Like Your Parking Lot Like You Like Your Coffee? How To Get It Hot, Black, And Smooth
Posted on: 27 July 2019
Share
If you operate a business on a dirt road, and more and more people are starting to build near you, it may be time to request from the county/state that a proper road be built. Maybe you have a road, but it is murder on tires. Perhaps what you really need is a decent parking lot. Whichever the case, you probably would prefer that these areas be like your morning coffee — hot, black, and smooth. To do that, an asphalt paving contractor needs to be hired. The state/county can hire their own, but you can hire one to do your parking lot. Here is how your contractor will create the perfect parking lot for you.
Leveling the Dirt
When all you have is dirt on which to park, you need to level it constantly and mix it with a little sand on muddy days. Your contractor starts by leveling the dirt again, and then staking out the perimeter of this area. When the dirt is uniform, and the stakes reflect that, then a box perimeter made of wood planks is created. This is the containment method most commonly used to keep wet concrete from spilling out everywhere.
Pouring Concrete
This entire space is filled with a thin layer of gravel to hold the concrete in place. The gravel also protects the soil underneath from becoming the slurry surface and rock hard soil it would later become. The concrete is then poured over the gravel until it fills the space. The crew smooths it out until it creates the perfect flat area where vehicles can drive. The concrete has to harden and cure before any asphalt can be poured.
The Asphalt
Finally, the asphalt is mixed in a monstrous bitumen mixer and laid across the concrete base. A paver may be used to roll it as smooth as possible so that no human foot accidentally picks up bits of the sticky, tarry bitumen before it can cool and harden. It is shiny when it goes down, but as it hardens it dulls into charcoal black. It will be hot for hours, especially if the asphalt is laid on a hot summer day or in a desert area. After about a week, you can drive on it and park vehicles on it without worrying about it cracking or becoming damaged. It will look really smooth and nice, just as the adjoining street will look when the county/state fixes or installs the road.