The “Insight from an IREM Industry Partner” blog series is a series of short articles from IREM Minnesota Industry Partners sharing their expert insight on issues of interest to property managers. All IREM Minnesota Industry Partners are invited to participate. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
IP Insight: Cracksealing, Potholes and Patches
Posted by [email protected] on Apr. 14, 2020 / Subscribe 0
Insight from an IREM Industry Partner
by Heidi Sedlacek
Part I: The Difference Between a Pothole and a Patch
Now that potholes in your pavement are obvious, it is time to correct them. However, the manner of how they are repaired makes a difference. Bituminous Roadways receives calls from many customers asking to have potholes repaired, but just filling the hole in with hot mix asphalt may not be the best solution. Realistically, there are three options: pothole patching, mill patching, and dig-out patching. Here is a detailed explanation of each option.
Pothole Patching:
The first option, pothole patching, is very short-term. It consists of sending a patching crew to a site with a set amount of asphalt that they shovel into the holes and compact with a small roller. These are made to be quick and cheap but are only expected to last one year. They generally degrade quickly and don’t do anything to solve the underlying issue. The area around the pothole patch will continue to degrade until a larger scale patch is required. This technique is generally used if there is a plan to perform extensive work within a couple of years.
Mill-Patching:
The second option, mill-patching, can be used if the asphalt parking lot only has surficial damage. If there is asphalt at the bottom of the holes, crews can mill 2” off the surface surrounding it and replace the area with compacted asphalt. This option creates a smooth pavement that will hold longer than a pothole patch. The downside to this option is reflective cracking may occur after freeze thaw cycles. Reflective cracking is when the cracks in the bottom of the patch show through it, which could result in a similar situation as when the pothole started.
Dig-Out Patching:
The final and most extensive option is a dig-out patch. Dig-out patching entails removing all the asphalt at a 6’x6’ minimum around the hole. Then, the aggregate base is regraded and the area is patched with 4-inches of asphalt. The asphalt is then compacted with a roller. This option is the best long-term fix because it creates a structurally stable solution.
The overall timeline for asphalt patching goes like this from short-term to long term: Pothole patch, mill patch, dig-out patch. Keeping future maintenance plans in mind when deciding on what type of maintenance work should currently be done is important.
Part II: Cracksealing: The why, when and how
Keeping on track with your parking lot maintenance plan can help extend the life of your parking lot. One of the most cost-effective maintenance techniques is cracksealing. The question of why, when and how should be asked before requesting a bid from an asphalt paving contractor like Bituminous Roadways, Inc.
Why Crackseal?
Asphalt cracksealing is an important step to take for the maintenance of your asphalt surface because it helps to prevent larger maintenance projects down the road. Even the smallest cracks can easily turn into larger cracks, craters and dangerous potholes. Done properly and frequently, asphalt cracksealing can easily extend the life of your asphalt.
When to Crackseal?
Bituminous Roadways generally recommends performing this preventative maintenance during the spring and summer months.
How to Crackseal?
In every crackseal estimate, Bituminous Roadways includes routing, a process performed before cracks are sealed. Routing is done with a piece of equipment that expands all cracks to ¼” wide. This creates a reservoir for the rubberized crack sealant to sit in. Then, crews clean out the cracks to allow the best adhesion possible. Finally, rubber is installed into the reservoirs that have been created by the routing process. This method ensures that the rubber will fully penetrate the crack and adhere to the existing pavement. It helps create a truly waterproof seal to better prevent leaking, as opposed to placing rubber directly into the existing, non-routed cracks.
Things to Consider
Cracksealing is a great maintenance option, but it isn’t suitable for every situation. If a parking lot is too badly damaged where alligator cracking and potholes are present, it may not be fiscally responsible to crackseal. This option is unable to fix alligatored and micro fractured areas because it is likely that future settling will continue to occur and break these areas up even more. Bituminous Roadway estimators will inform customers of these issues and opt for different maintenance techniques that are best suited for the current condition of the asphalt.
Cracksealing works well in tandem with patching when considering a maintenance plan. Correcting the large-scale damage with patching, then fixing smaller cracks with cracksealing is what Bituminous Roadways would recommend every owner does each spring to help protect pavement from more extensive damage.
Heidi Sedlacek is Communications Manager for Bituminous Roadways. To learn more, call 651.686.7001 or email [email protected].
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