Asphalt in the rain

[KH]

I had a asphalt driveway installed yesterday. I stopped home during my lunch to check on the progress to find them installing the driveway in the middle fo a gigantic downpour. Later, when I came home, I noticed that the surface is uneven and there are a lot of areas that I can see uneven stripes. (mainly down the middle...but not like it was intentional). Some of the driveway is nice and smooth, other parts are super rough with bigger rocks (too rough for the kids to be able to draw with chalk...if that makes sense). I see other black asphalt driveways that look nice and even...so I don't feel like this is right. Is a driveway supposed to be paved in a downpour???

[Ed Pawlowski]

I've seen it done in light rain, but not in the downpours like we had today. Sounds like a sloppy job and you have legitimate complaint.

[rbowman]

Did our county road crew contract the job? They seem to prefer saving paving repairs until it's below freezing and preferably snowing. Then they do it all over again next year. Job security.

[Bud]

When I was a kid, my dad had a concrete driveway installed. They poured the top part one day and that part was good. The next day they did the remaining part, (about 30 feet). It poured and they just did a half assed troweling, then covered it with a tarp, but by the time they got the tarp on, the surface was washed off and it left a very rough surface with lots of rocks exposed, and dents where the guys tossed bricks on top of the tarp to hold it down. My dad refused to pay them, and they had to come back and break away all that bad cement and replace it. I imagine asphalt would end up bad too...

[trader_4]

IDK what the limits are in terms of rain, but I also see it being put down, major road work for example, in some pretty decent rain, regularly. If the rain had an effect, it may be that it limited the performance of the crew, what they could see while rolling it, etc as opposed to an effect on the asphalt itself. Or it could be that they would have done a crappy job anyway.

This is one of those worst case screw ups. If it's hosed, I don't think there is any easy fix, it's tear it up, remove it and do it again. I guess the question is exactly how off it is. I'd get them there immediately, while it's still not fully cured maybe if it's some minor problems they could still roll it again before it's fully cured. Also a good example of the kind of job where you should try to have someone there watching.

[Wade Garrett]

Hope you haven't paid them yet.

If you did, I'd stop the check- assuming, of course, they didn't run directly to your bank and cash it as soon as they got their hands on it...

[Frank]

I would have them back and stop payment until corrected. If it is still warm enough or weather is hot simply re-rolling might get out defects and make it acceptable. It should be compacted to squeeze any water out.

Asphalt and ingredients are not water soluble but it is a composite with voids and you don't want holes full of water. If water remains in yours there are voids beyond what you normally get.

Asphalt consists of a mix of bitumen, rocks and sand. The bitumen, the part that melts, content is only about 5% which is inadequate to completely fill all voids. After down a few months, surface should be sealed to keep out moisture otherwise moisture in the winter with constant freezing and thawing increase voids and leads to failure.

[Clare Snyder]

The pavement needs to be replaced. The mixture will not properly compact if cooled too quickly, leaving a pourous "grainy" finish with lots of voids. The pavement will break up quickly if you are in a frost region, and will also not stand up to design loads. A residentialasphalt driveway is usually a slipshod enough job - adding rain to the mix makes it WAY worse.

A PROPER ashalt driveway is done in 2 stages - 4 inches of coarse road asphalt layed over the compacted base, and 2 inches of fine "topper" asphalt laid over that - with the rough base clean and dry - and usually a spray of asphalt bonding cement (basically a spray of tar) applied just before laying the top layer. With the proper finish layer sealing is not required, but it does help repel oil and fuel, protecting the surface.

[Frank]

You sound more knowledgeable than me. I was thinking if soft enough it could be compacted properly. I guess if they need to remove it it would be remelted and reused.

My familiarity was my own drive over the years and having it redone half dozen years ago. They added a couple of inches over the old one but removed some sections of the old one that were badly cracked. I also had it widened a couple of feet and they added base gravel with maybe 4 inches asphalt over it.

Asphalt drives may be done other ways but around here it is just asphalt with no spray and sealing is required every few years. I know a bit about composites and there is not enough bitumen to make the product void free. Over twice as much would be needed and asphalt might be sticky and soft.

[Clare Snyder]

Around here it's dump it and tamp it and run, half the time. A few guys will do it right - like doing a road. Highways don't need sealing, do they? A PROPERLY done asphault driveway will last 30 years or more