We all know the struggle of early spring when the mornings are freezing but the afternoons only require a light jacket—that drastic change in temperature also affects your pavement. Late winter and early spring are prime times for the freeze-thaw effect to take place due to the fluctuating temperatures.
When temperatures are below freezing, asphalt hardens and becomes more brittle. When it’s warm out, the asphalt becomes more flexible. This change in temperature can cause damage to the asphalt, along with the melting and freezing of water.
When it’s warm enough for ice and snow to melt, that water then seeps into your pavement. Once the temps drop again, the water in the pavement freezes and puts pressure on the asphalt, causing it to expand and crack. When it warms up again, the water seeps further into those new cracks, and then freezes again. After a few cycles, these cracks grow and become bigger problems, like potholes.
Once the snow has melted for good, we get to work on repairing the damaged pavement. Surface or mill patching is one of the most common services performed to repair those cracks and potholes, as long as the underlying asphalt is in good enough condition. First, we clean the damaged area and apply asphalt glue, a liquid tack coat. Then, the new hot mixed asphalt is applied on the area, and our machines roll over it to get a smooth, compact surface. Finally, we blend the edges to make this new area level with the rest of the asphalt.
Patching is a much cheaper service compared to complete reconstruction, so don’t ignore cracks and potholes. Small patching jobs don’t take long and are essential to maintaining your asphalt—ignoring potholes can also frustrate customers as their cars can sustain damage when driving through your pothole-filled parking lot. Sealcoating in the summer and fall can help extend the life of your pavement and also help protect the asphalt during the freeze-thaw cycle.
If your asphalt is ridden with cracks and potholes after winter, give Metro Paving a call. We’ve been paving the Twin Cities area since 1988!