Why Your Asphalt Pavement Might Sustain Damage

Asphalt is tough, but it is not indestructible. Driveways and parking lots are exposed to weather, traffic and chemicals every day, and New Jersey adds its own extras: humid shore summers, nor’easters, road salt and winters that bounce above and below freezing. When pavement starts to crack, crumble or sink, it is almost always because of one or more of the causes below. Knowing them helps you prevent damage, or at least catch it early.

Water getting where it should not

If there is one cause behind most pavement failures, it is water. Rain that drains off the surface does little harm. Water that sits in low spots, seeps through cracks or runs in from the edges is a different story. It softens the base underneath, and once the base loses strength, the asphalt above it starts to flex, crack and eventually break apart.

Common culprits include downspouts emptying onto the driveway, lawns graded toward the pavement, clogged drains in parking lots and irrigation spraying the edges.

Freeze-thaw cycles

New Jersey winters rarely stay frozen for long. Temperatures swing above and below 32 degrees again and again. Every time water inside a crack freezes, it expands and pushes the crack wider. When it thaws, more water gets in. By spring, small cracks can turn into holes and broken areas. This is why damage often seems to appear all at once in March.

Sun and oxidation

Sunlight and air slowly age the asphalt binder, the material that holds the aggregate together. Over the years, the surface fades from black to gray and becomes more brittle. Brittle asphalt cracks more easily and starts to lose small particles from its surface, a process called raveling. Shore properties with full sun exposure tend to show this sooner.

Heat and heavy point loads

In July and August, asphalt gets hot and softer. That is normal, but it means heavy, concentrated weight can leave marks. Motorcycle kickstands, trailer tongue jacks, dumpster wheels, ladders and even car tires turned sharply while parked can dent or scuff the surface. On new pavement, the effect is even more noticeable in the first season.

Loads the pavement was not built for

A residential driveway is designed for cars and light trucks. Regular visits from heavy delivery trucks, oil trucks, moving vans or construction equipment can crush the edges and crack the surface. In parking lots, garbage trucks and box trucks following the same path every week cause rutting and breakup if those areas were not built thick enough.

Fuel, oil and chemical spills

Gasoline, motor oil, diesel, transmission fluid and some solvents dissolve and soften asphalt binder. A slow drip from one parked car can leave a soft, crumbling spot over time. Clean up spills quickly with an absorbent, then scrub with mild detergent and water.

Weak base or poor installation

Some damage traces back to the day the pavement was built. A base that was too thin, poorly compacted or laid over soft soil will not hold up. Asphalt placed too thin, rolled while it was too cool or graded without proper pitch will also fail early. These problems usually show up as widespread cracking, sinking or puddling within the first few years.

Tree roots and unsupported edges

Roots from nearby trees can grow under pavement and lift it, creating bumps and cracks. Edges that are not supported by soil or lawn tend to crumble as tires drive near them.

How to limit the damage

You cannot control the weather, but you can control a lot of what happens next:

• Keep water flowing off and away from the pavement with good grading, gutters and downspouts.
• Clean spills promptly.
• Avoid heavy point loads, especially in summer.
• Keep edges backfilled and supported.
• Use plastic shovels and calcium chloride ice melt sparingly in winter.
• Have holes and broken areas checked early, before water undermines the base around them.
• Plan for milling and repaving while the base is sound, or full replacement with a new base once it has failed.

Our guide to things that can damage your asphalt driveway focuses on the residential side, and how to maintain asphalt pavement covers routine care.

If damage has spread past the point where drainage and edge fixes will help, take a look at our asphalt driveway paving and replacement service. We will give you a free estimate and an honest opinion on what your pavement needs.