Clients often ask contractors whether they can perform asphalt parking lot paving during the winter. The answer to that question can depend on the type of pavement, its size, and what the weather decides to do that particular winter. Asphalt requires proper compaction to produce a pavement with a smooth, clean surface and a long, healthy life. During the winter, there are five factors that could prevent adequate compaction. They are the lift thickness, the surface temperature, the distance between the site and the asphalt plant, the sun, and the air temperature.
How Does the Lift Thickness Affect Asphalt Parking Lot Paving During the Winter?
Every lift must retain its heat long enough for the asphalt paving crew to place, rake, and compact it. As you might suspect, thicker lifts are able to retain their heat longer than thinner ones. Therefore, on any given day, a paving contractor in Dallas might hesitate to install an asphalt overlay. However, on the same day, the contractor might be willing to pave a parking lot for trucks.
How Does the Surface Temperature Affect Asphalt Paving Services in the Winter?
Contractors install asphalt paving on either a base or the ground. If the underlying surface is too cold, it will quickly absorb an excessive amount of heat from the paving mix. This reduces the amount of time that workers have to achieve compaction, especially if the lifts are on the thinner side or the winds are high.
How Does the Distance Between the Site and the Batch Plant Impact Wintertime Asphalt Parking Lot Paving?
A Dallas paving company orders truckloads of hot mix asphalt from batch plants. The asphalt mix must travel between the two points without losing too much of its heat. The greater distance the trucks must travel, the harder it is to deliver the hot asphalt at the correct temperature. Although there are measures that an asphalt paving company can take to limit heat loss, including tarping the load, they may be insufficient.
How Does the Sun Affect Wintertime Asphalt Parking Lot Paving?
Sunshine can reduce the rate at which the hot mix asphalt cools. The dark color of asphalt means that it is very good at absorbing heat from the sun. There is typically a gap between the amount of heat the pavement absorbs and the amount of heat the pavement reflects. This is the neat heat gain or loss. In the winter, it will virtually always be a loss. However, on a sunny day, a paving contractor in Dallas can work with the heat loss if the other factors do not exacerbate the problem.
How Does the Air Temperature Affect Asphalt Paving Services in the Winter?
In addition to the surface temperature, the air temperature can steal heat from the asphalt mix. Normally, both temperatures are within a few degrees of each other, but this is not always the case. If the air temperature is marginal, then the contractor will want the other factors to be above marginal conditions. For example, a cloudless day, a light wind, an acceptable surface temperature, and a site reasonably near the plant can be highly desirable.
Contact HI-TEK Paving Services for Additional Information
We serve clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with exceptional paving services and extraordinary customer care. Hi-Tek Paving offers concrete and asphalt paving, parking lot striping, asphalt overlays, concrete repair, asphalt crack repair, parking lot maintenance, asphalt sealcoating, and asphalt repair. You can request a free, no-obligation job quote by emailing Kevin@HI-TEKPaving.com, submitting the online form, or calling 214-908-9641.