There are a lot of different types of problems that can develop on asphalt. Asphalt can develop potholes, cracks, and raveling. When asphalt develops a problem, it is important to repair the asphalt right away. Additionally, you will need to determine the cause or source of the asphalt damage and work to prevent them. Today, Andersen Asphalt & Striping would like to talk about raveling, what causes it, how it is repaired and a few tips on how to prevent raveling in the future.
What is Asphalt Raveling?
Raveling is a type of disintegration of the asphalt’s surface. Raveling is when the aggregate materials such as the gravel, sand and crushed stone, become dislodged. Basically, raveling is when you see small pieces of the asphalt breaking apart. Raveling causes a road or parking to be less skid resistant, roughens the asphalt’s surface, and it also exposes the under layers of the asphalt, which causes further disintegration. When raveling occurs on a road, often the small rocky pieces will fly up and hit vehicle windshields and or the vehicle’s paint. Raveling can lead to injury and damages when neglected. When raveling occurs, it is important to seek repair of the asphalt.
What Causes Asphalt to Deteriorate?
Raveling can be due to a few different causes. Often as asphalt ages, the binders will begin to wear out or harden which causes the asphalt to break down into those tiny pieces. Traffic is often another culprit for asphalt to develop raveling. Particularly, when there has been a lot of heavy vehicles, tractors or equipment going across the asphalt, it will cause raveling to develop quickly. Poor installation is often another reason raveling occurs. When the asphalt was being installed, and if there was a poor aggregate mix or poor compaction of the asphalt’s surface, you will develop raveling in those areas. Lastly, dust and moisture exposure can also affect the asphalt’s binder, leading to raveling.
How Do You Fix Asphalt Raveling?
Raveling can occur in a small section of the site and other times the entire asphalt surface has begun to ravel. If the raveling is localized, often the site of the raveling is removed and the section patched. If the entire asphalt has widespread raveling, the upper layer of the asphalt is removed and replaced with a new overlay. To help prevent raveling from happening in the future, it is important that a quality binder is used. In high traffic areas it is important to seek proper asphalt maintenance. Yes, asphalt needs maintenance. Asphalt greatly benefit from sealcoating, which is where the surface of the asphalt is covered in a thin layer of refreshed asphalt. Sealcoating can help protect the asphalt surface and prevent the binder from being exposed to dust, moisture, and high traffic. If you manage a road or parking lot, it is also recommended that the asphalt has a street cleaning every six months to keep harmful substances away from your asphalt.
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Raveling is a common and potentially a harmful problem. If you need your road or parking lot repaired, sealcoated and other asphalt maintenance and services, contact Andersen Asphalt & Striping.