Have you ever given much thought to the asphalt that you drive on every day? Many people don’t unless there are huge potholes in the road, or the road just barely got laid down and is nice and smooth as they drive on it. Asphalt has been around for a long time, and there are probably several things about it that you may not know. Andersen Asphalt & Striping is here talk about some asphalt facts that many people don’t know about.
Porous Asphalt Can Help with Water Drainage
Anytime asphalt is put down, it is done so with drainage in mind. Water is the number cause for asphalt damage so it’s important that drainage is taken into consideration during asphalt design and installation. Not only is installation done a certain way to help with drainage issues, but the right type of asphalt is used as well. As far as asphalt goes, porous asphalt can help absorb precipitation and handle run-off which will help you avoid flooding issues.
Naturally Occurring Asphalt is Found in Lakes
Who would have thought that asphalt would naturally occur in a lake? Not many people know this tidbit of information. The lake that has the most asphalt in it naturally is found on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad. It is called Pitch Lake and has over 10 million tons of asphalt in it.
Types of Asphalt Pavement Cracks
There are several different types of asphalt cracks! When it comes to asphalt, a crack isn’t just a crack. There are several different types of cracks that can occur in asphalt surfaces.
– Alligator Cracking: Small close cracks that appear like alligator skin
– Transverse Cracking: Perpendicular cracks that are caused by high amounts of traffic
– Block Cracking: Cracks that are in a square or rectangular shape
– Edge Cracking: Any cracks that appear at the edge of the asphalt
– Slippage Cracking: These crescent shaped cracks often turn into potholes later on
Smooth Asphalt Improves MPG
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to find out that the smoother the asphalt that you drive on, the higher the MPGs of your vehicle will be. This is because the less resistance the tires on your vehicle meet as they drive down the road, the easier it is to propel your vehicle forward. In fact, when it comes to large trucks, a smooth ride on new asphalt can improve their fuel efficiency by up to 4.5%.
Roads were First Paved Back in the 1870s
Asphalt is one of the top choices for roads in this country. It all began in the 1870s and there has yet to be another material that is used more to construct our roads. The first paved American road was William Street in Newark, New Jersey.
Asphalt Pavement & Parking Lot Striping, Resealing & More in Reno, Elko, Henderson, North LV, Paradise, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor, Las Vegas, NV | State of Nevada
If you have roads that could use a little TLC, you can turn to the professionals at Andersen Asphalt & Striping to help keep your roads and parking lots in good condition. Call us today!
