Asphalt is a great material for paving roads and driveways. It is affordable, easily available, and durable. However, harsh winters are a testing time for asphalt. Like any other material, asphalt has certain limitations, which when tested beyond its limits can cause damage to the paving. Frost heave is one of the common issues found in asphalt driveways after it stays covered in snow at length. Sometimes inadequate drainage also has a big role to play in heaving.
In this article, let’s learn about what causes frost heave, what role drainage has in it, and how the damage can be minimized and repaired.
Understanding Frost Heave
Heaving is caused due to the freeze-thaw cycle that is commonly experienced in colder regions. When the asphalt paving is covered in snow, the moisture beneath the asphalt is trapped and it freezes. The frozen moisture pockets expand causing the paving to rise up unevenly by three to four inches. When the snow melts and the moisture thaws, the asphalt sinks back to its original state leaving some cracks and dips in the paving. When this cycle of heaving and thawing continues, the conditions worsen and cause severe damage to the paving thereby making it susceptible to injury hazards, potholes, and more.
What Role Drainage Play in Asphalt Heave in Baltimore or Around?
As a rule of thumb, the more moisture, the more the severity of the heaving. When the drainage around the asphalt paving is not proper, the moisture that is meant to find its way into the drainage channels stays trapped under the paving. And when that moisture freezes and thaws, it continues the damage in a vicious cycle. When cracks appear on the paving, more water finds its way down and damages the subgrade as well. In the long run, it can affect the integrity of the paving.
What Can You Do About Frost Heave?
Walk over and around the asphalt after the snow thaws. If you can spot areas where water is seeping into the asphalt, it is a red signal. Are there any areas where water collects and doesn’t move into the drainage channels? You should not let these issues be left unattended because over a course of time it can cost you dearly. When the heaving is active, you have to wait first for it to thaw, before you can take any remedial measures.
Asphalt driveway are not 100% heave-proof, but there are things you can take care of to mitigate its risk. The lesser the moisture below the asphalt, the better it is. Rerouting drainage can help significantly and sometimes it is just a matter of sealing the cracks. You should contact a professional asphalt paving service provider who can look into the cause of heaving and suggest you the right course of action.
If you need help in fixing the heaving in your asphalt driveway in Baltimore, get in touch with the professionals at Premier Paving. They are among the best asphalt paving company in Maryland and their experts can come and inspect your driveway and find the root cause of heaving. They can suggest to you the course of action to follow to lessen heaving in the future and carry out repair work for you. They also offer asphalt driveway services for repairing your asphalt driveway in Bowie and other parts of Maryland, so if you having problems with a heaving driveway there, they can help you out.
Your search for paving services near me ends here. Whether your drainage needs fixing, or the asphalt paving needs redoing or repairing, call Premier Paving for a free inspection and estimation today.