Procedure Involved in Crack Sealing Asphalt Paving

If you want to reap maximum service out of your asphalt paving, you will need to take proper care of it. Providing preventative maintenance for your asphalt paving is the best way to ensure that you do not have to remove and replace it prematurely. One of the surest telltale sign that your asphalt paving requires your intervention is the presence of small cracks.

Here is a look at the procedure involved in sealing minor cracks on asphalt paving:

Preparation

If there is any extraneous material in the asphalt paving cracks, it will have to be removed. This can be achieved by routing using a rotary-impact router. If you intend to saw off the material, a random-crack saw would be an appropriate tool. After you are done with the routing or sawing, use a high-pressure air blasting equipment to give the cracks a nice clean. Sandblasting the cracks can also achieve good cleaning results. To ensure site safety, these blasting operations should be focused away from any passing traffic.

Cleaning the cracks is important because since most asphalt paving failures arise as due to poor adhesion. Before the cracks can be filled with sealing material, they must be without any moisture. For a clean, dry crack channel, a hot air lance may be used.

Filling

Once the cracks are prepared, they are filled with sealant material, which is often in the form of asphalt liquid or gel. The equipment used to do the job varies from pour pots to truck-mounted oil-jacketed applicators with wand delivery system. Regardless of the type of equipment used, the cracks should be sealed bottom-top to prevent the formation of air bubbles that will create trouble spots in the sealant. 

The amount of sealant used will depend on the size of the cracks. The greater the length, depth and width of the cracks, the larger the amount of sealant that will used. Make sure that you do not completely fill the crack with sealant, as it will lead to tracking. You can use a squeegee to wipe out excess sealant on the asphalt surface before it can harden, and then blot with aggregate to maintain skid resistance.

The above-discussed steps can go a long way in saving you lots of money required to do major asphalt repairs like patching or resurfacing. If you need help crack sealing your asphalt paving, contact a professional asphalt contractor near you.

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Commercial Construction Blog: Tips, Ideas, Strategies and More

If you are hiring a commercial contractor or construction crew, you need to look at the issue differently than you would if you were hiring a construction crew or contractor to work on your private residence. Hi, my name is Howard, and I have worked with construction crews on restaurants, apartment blocks and a range of other commercial projects. Now, I want to share what I have learned, and I hope that the info in this blog can help you with your project. Please, look at my posts, and if they inspire or help you, please share them with your friends. Thanks for reading!

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