Pavement Terminology
The key to getting value for your budget dollars begins with understanding the terminology.
- Asphalt: a stone aggregate that is mixed with a heated liquid asphalt cement at temperatures over 300° Fahrenheit. The two (2) common asphalt mixes are:
- Bituminous Binder Material: made with larger aggregate stones - the Binder Material is designed to resist heavier weights of traffic and is usually the bottom layer of a pavement surface exceeding three (3) inches in thickness.
- Bituminous Surface Material: made with smaller aggregate stones - the Surface Material is the top layer of a pavement surface and designed to provide a smooth finished surface. This mix is the material used for Resurfacing existing pavement surfaces.
- Stone Base: the layer of aggregate base under the pavement surface.
- Sub-Grade: the original ground surface material that is underneath the Stone Base.
- Full Depth Patching (Asphalt Removal & Replacement): A pavement repair involving the removal of a section of pavement down to the Stone Base material and replacing the area with new asphalt material.
- Surface Stabilization (Asphalt Removal & Replacement): This is the same as the Full Depth Patching defined above but is completed to stabilize an existing pavement surface prior to Resurfacing.
- Partial Depth Patching (Grind & Patch): A pavement repair where a section of pavement is milled down to a specified depth (usually the top Surface Material) and replaced with new asphalt material.
- Skin Patching: A pavement repair involving a thin layer of asphalt applied over a deteriorated section of pavement to provide a short-term / inexpensive repair.
- Compacted Thickness: Final thickness of the pavement surface after it is compacted. Air voids make up about (15%) of the volume of the Asphalt material when it is produced at the plant and initially installed by the paving machines. When compacted with the vibratory rollers, the air voids drop down to about (5%) thus reducing the total volume - leaving in place the finished (compacted) thickness for the pavement surface.
- Undercutting / Base Stabilization: Removal & Replacement of deteriorated (soft) Stone Base material under the pavement surface.
- French Drains: A perforated pipe installed into the stone base material designed to channel under ground water for proper drainage underneath the pavement surface.
- Petromat Fabric: A geotextile paving fabric that is installed between the original pavement and the new asphalt overlay to provide a permanent moisture barrier that curtails the reflection of cracks and ultimately extends the pavement life of the new overlay.
- AC20 & Fiber: is a reflective crack control process that allows the application of material on specific areas within the area of pavement being resurfaced. This procedure will seals the cracks, filling the voids with AC20 & Fiber, to help control the reflection of the cracks from surfacing through the new overlayment being installed.
- Cracksealing: is the process of injecting a hot pour rubberized sealant into isolated cracks in the asphalt pavement to prevent water from penetrating the sub-grade and stone base.
- Routing: When routing is added to the Cracksealing operation, all cracks are routed to a uniform width before injecting the rubberized sealant. Routing provides a uniform reservoir to hold the material, thus widening the crack, which reduces the percent expansion during freeze thaw cycles.
- Sealcoating: is the process of applying a coal tar emulsion over an asphalt pavement surface to prevent oxidation (drying out of the material) damaged caused by the sun and deterioration from gas and oil drippings from vehicles. The application of the material prolongs the life of a structurally sound asphalt pavement surface.
- Lot Marking: is the process of painting parking spaces, handicap symbols, stenciling, sign installations, etc. on a parking lot.