Whether your asphalt paving project is for residential, commercial, or industrial use there’s one thing that you cannot forget: drainage. Proper drainage can extend the life of your asphalt while poor drainage almost certainly causes failure and deterioration. As Pavement Interactive describes it “proper drainage is important to ensure a high-quality long-lived pavement; moisture accumulation in any pavement structural layer can cause problems”. At Cassidy Paving, our priority is to provide long-lasting and safe asphalt paving services to customers across Massachusetts and we do so by including proper drainage plans for every job we do. Here’s how we achieve the best results in our drainage plans, but on the surface and in the subsurface, and how asphalt should be treated to ensure its success.
Surface Drainage Processes
Our two-pronged approach to proper drainage always starts with the most obvious: surface drainage. The Cassidy Paving drainage plan is concerned with giving moisture that has accumulated on the surface a safe place to go without permeating through to the subsurface layers. We typically do this in one of three ways or a combination of all three: hot mix asphalt (HMA), slope, and/or grade. Using the correct materials on an appropriate slope will give your asphalt the best chance at surviving the heavy Massachusetts rains. The proper grading will also be done to the curb and gutter to give the water a place to go. These steps are taken seriously by our expert paving team to ensure that your project investment can withstand the tests of Mother Nature from the top down.
Subsurface Drainage Options
The other side of our drainage plan is for the subsurface area. Just as Asphalt Magazine says “the purpose of pavement subdrainage is to enhance the long-term (10 to 15 years) performance of the pavement”. This is also our purpose in providing full-scale subsurface drainage. A mixture of both gravity flow and filter layers will get the water out before damage is done. If the filter is not appropriate for the soil type a pipe collector system can also be used. Since we face a drastic thaw/freeze cycle in the Northeast, having a well thought out subsurface drainage plan will be paramount so that water getting through the top layer doesn’t freeze. Freezing and thawing of water beneath the surface layer often causes the materials to deteriorate and can cause cracking and/or potholes.
Choosing the Right Materials
Outside of a drainage plan for your pavement, you can also pick a paving material that is not as susceptible to water damage. Many porous asphalt options are on the market today and they allow water to seamlessly move throughout the pavement without compromising its strength. Cassidy Paving’s service team can walk you through the options that are best for your specific needs.
Get a Free Estimate Today
Are you ready to talk about your paving project? Cassidy Paving is waiting to help you. Give us a call today at 866-978-9788. We will book your free estimate and answer any questions you have about proper drainage.