When you drive on a well laid and maintained road you likely do not even notice the condition of the road. You simply drive easily from one location to the next and enjoy the ride. The sign of a good road is one that you do not talk about. Part of what makes a road wonderful is that it is nice and smooth. There are many different benefits of having a smooth road to drive on. Today Andersen Asphalt & Striping is going to talk to you about some of the reasons that it is important to have smoothly paved roads to drive on.
Smooth Pavement Lasts Longer
As vehicles drive on the asphalt the bumping and bouncing of the vehicles puts pressure on the asphalt. Add the weight of the vehicle to the pressure and you will notice some destruction on your road. One way to prevent this destruction from occurring is to have smooth pavement. When your pavement is smooth it increases the longevity of the asphalt.
Road Pothole Damage
There are many different issues that can distress your asphalt. One of the issues that people complain about on their roads is potholes. Potholes are caused by the disintegration of the asphalt. When vehicles drive on the roads they carry these small pieces away with them. The result is the potholes that you see in the road. Potholes get larger the longer they go without some maintenance. Extremely large potholes can cause damage to vehicles when the tire hits the pothole.
Types of Pavement Deterioration Cracks
Another issue that you will frequently see on roads is cracking. There are several different types of cracks that can develop. Andersen Asphalt & Striping is going to discuss three of the most common cracks here today. In addition to the three that we will talk about there is also transverse, reflection, and slippage cracking.
• Fatigue or alligator cracking: Sometimes this is called alligator cracking because the cracking looks like alligator skin. The biggest contributor to fatigue cracking is when heavy loads drive repeatedly on the road. Another common cause is pavement that was laid too thin.
• Block cracking: Block cracking is when there are lots of large rectangular cracks on the surface of the pavement. Frequently once block cracking starts it spreads to a large area of the pavement. The cause of block cracking is typically when pavement shrinks as a result of temperature.
• Edge cracking: As its name implies, edge cracking occurs near the edge of the pavement. This type of cracking happens when there is not enough support on the edges of the pavement.
Asphalt Pavement Installation, Repair, Maintenance Services & More in Reno, Elko, Henderson, North LV, Paradise, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor, Las Vegas, NV | State of Nevada
There are a few things you can do to prevent issues with your pavement. First you need to make sure that your asphalt was laid properly. Andersen Asphalt & Striping can come out and not only install your asphalt but perform needed maintenance as well. We would love to help you keep your pavement looking great now and for years to come. Contact us to discuss your next project today!
