For paving What Effects Do 1st best Temperature and Timing Have on a Paving Project?

Asphalt paving has many unique advantages that have made it the number one choice for practically all types and sizes of pavements. However, to get the most out of your asphalt pavement, you ought to hire a licensed and experienced asphalt paving contractor who is well-versed with the technical nuances of the process — including the role of temperature and timing on the paving quality.

What Effect Does Temperature Have on Paving?

Asphalt paving contractors schedule truckloads of asphalt from local asphalt plants — also called asphalt mixing plants or hot mix plants — delivered at the job site at temperatures reaching 300 ℉. The contractor needs to compact the material while it is still hot enough to work. Depending on several other factors, the acceptable mix temperature can range from 185 ℉ to 290 ℉.

Ground temperature and air temperature — both of which must be over 50 °F — are two more factors that influence the paving quality. Due to the heat exchange principle, the asphalt mix will lose heat to the cooler ground or air. Naturally, the more significant the difference, the faster the heat will dissipate. When too much heat is dissipated before compaction begins, the pavement becomes weaker and rougher, ultimately losing its visual appeal.

The weather is one of the primary reasons why asphalt contractors perform most paving projects between May and October. That said, because weather conditions can fluctuate wildly from year to year, you should always contact a reputable asphalt contractor in your area to check if they can complete your project outside of those times.

Why Is Timing Critical in Asphalt Paving Project Planning?

As stated earlier in this blog, the contractor must work asphalt while its temperature is within an acceptable range of 185 ℉ to 290 ℉ to ensure proper compaction. In other words, your asphalt paving contractor and their crew must work swiftly to lay and compact each layer of asphalt. The air and surface temperatures and the thickness of each asphalt layer will determine the efficiency with which they must work — thinner layers will naturally lose heat faster than thicker ones.

It is worth noting that an asphalt contractor may need to send a larger crew of qualified workers and/or more asphalt compactors and rollers when performing asphalt resurfacing or laying new asphalt during the dead of winter to ensure that the job is completed on time.

Are the Conditions for Asphalt Patching and Paving the Same?

If it involves the removal and replacement of damaged pavement, most asphalt contractors consider permanent asphalt patching to be both a repair solution as well as a process. That said, there are temporary and semi-permanent repair solutions that are not as temperature-sensitive as hot mix asphalt (HMA). So if you have an unfilled pothole, alligator or crocodile cracks, or other breaks in your pavement, you should consult with a reputable asphalt paving contractor about doing a cold-weather repair to keep rain and melting ice out of your pavement.

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Commonwealth Paving, 136 Outerloop, Louisville, Kentucky 40214
Phone: 502-459-7283, Fax: 502-456-2678

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