Asphalt is the leading choice for everything from driveway paving to highway construction. Asphalt is an extremely versatile material that is quick and economical to install, but it is also an attractive pavement that provides a safe, smooth, quiet ride. Without proper installation and professional maintenance, asphalt pavements can succumb to their stresses, including the weather, traffic, and sunlight. The resulting damage can manifest in various ways, but raveling is one of the damage patterns with which many people are unfamiliar.
What Is Asphalt Pavement Raveling?
What Is Raveling?
When contractors pave a surface with asphalt, they are using a mixture containing aggregates of various sizes held together by an asphalt binder. When the bond between the binder and the aggregates breaks, the pavement will begin to disintegrate at the surface, and the deterioration will progress to the underlying areas. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may find loose rocks on the pavement or in the gutters, or your pavement may look pitted.
What Are Some Causes of Asphalt Raveling?
Typically, older, poorly maintained pavements are more prone to raveling. However, there can be other causes. High volumes of vehicles, especially if the pavement design specified a much lower number of cars, can lead to raveling. Damage from petrochemicals, including gasoline, oil, and power steering fluid, can break down the binder, leading to raveling. Extended exposure to harsh weather and sunlight can weaken the bond between the binder and the aggregates. Other causes involve installation problems, including inadequate compaction and the failure of the installers to keep aggregates evenly distributed throughout the pavement.
How Does a Contractor Repair Asphalt Raveling?
The paving repairs that a contractor will use to handle raveling will depend on the cause and the extent of the problem. If it is early in the process, sealcoating may prevent the raveling from continuing. For small areas, asphalt patching may be an effective repair method. Widespread raveling, particularly if the cause is an improper installation, may require pavement resurfacing or a complete replacement of the pavement.
What Is the Best Way to Prevent Asphalt Raveling?
There are two things that you can do to prevent raveling. The first is to hire a reliable, honest asphalt contractor with an excellent reputation and experienced crew members to install your asphalt pavement. This will help reduce the likelihood of a poor installation. The second thing you should do is to take a proactive approach to your asphalt maintenance. Have your contractor repair cracks quickly, keep your pavement clean, and have a professional apply fresh sealcoating periodically. If you do these things, you may never need to worry about asphalt raveling.
At Alpha Paving, We Do the Job Right
We are an extremely well-respected full-service paving company that offers commercial and municipality paving services to clients in most parts of Central Texas. Our services include pavement resurfacing, street maintenance, asphalt patching, road construction, thermoplastic striping, concrete installation, asphalt sealcoating, traffic signage, parking lot striping, concrete repairs, speed bump installations, asphalt milling, and asphalt crack repairs. We routinely provide our services to health care facilities, municipalities, retailers, restaurants, airports, churches, resorts and hotels, recreational facilities, apartment complexes, industrial facilities, schools, and office parks. Request a free quote by filling out and submitting our online form. If you would rather call us, the number for our office in Round Rock is 512-677-9001.