Surface and subsurface water can pose a serious threat to the integrity of asphalt pavement. It is therefore essential that your contractor ensures that the surface of your pavement, as well as the soil beneath it, will drain properly. Otherwise, your pavement will deteriorate prematurely, leaving you to absorb the expense of having a replacement pavement installed long before you should have needed to have the work performed. If your contractor is experienced and reputable, you can trust him to plan and design your pavement so that the drainage will be correct. To learn more about surface and subsurface drainage, keep reading.
Asphalt Paving | Proper Drainage Ensures Success
About the Soil Beneath Your Pavement
Not all types of soil offer the same amount of support for your pavement or have the same ability to handle water.
• Poor soils are those that become overly soft when wet. Soil with a high amount of fine silt or clay are generally classified as poor. Some sandy loams and sugary sands may also be considered as poor soils.
• Good or excellent soils do not lose a great deal of their ability to carry the load when they are wet. Gravel and sharp sands are often considered excellent soils; sand and gravel mixes, clean sands and those with little clay are typically considered good soils.
• Medium soils may have a higher clay or fine silt content than good or excellent soils. Medium soils may be sand and gravel mixes, silty sands or loams.
Surface and Subsurface Drainage
As you might expect, surface drainage refers to the removal of water from the top of the pavement. Regardless of how the water reaches the subgrade, subsurface drainage refers to the removal of water that is beneath the pavement.
Surface drainage is typically handled through a combination of crowning or sloping the pavement to direct the water to ditches, catch basins, storm drains or gutters. The slope will depend on the pavement’s use and the pavement’s topography. For example, a play area may only need a slope of 1 percent, but an elevated curve on a busy highway may need to have a slope of as much as 10 percent.
Proper subsurface drainage requires the skills of an experienced contractor. Drains may need to be installed beneath the pavement, the soil may need to be amended or a geotextile or other synthetic subgrade improvement may need to be installed.
Let Alpha Paving Help
Alpha Paving is a leading asphalt paving contractor serving Austin and customers in Central Texas. We offer a full range of asphalt and concrete services, including asphalt paving, asphalt overlay, concrete installation, asphalt repairs, asphalt sealcoating, parking lot striping, road construction, concrete repairs, street maintenance, asphalt milling and speed bump installation. We routinely provide our services to office parks, municipalities, apartment complexes, shopping centers, subdivisions, churches, schools, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, airports, warehouses, HOAs and industrial facilities. Over the years, we have earned a reputation for excellent work, fair prices and extraordinary customer service. Please contact if you have questions regarding Asphalt Paving | Proper Drainage Ensures Success. We offer free, no-obligation quotes, so contact us today by submitting our handy online form or calling 512-677-9001.
