How To Find A Good Spot For Asphalt Paving

One of the keys to a successful asphalt paving project is to find a good location. Whether you're installing a driveway, parking lot, sidewalk, or road, the location can make a big difference in how long the new surface will likely last. Asphalt paving services contractors encourage their customers to consider the following four aspects of a location before choosing it.

Drainage

Even in the aridest parts of the world, one or two rainstorms can leave enough water in the ground to change an asphalt surface. Consequently, it's important to find a spot that drains well. Otherwise, you may have to engage in engineering work to get the water to go away. That might entail installing culverts, taking out soil, adding stone fill, or even more radical measures.

The ideal spot for asphalt paving has a slight slope to encourage water to go away. Whenever possible, avoid placing a surface in a spot where water wants to pool.

Notably, there are some asphalt mixtures that may allow some drainage. However, these still work best in locations that get lots of rain but have good drainage characteristics.

Solid Ground

Mushy, sandy, or loose ground may cause major problems over the life of a surface. You could see heaves, dips, and shifts after the ground moves.

It is a bit of a balancing act between finding solid ground and having good drainage. You probably won't want to surface ground that's so solid it can't drain, unless you're confident the slope will encourage runoff.

Fortunately, you can usually engineer these locations a bit. Removing some of the solid soil can provide room for installing heavy gravel or concrete as a base.

Access

People typically want paved surfaces to connect with other areas. If you install a driveway, for example, you'll probably want to connect it with the street. You will want to think about where the best spot is to make that connection, too. The position of the curb, for example, can determine how hard getting in and out of the location will be. Similarly, you might need a longer-than-expected driveway to get to a spot where you'll have a better and safer view of oncoming traffic.

Local Environment

You should look around the local environment for potential problems. For example, paving a sidewalk over a tree's root could cause potential problems years later. Similarly, the leaves from the tree could decay around the surface and encourage it to degrade. Asphalt paving services firms usually try to avoid locations where nearby environmental elements could damage the surface.

For more information, contact an asphalt paving service in your area.