Asphalt 101

How should I maintain a new asphalt surface?

Avoid pressure washing or mechanically sweeping your asphalt for the first sixty days. Remember that petrol, degreaser and other solvents and lubricants will damage the asphalt.

After installation, how long should I wait to put vehicles on the asphalt?

Typically overnight. You should expect some “scuffing” of the new surface, especially during the warmest months and in areas where vehicles are stopping and making sharp turns. These visual imperfections will disappear over time as the surface seasons and becomes less pliable. The most prone area for damage is where the vehicle reverses out and stops, the wheel is then turned from hard left to right (or viceversa) while the car is stationary and it “scuffs” the asphalt. Tyres are designed to stick to asphalt.

How long does it take to build my whole driveway?

Based on having completed more driveways in Perth than any other company we estimate the following:

100m2 driveway       Base Work  1 day    Kerbing 1 day     Asphalt 1 day    Total  3 days
250m2 driveway       Base Work  1-2 days    Kerbing 1 day     Asphalt 1 day    Total  3-4 days
500m2 driveway       Base Work  2-4 days    Kerbing 1 day     Asphalt 1 day    Total  4-6 days
1000m2 driveway       Base Work  5-7 days    Kerbing 1 day     Asphalt 1 day    Total  3 days

 

How long will it take to install the asphalt?

The record for Jackson Asphalt is 450 ton is one day or 3500sqm.

Driveway 500m2 is generally half a day to complete (depends on many factors such as shape, access, distance to plant etc)

Carpark 2000m2 is generally one day to complete (depends on many factors such as shape, access, distance to plant etc)

Hardstand 2500+m2 per day (depends on many factors such as shape, access, distance to plant etc)

Lets talk about drainage and soakwells?

Once you cover the ground in asphalt you need to allow for where the water being collected.

A few options, no kerbs and the water falls off the side of the asphalt, collect the water with soakwell/s in the middle of the asphalt and it is allowed to soak into the ground, flush kerbing to allow the water to pass over the top of the kerbing into the garden etc, spoon drains (long skinny drains) normally in front of garages etc to collect the water and pipe elsewhere.

What if I want to add more asphalt later?

Easy to do but remember the colours will never really match, especially the red colours.

What is a tie in?

Where top (finished level) of the asphalt needs to meet the top of an existing surface such as paving, concrete slab, cross over, existing road, flush kerb etc.

We generally use this term when resheeting over existing asphalt and we remove some existing asphalt (tie ins) to allow the new asphalt to match the level of roads and garage entrances etc.

How thick should the asphalt be?

Driveways range from 25mm to 40mm (30mm is the most popular). Limestone base course restricts you to 35mm+ in thickness.

Carparks depends on traffic, cars 25-40mm (30-35mm most popular), heavy loads and trucks etc generally 35-50mm (40mm is the most popular).

Hardstands are 40-100mm depending on loading and budget.

How long should I expect the asphalt to last?

A properly installed asphalt surface has a design life of 20 plus years or more, depending on the application. You can extend the service life by maintaining good drainage in the surrounding areas, removing aggressive trees adjacent to the mat, and ensuring the traffic load stays within its design, and call 1300ASPHALT to repair any damage to prevent water damaging the base course.

Asphalt or Bitumen or Hotmix or Tarmac?

These are basically all similar terms.