Like any product, asphalt has a specific and predictable “Life Cycle.” The asphalt lifecycle is often a new concept for many home and business owners. It is hard to understand why a significant investment breaks down and deteriorates over time. Let’s take a look at what you can expect from your asphalt.

The normal life expectancy of asphalt pavement is about 20-30 years when properly engineered and constructed.

This includes streets, highways, parking lots or home driveways. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and theory. Some parking lots will fail sooner and some will last much longer than the 20 to 30 years mentioned.

Nevertheless, at some point in time, ALL asphalt surfaces will fail and require maintenance, repair or complete repaving.

Life Cycle of Your Pavement

Many factors impact this life cycle. A few are:

Engineered for the expected traffic, frequency and weight
Constructed to specifications
Traffic managed over the specifications, e.g., no trucks allowed on areas of light-duty paving.
Water flow removed from the surface as quickly as possible.
Timely seal coating and maintenance will extend the life cycle.
Cracks sealed to prevent water from entering the sub grade.

The key to maintaining your initial investment is investing in a consistent maintenance program. Proper maintenance assures that your asphalt driveway or parking lot will last as long as it is supposed to. Steps to consider in your maintenance program include sealcoating, filling cracks, and fixing potholes as they develop. Ignoring any of these leads to bigger problems which creates more work and costs more money.

If you are looking for a quality paving contractor in Hanover Pa, Spring Grove PA, Gettysburg PA, Littlestown PA, or the surrounding areas, call John Parichuk Paving. We are a name many trust so you know you can count on us for your paving and sealcoating needs.

Understanding the Asphalt Life Cycle