What is happening to your aging parking lot in the winter months and why?

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUR AGING PARKING LOT IN THE WINTER MONTHS AND WHY?

Asphalt Becomes Crumbly & Cracks

When blacktop is exposed to extreme cold, it becomes very brittle. When asphalt hardens, it loses some of its strength, which can cause cracks in your blacktop surface. Issues like this can be fixed quickly by Delaware Valley Paving. There is the potential that the longer the issue goes on for, the more expensive the repair can become.

Asphalt Loses Its Pliability

Blacktop subjected to cold/wet temperatures over a long period to cold weather will lose its flexibility and strength because the blacktop binding agent starts to weaken from repeated freezing and thawing cycles. Flexible blacktop is better at dealing with changes in temperature than stiff asphalt, so when the temperature drops below freezing, the blacktop will often crack/crumble because there isn’t enough give in the material.

Pothole Developments

The most common blacktop damage during cold winter months is pothole formation caused by water seeping into parking lot pavement due to freeze-and thawing cycles. The fluctuating temp. causes expansion and contraction within the blacktop, thrusting apart the blacktop surface. The asphalt pavement then must endure the forces of vehicle traffic at the wearing course which can further damage and crack its surface, allowing more water seepage.