Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Asphalt Pavement’

Asphalt Education: The Incredible World of Asphalt Pavement

Friday, August 17th, 2012

The American dream would not be possible without asphalt. It is one of the building blocks of America. In fact, 94% of the more than 2 million miles of paved roads and highways in the United States are paved using asphalt.

Other Interesting Asphalt Facts and Statistics

  • There are about 4,000 asphalt plants nationwide.
  • There is at least one asphalt plant in each congressional district.
  • Asphalt plants produce 500-550 million tons of asphalt pavements annually.
  • Asphalt plants produce in excess of $30 billion in asphalt annually.
  • The asphalt industry employs more than 300,000 Americans.
  • Asphalt pavement is composed of about 95 percent stone, sand, and gravel by weight, and about 5 percent asphalt cement, a petroleum product.
  • Asphalt is America’s most recycled material.
  • Asphalt is the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly pavement.
  • Between 1960 and 1999, while production of asphalt pavement material increased by 250 percent, total emissions decreased by 97%.
  • Asphalt pavements require about 20 percent less energy to produce and construct than other pavements.

The Benefits of Asphalt Pavement

  • Asphalt perpetual pavement is built to be maintained, lasting virtually forever with routine maintenance, periodic milling and overlaying.
  • A smooth ride is not only beneficial for comfort reasons, but studies have shown that smooth pavement has a huge effect on fuel economy. And with today’s economy, fuel efficiency is a huge concern! Oh, and did we mention that smoother pavements also last longer? Studies show that improving pavement smoothness by 25 percent results in almost a 10 percent increase in pavement longevity.
  • Asphalt greatly reduces the amount of noise pollution produced by motorists.
  • Paving with asphalt greatly reduces construction times. And for anyone who has ever been stuck in traffic because of roadwork, this is a big deal!
  • With asphalt, maintenance is quick, easy, and cost effective.

If you have any further questions about Asphalt Pavement or if you have a project that you need completed, then contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today! The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of Maryland, DC, and Virginia pavement projects and have the experience you need.

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Can Asphalt be Recycled? My Pavement Guy Answers Frequently Asked Questions

Friday, July 13th, 2012

Not only can asphalt be recycled, but it is America’s most recycled and reused material, with about 70 million tons of asphalt pavement material being reclaimed! In fact, asphalt is being recycled and reused at a rate over 99 percent, which is amazing, especially when you consider that 94% of the paved roads in America are surfaced with asphalt.

A study conducted by the National Asphalt Pavement Association – titled Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010 (NAPA Information Series 138) – examined the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) between 2009 and 2010. The report found that RAP, RAS, and WMA…

  1. Conserve raw materials
  2. Conserve energy
  3. Cut emissions from production and paving operations
  4. Improve conditions for workers

To view/download the full report Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010, click here.

More Facts about Asphalt and the Environment

  • Between 1960 and 1999, while production of asphalt pavement material increased by 250 percent, total emissions from our operations decreased by 97%.
  • Asphalt is an environmentally sustainable pavement.
  • Once constructed, asphalt pavements have minimal impact on the environment. Studies show that asphalt pavements and stockpiles of reclaimed asphalt pavement do not leach.
  • Asphalt and the processes used to produce asphalt are green.
  • Asphalt pavements require about 20 percent less energy to produce and construct than other pavements.
  • Porous asphalt pavements offer a tool for storm water management with both environmental and economic benefits.
  • Warm-mix asphalt reduces fuel consumption, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances the quality of pavement.
  • Porous asphalt pavements have been shown to lower nighttime surface temperatures as compared to impervious pavements.
  • Asphalt pavements are faster to construct and rehabilitate.

If you have any further questions about Recycled Asphalt or if you have a project that you need completed, then contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today! The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of Maryland, DC, and Virginia pavement projects and have the experience you need.

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

How Does the Pavement Deteriorate?

Friday, June 8th, 2012

It has been estimated that ninety percent (90%) of asphalt roads in the United Sates have significant problems due to the deterioration of the base and sub-base material because of water infiltration.

Pavements where cracks have not been sealed, offer many routes for water entry into the base and sub-base courses. Water will penetrate through cracks that are over 1/8th to ¼ inch wide. Finer cracks also allow water infiltration into the pavement through the pumping action of the traffic; the surface water is pushed into the cracks when vehicles pass over the cracks. For cracks larger than ¼ inch, water flows in under gravity into the surface and the base course. Once water enters the base, the aggregate (limestone) absorb the water expand in volume and become soft, thus causing internal stress which accelerates the development of more and larger cracks.

There is no assurance that the pavement is not damaged if it looks fine on the surface. Not all deterioration will be visible. A study by Ontario’s Ministry of Transpiration, reported that on heavy traffic roads, half or more of the original asphalt pavement may disintegrate from the bottom up. In regions with extensive freeze-thaw cycles, with continuous thermal expansion and contraction of the pavement, the base and sub-base deteriorate much faster than in regions with moderate climates.

De-icing salts used in winter months further aggravate the problem. De-icing salt mixes with snow and forms a brine solution, which gets into the pavement and slightly melts ice in the base course. This produces even more thermal movement within the crack. The pavement weakened by a saturated base may experience localized failures when subjected to traffic. All cracked pavements will disintegrate and spall to various degrees depending upon the traffic volume or weight of the traffic load.

PTG is here for your pavement deteriorating needs. Please call us for a proposal request or visit our website at www.mypavementguy.com.

If you have any further questions about Pavement Deterioration or Asphalt Crack Sealing or have a project that you need completed, then contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today! The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need.

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Asphalt and the Environment

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Believe it or not, asphalt is actually not bad for the environment. Don’t believe me, then check out the facts:

  • Between 1960 and 1999, while production of asphalt pavement material increased by 250 percent, total emissions from our operations decreased by 97%.
  • Asphalt is an environmentally sustainable pavement.
  • Once constructed, asphalt pavements have minimal impact on the environment. Studies show that asphalt pavements and stockpiles of reclaimed asphalt pavement do not leach.
  • Asphalt and the processes used to produce asphalt are green.
  • Asphalt pavements require about 20 percent less energy to produce and construct than other pavements.
  • Asphalt pavement is America’s most recycled product, with about 70 million tons of asphalt pavement material being reclaimed. And more than 99% of that total is reused or recycled. In 2010 alone, asphalt recycling conserved over 20.5 million barrels of asphalt binder.
  • Porous asphalt pavements offer a tool for storm water management with both environmental and economic benefits.
  • Warm-mix asphalt reduces fuel consumption, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances the quality of pavement.
  • Porous asphalt pavements have been shown to lower nighttime surface temperatures as compared to impervious pavements.
  • Asphalt pavements are faster to construct and rehabilitate.

If you have any further questions, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need. So contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

Environment, Health, and Safety

Asphalt, The Sustainable Pavement

The Interesting History of Asphalt Pavement

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

It doesn’t matter is you call it asphalt pavement, blacktop, tarmac, macadam, plant mix, asphalt concrete, bituminous concrete, or just asphalt, today, it is everywhere! Asphalt is used in everything from shingles and sidewalks to driveways and, of course, roads (and more). But where did asphalt come from?

Asphalt Timeline

  • Asphalt occurs naturally in asphalt lakes and in rock asphalt and the first recorded use of this natural asphalt was in 625 B.C. when the Babylonians used the material to build their roads.
  • Even the ancient Greeks and Romans used asphalt. In fact, the word asphalt comes from the Greek word “asphaltos”, meaning “secure.”  The Romans, who used asphalt to  seal their baths, reservoirs, and aqueducts, later changed the word to “asphaltus.”
  • In 1595 Sir Walter Raleigh wrote about using natural asphalt to re-caulk his ships.
  • Still, hundreds of years passed before asphalt was widely used as a building material.
  • In the mid 1800’s John Loudon McAdam used broken stone and hot tar to bond the stones together.
  • In the late 1860s, “asphalt” came to America! The first bituminous mixtures were used for sidewalks, crosswalks, and roads.
  • In 1852, French Highways utilized natural asphalt pavement.
  • Then in 1870, Edmund J. DeSmedt laid the first true asphalt pavement in America, a sand mix in front of the City Hall in Newark, New Jersey.

Since that time, asphalt has taken off. Today, over 750 million tons of asphalt is poured and rolled every year…JUST in the USA.

If you have any further questions, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need. So contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

History of Asphalt

Recycled Asphalt Pavement: What You Probably didn’t know About Asphalt

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Here is something you probably don’t know about asphalt. It is America’s most recycled material. That’s right. Not aluminum cans or plastic bottles…asphalt! In fact, asphalt pavement is now being recycled and reused at a rate over 99%. In 2010 alone, asphalt recycling conserved over 20.5 million barrels of asphalt binder.

Here are a few highlights from the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s (NAPA) report titled, Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010 (NAPA Information Series 138):

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP): With 96% of asphalt contractors and asphalt companies using RAP, the amount of RAP used in asphalt pavement was 56.0 million tons in 2009 and 62.1 million tons in 2010. This represents over 3 million tons of asphalt binder conserved over that time.

Warm-mix asphalt (WMA): Total tonnage of WMA is estimated at 19.2 million tons in 2009 and 47.6 million tons in 2010, a 148% increase in that one year alone.

RAP and WMA conserve raw materials; conserve energy; cut emissions from production and paving operations; and improve conditions for workers.

To view/download the full report Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010click here.

To view/download State-by-State Use of RAP and WMA, click here.

If you have any further questions, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need. So contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

New FHWA Survey Finds Asphalt Recycling Reaches 99 Percent; Warm Mix Usage Skyrockets National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)

Commercial Parking Lots, Paving Contractors, and Your Business

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Your business parking lot is the first point of contact your customers/clients have with your business. It is what they will base their first impressions on. Because of this, it is important to keep your parking surface free of oil stains, debris, cracks and potholes. But all the asphalt maintenance in the world won’t make a difference if your asphalt pavement was not properly installed by a qualified pavement contractor.

But before you call a potential asphalt contractor, educate yourself on the important qualities of any good commercial parking surface. These include:

  1. Smooth Integration: If you are expanding an existing parking lot, you want to be sure that your new parking surface blends seamlessly with the old asphalt. Feel free to ask your potential parking lot contractor for photos of a similar job he already completed.
  2. Good Base: Without a proper gravel base, your business parking surface will collapse under the weight of traffic.
  3. Drainage: Water and asphalt are not friends. Proper drainage prevents standing water and long-term damage to your parking lot.
  4. Attention to Detail: A good asphalt professional pays attention to the tiniest of details, ensuring that your parking surface is installed properly.

If you have any further questions, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need. So contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

4 Keys to Quality Commercial Parking Lot Paving

Maryland Sealcoating Service: The Benefits of Sealcoating Your Asphalt Parking Lot

Friday, January 6th, 2012

Asphalt parking lot maintenance is important. But of all the precautions you can take to ensure your parking surface lasts for a long time, sealcoating is perhaps the most important. If applied properly and at the right time, sealcoating provides the following benefits:

Slows Oxidation and Water Penetration: Over exposure to oxygen will harden asphalt binders, resulting in brittle pavement prone to cracking. And cracking allows water to seep into the asphalt sub base, further weakening the entire parking surface. This leads to more cracks, potholes, and eventual total parking lot failure.

Sealcoats fill surface voids, reducing exposure to oxygen and water and prolonging pavement life.

Protects Pavement Against Ultraviolet Rays: The sun’s rays can break the links between carbon bonds and your asphalt. Sealcoat prevent ultraviolet rays from further damaging the asphalt pavement.

Protects Against Spills: Gas and oil spills can soften asphalt, making it more susceptible to other damage. Sealcoating reduces the depth to which oil or gas can penetrate.

Easy to Clean Pavement: Sealcoating results in a smooth, even texture allowing for much easier cleaning.

Increased Pavement Flexibility: Sealcoating keeps your parking lot black. This attracts more heat from the sun, which, in turn, makes your parking surface more pliable and increasingly able it is to withstand traffic volume changes without cracking.

Beauty: Well, this one is a given.

Cost Effective: It is far less expensive to sealcoat your parking lot every few years than it would be to overlay or completely replace your parking surface.

If you have any questions, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement sealcoat projects and have the experience you need. So contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!

There are many different options available to property managers and owners today than there were when I started in the Industry. This works to the advantage of the property and to the pavement. Now, depending on the current condition of the asphalt, I have the ability to recommend several different options depending on the condition of the lot, previous maintenance schedules and budgets. The cost of sealcoating is only pennies a square yard versus repairs and rehabilitation which can be as much as twenty times higher.

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

Asphalt Pavement Maintenance 101

The Importance of Crackfilling: Don’t Let Your Parking Lot Waste Away

Friday, November 11th, 2011

Cracks in your asphalt parking surface are an immediate cause for alarm. If left untreated, cracks will allow water to penetrate the surface, softening the stone base and leading to alligator cracking, spider webbing, pot holes and other forms of parking lot degradation. And as the weather quickly begins to cool this time of year, these problems are compounded. The freezing and thawing cycle can turn even the smallest of crack into a big problem.

If you don’t attack cracks while you have the chance, you may find yourself paying for premature and costly resurfacing. Crack filling may be your best solution. It can reduce pavement deterioration by restricting water penetration into the base and sub-base layers.

Crack sealing/crack filling of your asphalt pavement – driveways, parking lots and roads – is a necessary preventative maintenance measure, extending the useful life of your pavement and yielding long-term financial savings.

However, to experience the best results possible, you should leave your asphalt maintenance to a proven pavement professional with a track record for quality work, like PTG Enterprises, Inc.

“Properly crackfilling your parking lot is the single best thing you can do to maintain its life,” says PTG Enterprises owner, Patrick T. Gillen III. “Left untreated, small cracks will allow water in and become big cracks eventually penetrating through the asphalt and contaminating the sub-grade.”

So don’t wait until it’s too late! Contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!

I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope. Give me the opportunity to impress you.

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

The Basics of Crack Filling

How Often Should You Sealcoat Your Asphalt?

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

There are several benefits to sealcoating, which we will address later. It does much more than just make your asphalt look like new.

When the liquid asphalt holding the aggregate together oxidizes, your asphalt becomes brittle and prone to cracking. Sealer helps to protect your parking lot or other asphalt surface from the harsh effects of nature.

So how often should you seal your asphalt? The general rule is every two years, but there are exceptions. For example, when an asphalt surface is new, it should be sealed the first two years (the first application doesn’t cover as well as the coats that follow). But be careful not to overdo it. When a surface is sealed too much, the sealer will build up and can begin to crack.

Your asphalt should look and feel like asphalt. If it starts to resemble a black skating rink, you’ve sealed to much.

The Benefits of Sealcoating Includes…

Beautifies Pavement
Regardless of the material that is chosen, the property manager or owner can expect instant curb appeal. As these photos show, the difference is quite remarkable. A fresh sealcoat will restore a fresh-black color to your lot and fresh paint will make it look new again.

Stops Weather Damage
Unsealed pavement allows water to penetrate in and through it. This leads to base erosion, freeze-thaw damage and ultimately pavement failure. sealcoating provides a protective barrier to stop water penetration.

The Asphalt Institute states: “The accumulation of moisture in pavement is probably the greatest cause of pavement distress.”

Prevents Oxidation
Asphalt pavement is made up of asphalt binder and little rocks called aggregate. As the pavement cures, the sun’s rays harden and dry out the asphalt binder and cause the surface to dry out. This causes the asphalt to become dry, brittle and break apart. This oxidation will cause accelerated raveling and erosion, and, if left untreated can reduce asphalt thickness by as much as half in five years.

If you have any questions, contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

How Often Should I Sealcoat My Driveway? AsphaltAdvisor.com