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Asphalt Patching Methods: Everything You Need to Know

Like any other pavement material, asphalt pavement deteriorates after a certain lifespan. Minor cracks and potholes are early signs of fatigue on the asphalt surfaces. When left untreated, the cracks can become deep; reaching the sub-base layer. At this point, the property owners will have to consider a highly-expensive asphalt replacement.

Asphalt Patching is a low-cost repair option for cracks and potholes in parking lots or driveways. It is fast, easy, and hassle-free to do within a few hours. However, the exact time taken varies according to the size of the road, driveway, or parking lot.

Repair projects done by an experienced asphalt paving company offer great value for money. If minor deterioration has started appearing on the pavement surfaces, patching can be an affordable step for extending the paving lifecycle.

What is Asphalt Pavement Patching?

Asphalt patching is an inexpensive and quick-fix solution for cracks, potholes, and deteriorated asphalt paving surfaces. The process involves the application of asphalt glue, crack fillers, sealants, and other elements. This form of repair is helpful to cover and seal the cracks, potholes, and other damaged parts of the pavement.

Successful patching the asphalt paving prevents further damage and water penetration into the subgrade aggregates.

Top 5 Asphalt Patching Techniques

Throw and Roll – This is a fast and easy temporary pothole repair method especially during wintertime. The damaged area is cleaned to remove dust, debris, and other deposits. Hot liquid asphalt is poured into the holes. For deep gorges, you need to apply the patching solution several times.

Later, a roller is run over the patched areas to get a uniformly flattened surface. Upon cooling, the liquid forms a robust structure to prevent further deterioration. Throw and roll is a short-term restoration technique for emergency needs.

Semi-Permanent Patch Repairs – The throw and roll patching may not remain intact for too long. Semi-permanent pothole repair offers better durability and strength. However, this is also a temporary fix process performed in three easy steps:

• The damaged area is cut and cleaned to remove the loose aggregate, debris, water, oils, etc.
• Patching materials are poured into the holes
• A vibrating roller is run over the patched area to flatten the materials

Spray Injection Patching Method – Spray injection patching is a timesaver method performed by asphalt contractors using pothole repair equipment. No manual cleaning is required with this technique. The engineers run a cleaning machine to remove dirt, water, and other deposits from the potholes. They use high-pressure injection equipment to press the aggregate and asphalt emulsion mix into the affected areas.

Slurry Surface Sealing Technique – This is a repair method for upper surface damages. The procedure is applicable for old and new pavement. Asphalt Paving Companies run powerful sweeper equipment to remove vegetation, loose materials, and debris, and any contaminant deposits are removed using a shovel.

The deep gorges are sealed with poly oil chemicals. A thick coating of sand is spread on the poly oil filler for firm bonding with the slurry seal.

Trucks mounted mixing machine spreads the sealing material evenly on the thoroughly cleaned and prepared asphalt driveway. This patching treatment is done on roads, commercial driveways, and parking lots.

Property owners must put barricades on the entire premises to allow the repair to cure. Depending on the depth of the sealing material, the surface area can take around 3-6 hours to settle, dry, and solidify.

Full-Depth Pothole Patch Repair – Full-depth patching is one of the best permanent asphalt repair treatments. It is a complex procedure conducted by experienced asphalt contractors. This method is excellent for repairing damages up to 4-6 inches.

The paving contractor clear the damaged area and add the hot asphalt mix to fill the holes and cracks. After pouring the asphalt materials, the repaired portion is covered with a thick tack coat for creating strong bonding between the asphalt layers. Finally, they apply backfill to fix the patched section to the asphalt surface.

Equipment for Asphalt Patching

Pothole Patcher is configured with an efficient mechanism for permanent asphalt repairs. The machine can lay cold and hot mixes on driveways, parking lots, and roads in all weather conditions. These units can be found with 3-6 cylinder asphalt hoppers and are available as trailer-mounted or truck chassis versions. There are three different configurations for truck mount models – all-electric system, heat transfer oil system, and dry radiant heat system.

Asphalt Repair Equipment – These are heat management equipment to maintain the accurate temperature in hot mix asphalt (HMA). The multipurpose machine also serves other functionalities such as recycling old asphalt, millings, and leftover mixes.

With proper care and a proactive approach to asphalt maintenance, asphalt pavement can last 20 years plus. Cracks and minor holes should be taken care of in an expedient manner to prevent more expensive repairs or replacement.  If your asphalt driveway or parking lot is showing signs of deterioration, take a look through our directory of asphalt paving companies. Search for a local asphalt patch company near you.