A mill and overlay is a critical part to any pavements lifecycle and comes with several benefits. Using a milling machine, 1.5 or more inches of the existing pavement surface is removed, and then the milled surface is overlaid with new asphalt pavement. A mill and overlay refreshes the pavement’s surface, but how do you know when it is time for a mill and overlay?

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For some projects, Bituminous Roadways, Inc. is hired as not only the asphalt paving contractor, but the general contractor as well. On these jobs, we have the opportunity to work closely with the client and the engineering firm to build a parking lot from the specifications provided and bring a project full circle.

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Bituminous Roadways, Inc. (BR) has a strong reputation in the asphalt industry. This is because we emphasize quality and safety. At BR, we take safety seriously and are continually improving and updating our safety programs and equipment to ensure we are doing our best to maintain our safe reputation. So, how does BR work safe?

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Properly managing any asset like your car, your home, or your place of business involves routine maintenance, and asphalt pavements are no exception. Planning for future maintenance and rehabilitation is an important part of pavement management plans. Pavement maintenance can be relatively inexpensive, but if you wait too long, a costly reconstruction may be the only option. Therefore, be sure to follow these steps to keep your maintenance costs down and greatly maximize the service life of your parking lot, roadway, or outdoor athletic surface.

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Assessing the condition of your asphalt pavement is a great way to start planning for maintenance and rehabilitation. The various distresses in your pavement are great indicators as to the types of maintenance your parking lot, roadway or outdoor athletic surface may need immediately and in the future. Additionally, assessing your pavement every year or two will give you a better idea of how your pavement is deteriorating and allow you to plan and budget even further in advance. There are many different methods for assessing asphalt pavements. Here are a few options to get you started:

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Unfortunately, there is not a universal method for asphalt pavement management, and that is a good thing. Each and every pavement has unique needs and requirements. Therefore, you will need to determine what system will work best for you. A large part of pavement management is just staying organized and gathering the appropriate data to help you make well informed decisions about your pavement(s). Get started with your pavement management plan by following these four steps:

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Pavement management is the systematic approach to determining the appropriate timing, extent, and priority of asphalt pavement maintenance and rehabilitation in order to improve the condition of your pavement at the lowest possible cost. Prioritizing where and how to spend your limited funds each year becomes easier when you can make a well-informed decision. Your pavement management plan can be as simple or complex as you would like. The following steps can help you develop a systematic approach to pavement management that will extend the life of your asphalt parking lot, roadway, or athletic surface and ultimately reduce costs. Over the next few weeks, this blog series will dive deeper into each of these steps.

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As a property manager or property owner, you will likely have two main goals for your pavement areas:

1. Make it last as long as possible

2. Keep it looking as good as possible throughout its life

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What are these distresses on my pavement?

Cracking, deformations, and deterioration are three categories of pavement distresses. Each of these distresses can indicate how well your pavement is performing, or more critically, how much longer it might last. Identifying the distresses on your asphalt pavement can help you formulate the most cost-effective maintenance plan.

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Spring thaw, also known as thaw weakening, occurs in early spring when the temperatures are beginning to rise, and the snow begins to melt. Spring thaw is also the time when the most damage to asphalt pavements can occur. During the winter, water within the pavement and aggregate base freezes from the surface of the pavement down to the subgrade. Spring thaw occurs as the frozen pavement begins to thaw from the surface of the pavement down to the subgrade. While the subgrade is still frozen, water from the thawing pavement is trapped in the materials below the pavement. These saturated materials are significantly weaker, allowing heavy loads to easily damage the pavement. This is why many states implement spring load restrictions. The Minnesota state DOT (MnDOT) has estimated over $10,000,000 in savings each year, due to the implementation of the spring load restriction program.

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