Friday, December 13, 2013

Repair Alligatored Cracks With Use Of Asphalt Patching Technique

By Cornelia White


The durability of asphalt will depend on how well it is maintained when laid down. Asphaltic material requires continuous preventive maintenance to protect and keep it in good condition. Although it can survive for long, on the other hand, if proper care is not taken, it can easily lead to premature failure. With help of asphalt patching contractors, you can repair sections of your roads or driveways that are damaged especially those with localized crack damages.

Asphaltic pavements suffer progressive deterioration as they age, and this is caused by the changes in the molecular structure of the material. Through the oxidation process, the materials change from its beautiful black appearance. It fades away thus attaining a grayish color. The quality of blacktop also diminishes and unraveling begins.

The patch method is best used in localized repairs. If you have a few areas that need to be restored, then the method may be appropriate. With time, asphaltic blacktop suffers from the effects of sunlight, water, and substances like salt and gasoline products. Ultraviolet rays lead to hardening and unraveling of blacktop material. As the rays heat the surface directly, they accelerate the oxidizing process leading to unbinding of asphaltic material.

The material loses it binding properties and you begin to see small stones on the surfaces. Those stones are usually detached from the blacktop, as the bonding properties are lost. Moreover, water enters through the openings and cracks formed due to heating by ultraviolet rays. Therefore, when the heat causes cracks, water takes advantage and enters the pavements where it settles in subbase layer.

The surface begins to unravel and you can find loose aggregate stones on the surfaces wearing or unbinding from the blacktop. The adhesive bond of asphaltic is reduced as weather elements continue to act on it and with time, it loses its binding properties and becomes loose. Cracks start forming on the surfaces, and when they are not repaired, they can cause many problems.

Preventive measures should be done to prevent this from happening. If you have open pavement surfaces from cracks, sink holes, or upheavals, then you need to make sure that they are repaired immediately. The patching process will help restore the good look of the roads and prevent weather elements from causing more troubles. Presence of potholes in roads leads to increased vulnerability to road accidents.

In addition, it helps prevent water from seeping down pavements. Water causes many problems in asphaltic blacktop, and this is because when it enters inside, it makes the compacted material to become loose. If the aggregate is loose, it means it cannot support any weight passing over the pavements. With the heavy traffic and load distress, the pavement starts crumbing down and forming sink holes as well as potholes.

The cold patch process does not require the use of heavy rolling machines and it is not dependent on warm weather for application. One reason why the asphaltic repair crew uses the cold material is that it retains its pliable properties as the temperature drops. Hot asphaltic mix may also be used to patch the damaged areas of pavements. The asphalt patching contractor will determine which procedure works best and affordably while providing long lasting solutions.




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