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Asphalt Paving: Temperature & Timing

Asphalt is among the most popular materials for roads, parking lots, and other paved surfaces worldwide. It’s cost-effective, highly workable, and easy to maintain. However, paving companies must consider a few important factors throughout a project. Whether performing asphalt repair or laying new asphalt paving, timing and temperature are crucial. In this guide, you’ll learn more about how asphalt paving temperature and timing can impact the final product.

How Hot Is Indianapolis Paving?

While contractors can use cold mixes for temporary asphalt repair, hot asphalt is the standard. Hot mixes for new paving and asphalt repair arrive at the job site heated to between 275 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat makes asphalt workable. Asphalt is a composite material that contains aggregates bound together by bitumen, a byproduct of crude oil that solidifies when it’s cool. Therefore, paving companies must keep the mix hot to ensure the bitumen remains fluid enough to remain workable.

Why Does Temperature Matter?

Those high temperatures are important for asphalt paving in Indianapolis because they make compaction possible. As mentioned, heat keeps the bitumen binder in asphalt paving fluid, which is crucial for compaction.

Compaction increases the density of the paved surface. It removes air voids from the mix, creating a dense, stable, long-lasting paved surface strong enough to withstand decades of pressure. Asphalt paving companies use heavy-duty rollers to compact the material after laying it. Teams must work fast, too. Once laid, the hot asphalt mix will start to cool. The binder will begin to solidify, so contractors must work to compact it quickly to ensure a great final product.

What Are the Ideal Asphalt Paving Temperatures?

Air and ground temperatures matter because they can affect the rate at which asphalt paving in Indianapolis cools once it leaves the transport tanker truck. The cooler the surrounding temperatures, the faster it solidifies. Asphalt paving companies will pay close attention to the forecast and often use infrared thermometers to measure ground temperatures before working.

For successful asphalt paving in Indianapolis, ambient and ground temperatures must be above 50 degrees. Any cooler and asphalt paving companies won’t have enough time to lay and compact the material before it gets too hard.

How Does Timing Affect Indianapolis Asphalt Paving?

Indianapolis asphalt paving projects are a delicate dance of managing temperatures and working quickly. Timing is a critical piece of the puzzle. You already know that hot asphalt is around 300 degrees Fahrenheit when it arrives at the job site. Once teams start to lay it, it begins to cool, so there’s no waiting around to compact the material. Paving companies must begin compacting the Indianapolis asphalt paving immediately.

The material must remain between 220 and 290 degrees Fahrenheit to stay workable. If it falls below 185 degrees, it becomes too stiff to compact properly. Attempting to roll stiff asphalt paving will ravel. The surface will be rough and susceptible to water penetration, resulting in a high risk of structural damage before it is even ready for traffic.

Paving companies need to be mindful of timing from start to finish, working strategically to lay and compact the Indianapolis asphalt paving before air and ground temperatures cool it to the point of being unworkable.

At Black Hawk Paving, we understand the complexities of asphalt paving in Indianapolis. With five decades of experience in the paving industry, we’ve seen it all. We apply our expertise to work efficiently, do things right, and deliver exceptional results. You can count on us to handle all your paving, repair, and maintenance needs. We’re available for new paving, repairs, sealcoating, crack routing and filling, grading and excavation, concrete repair, and more. Whether you have a small-scale project or logistically sensitive needs, we have what it takes to get the job done while exceeding your expectations.

Call Black Hawk Paving today at (463)225-0400, email info@blackhawkpaving.com, or use our online form to request a free project quote.