If you need a new parking lot for your commercial property, bring in an asphalt construction company to help you plan and understand the process. The first step is to see if your old lot can be restored, and if not, then the old asphalt will need to be broken up and hauled away.
Replacing the old lot is more disruptive, but it eliminates worry about your new lot failing due to using repaired asphalt as a base. Here are important steps in asphalt construction for a new parking lot.
Remove Old Asphalt And Examine The Base
Once permits have been obtained and the work has been planned, the contractor will work to remove all the old asphalt. The asphalt is broken up and transferred to a dump truck to be hauled to a recycling center if one is available. Once the old asphalt is out of the way, the base is exposed so it can be examined to see if it needs to be built up.
If your old parking lot had a lot of cracks and potholes, it's possible that rain leaked down to the base. This may have washed the soil away and made the base less stable. If so, the contractor has to add aggregate and compact it into the soil to create a strong and stable base for the new asphalt.
Improve Drainage If Needed
If possible, your contractor may examine your parking lot after a heavy rain to look for areas where water isn't draining properly. This is important information to know since water needs to drain away from your new asphalt once it's installed.
If there is a drainage issue, the contractor may need to install a drainage system to help move water away from your parking lot. This has to be done before the new asphalt is put down.
Apply New Asphalt
The asphalt construction process involves using hot asphalt to build your parking lot. A paving machine spreads the asphalt over the base to the desired depth and with a slight slope for drainage toward a drainage grate. The asphalt is also compacted so it bonds to the base and forms a solid surface for driving and parking.
Put On Lines
Marking the asphalt is the very last step in asphalt construction. Lines need to be applied to comply with ADA regulations and to maximize the space in your parking lot. In addition to lines for parking spaces, the contractor may put down directional arrows to help with traffic flow.
Getting a new parking lot can be a time-consuming process, so your contractor may need to work in sections so your customers can still use part of your lot. An asphalt construction contractor can work with you to cause the least amount of inconvenience to your customers while getting the job completed as quickly as possible.
Contact a local parking lot construction service to learn more.
