Pavement distresses accumulate as the asphalt pavements age and traffic pounds them. If no timely maintenance is done, it compounds distresses with passing time. The cracks gradually turn into potholes and then become craters. Here are some practical information about the effective procedures, methods and terminologies used by the asphalt repair and paving service providers. The terminology is used for effectively sealing the cracks and patching the potholes. There are several asphalt repair and paving service providers which follow the best procedures and methods for maintaining and preserving the asphalt pavements.

The cost of addressing the minor deficiencies is not much less than the addressing of the major deficiencies. They conduct road maintenance when the roads are in fair-to-good condition, and they do not wait until they turn into a poor condition. A great time to crack sealing is when a road made of asphalt is in a fair condition. Along with the proper provisions of drainage, you need to crack sealing as this is a crucial maintenance activity. Most of the pavement distresses can be related to the intrusion of water into the pavement structure. In case water is kept out of the pavement, most distresses can be stopped or delayed.

Crack filling is being done with liquid asphalt, asphalt emulsions and cutbacks and is considered as temporary work.

Crack Sealing has got two Primary Purposes

• To prevent the intrusion of water through the crack into those underlying pavement structures.
• To prevent extraneous materials from entering those cracks and causing further deterioration as the pavement expands and contracts with the changes in temperature.

Crack sealing where the cracks are subject to contraction and expansion is done using a specially prepared hot-poured sealant. Depending on the prevailing climate, the materials used, the pavement conditions and the technique used, crack sealing will last for three to eight years.

• Hairline Cracks

The cracks which are 3 millimetres or 1/8 inches or less in width are too small to seal effectively. In case there are numerous hairline cracks spread over a large area, then a surface seal like chip seal, fog seal, sand seal or slurry seal should be used. The particular surface seal necessarily should be fluid enough to flow into all hairline cracks. The asphalt repair and paving service providers offer the best assistance to repair the hairline cracks.

• Small, Medium & Large Cracks

The cracks which are 1/8 inch or even slightly larger are usually routed to provide a reservoir for the sealant. The crack is then properly cleaned and sealed. If the cracks appear to be over 2 inches deep, a backer rod should be installed to conserve the sealant.

The cracks that are is ½ inch to ¾ inches wide, rarely require only cleaning and sealing. You can install a backer rod if cracks are over 2 inches deep. The cracks which are larger than ¾ inches wide should be filled with an asphalt emulsion slurry seal which is usually a hot mix of asphalt sand mix or a hot-poured sealant.

• Crack Sealing Materials used by the Asphalt Repair and Paving Service providers

The asphalt crack sealing materials used by the asphalt repair and paving must have good bonding or adhesion. They must be elastic yet resist softening. They must be easy to apply yet resist cracking, weathering and ageing. Also, they necessarily must be compatible with the asphalt pavement.

Conclusion

The asphalt repair and paving service providers offer a long list of services to maintain the asphalt roads in a well-maintained and flawless condition. Make sure the asphalt repair and paving service provider has adequate experience to do this job.