In 1979, WIRTGEN built its first cold milling machine designed to provide the asphalt paving industry with an innovative rehabilitation technique. 

Based on technology from the mining industry, these machines use dozens of carbide-tipped bits on a fast-rotating drum to remove a specified thickness from the surface of an asphalt pavement. At Bituminous Roadways Inc, we provide professional mill and overlay services to help correct your asphalt and prolong its lifespan. Let’s take a look at the benefits of a mill and overlay and some key signs that it’s time for an asphalt refresh. 

Quick Facts: Mill & Overlay Benefits

  • Mill & Overlay has been a popular asphalt refresh since 1979. 

  • 7 Benefits of Mill and Overlay include cost savings, refreshed surface, drainage corrections, and more. 

  • Signs it’s time for a mill and overlay include fatigue cracking, block cracking, and drainage problems.

What Are the Key Benefits of Mill and Overlay?

With the invention of the milling machine, asphalt contractors can now remove and replace a portion of the asphalt pavement, which has several key benefits. 

Cost Savings

Asphalt pavements are typically 4 or more inches thick. During a mill and overlay, only the top 1.5 to 3 inches of the pavement are removed and replaced with new asphalt. This process is faster than a full reconstruction, reducing costs by saving time as well as materials. Mill and overlay typically costs about half as much as a full reconstruction and requires less materials.  

New Fresh Surface

While a mill and overlay is not the same as a brand new pavement, it certainly looks like it. Replacing the surface of the pavement revitalizes the curb appeal of your parking lot, providing a smooth, clean surface. If you ask us, there is nothing better than the look of fresh new pavement. 

Drainage Corrections

In some cases, exactly 2 inches of pavement will be removed by milling the surface, but most of the time our milling crew will be milling at variable depths in order to improve the drainage of the parking lot. Better drainage is the best way to fight one of asphalt’s natural enemies (“Water”).

Adds Strength 

Well-designed pavements with a strong aggregate base and adequate thickness to support the traffic loadings will deteriorate from the surface down. Therefore, mill and overlays are an important part of the pavement lifecycle as they remove the deteriorated surface and replace it with fresh new asphalt.

Maintains Grade and Elevation

By removing the old layer before adding a new one, mill and overlay preserves proper curb heights and sidewalk transitions. These are essential for safety and local regulations and preserving the heights with a mill and overlay keeps your surface in compliance. 

Protects the Subgrade

The subgrade is an essential part of your surface, and mill and overlay can help preserve it. Since the procedure removes deteriorated surface material and replaces it with new asphalt, the underlayers are protected and last longer. 

Minimal Disruption

Building an entire new parking lot or other surface can take a while, particularly if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Milling is significantly faster than a full tear-out and reconstruction, allowing roadways and parking lots to be opened again much faster. 

Project Excellence: Mill & Overlay

BR has completed several exciting mill and overlay projects. Here are just a few. 

Hennepin County Mill and Overlay

During 2020, BR was busy. We were awarded the 2020 Hennepin County Mill and Overlay project. Spanning 13 counties, we provided roadway improvements of city streets. This project covered 68 lane miles and required expert coordination between the different counties. We successfully completed this project after several months of intense work, but the results are beautiful. 

City of Richfield Mill and Overlay

Beginning in 2017, BR worked with the City of Richfield Public Works Department on three pavement projects. All three included a mill and overlay of existing streets. In addition to the mill and overlay, BR removed deteriorated sidewalks and pavement and replaced it with brand new materials. We worked hard to reduce the impact to the local community, and because of this, we received glowing praise from the City of Richfield residents. 

Contact BR

For more than 70 years, BR has been the asphalt maintenance contractor of choice in the Twin Cities metro area. We can perform asphalt maintenance from cracksealing and patching to milling and overlays, and complete reconstruction. 

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