Businesses and homeowners often ask asphalt companies in Texas to tell them how thick their new pavement should be. Although it may sound like a simple question, it has no universal answer. The correct thickness of asphalt paving will depend on the pavement’s use, the underlying soil, and whether the job involves resurfacing an existing pavement or constructing a new one.
What Is the Recommended Thickness for Asphalt Paving?
How Does a Pavement’s Intended Use Affect the Thickness Recommended for Asphalt Austin TX Pavements?
Although it might be evident to you that a suburban driveway does not need to be as strong as an interstate highway, you may not realize that there are various scenarios for even driveway paving. Depending on other factors, a short driveway that you only use to give a couple of cars access to your garage may only need a thickness of two or three inches. However, if you have a long driveway that delivery trucks, your RV, or trash trucks will use, you may need to double that thickness. Similarly, a parking lot that handles only passenger vehicles may be fine with an asphalt depth of five or six inches, but the thickness may need to be seven or eight inches if large, heavyweight trucks will share the lot. The number of each category of vehicles using the pavement is also a factor. A busy street that thousands of cars travel every day needs a thicker pavement than a suburban cul-de-sac that only handles a dozen passenger vehicles per day.
How Does the Underlying Soil Affect the Asphalt Depth That a Texas Contractor Will Recommend?
There are many different types of soil in Texas, and some are more problematic than others. A soil with a high clay content, for example, shrinks and expands when its moisture content changes, and a soft, loamy soil may resist compaction. The paving contractor Austin TX businesses and homeowners choose may recommend building a substantial foundation from stone, gravel, or another aggregate. The depth of the foundation can increase or decrease the recommended thickness of the asphalt pavement.
Why Does It Matter Whether a Paving Contractor Is Installing a New Asphalt Pavement or Resurfacing an Existing One?
The strength and stability of a pavement’s foundation have a direct bearing on your asphalt pavement’s longevity. When resurfacing an existing pavement, contractors can determine whether foundation issues contributed to the pavement’s damage or failure. If the foundation is still in great condition, and no major issues exist, installing an asphalt overlay with a depth of less than three inches may be possible. However, if the job is to construct a new pavement, the new asphalt will not be able to rely on an existing structure to supplement its strength, so it will need to be thicker.
Trust the Experts at Alpha Paving to Recommend the Appropriate Thickness for Your Asphalt Pavement
Alpha Paving is the asphalt paving contractor Austin TX customers rely on for exceptional work at reasonable prices. Our asphalt services include resurfacing, new construction, sealcoating, crack repair, parking lot maintenance, thermoplastic pavement markings, milling, speed bump installation and asphalt paving. We also offer concrete services, including installation and repair. Our client base includes several Central Texas municipalities and counties, educational institutions, health care facilities, shopping centers, churches, airports, hotels, office parks, HOAs and subdivisions, retail stores, and restaurants. If you wish to request a free quote, you need only submit our convenient online form or call us in Round Rock at 512-677-9001.
