots that could weaken its structural strength making it less durable.
Step 3: Apply the Binder
Once the base is established, apply a binder to keep the asphalt and base together. The binder consists of oil and aggregate, making it robust, tenacious, and dense. The construction might break apart if the binder isn’t strong and thoroughly dried.
Step 4: Asphalt Paving
Before putting down the new asphalt surface, the binder must settle completely, taking 24 to 48 hours. It’s okay to put the asphalt surface down if satisfied that the base and binders have cured and have established a stable foundation.
Asphalt specification consists of bitumen, the binding agent that gives asphalt its deep black color, graded aggregate, and fine sand to smoothen the surface. Asphalt can only be applied and compacted while still hot. The asphalt is applied using a paver that spreads it evenly and to the required level. Butt joints must be installed in the transitional areas of the pavement where the old and new surfaces meet. The result is a new, polished blacktop that looks nice.
Step 5: Asphalt Compaction
The pavement surface is subsequently compacted with asphalt vibratory rollers ranging in size from 3 to 10 tons. The last and most crucial stage is compacting the laid asphalt when it comes to asphalt paving.
To get the best results, use numerous roller combinations:
- Steel-tired static
- Vibratory and steel-tired static rollers
- Vibratory rollers are used in both vibrating and static modes.
Step 6: Pavement Marking
The last phase in the asphalt paving process is marking. The line painting down the driveway and between parking spaces gives a solid first impression.
At Kilgore Companies, we strive to provide top-quality asphalt and other lab-approved standard construction materials for your business or municipality. Explore all of our products today.