Focus on Road Repair

Street sweeper contractors are always glad to see that the surface they have been charged to clean is not in disrepair. This is where asphalt and paving contractors play their important role of keeping streets and lots clear of all debris.

Infrared Asphalt Repair Jobs
Rose Paving Company, whose main office is located in Bridgeview, Illinois, provides a complete pavement management planning (PMP) program, which focuses on a proactive approach. Their Pavement Management Plans (PMP’s) developed over the years as customers looked for more accurate and efficient ways to set budgets based on the current inventory of their pavement assets. In addition to budget forecasting, the primary objective centered of PMPs is on proactive maintenance rather than reactive maintenance. With a proactive approach, owners save the headaches, costs and risks (liabilities) that typically occur with insufficient planning. Additionally, proactive plans maximize the useful life of the pavement while also yielding a welcoming aesthetic. Nevertheless, while PMP’s are a great tool, they require time, resources and technology. That is why when informing new and regular customers alike, it is important to develop transparent dialogue with them so that the cost is fair and the deliverables are clearly outlined. Once the plans are developed, they require frequent site visits and real-time data so the information is current and relevant. Although PMP’s require a lot of up-front work, once developed, they are an invaluable forecasting tool for property managers and owners. I was told by the owner that the most recent state of the art equipment they have added to their fleet, would be their self-contained infrared restoration system, mounted on one of their 2014 Kenworth T270 trucks. This truck allows them the flexibility to have a lower class driver license and a business on wheels. This system has extended their maintenance work into the winter season, since it can be used in cold weather and asphalt can be reclaimed in the mounted reclaimer Box. This Infrared restoration system takes the conventional method of doing asphalt maintenance repairs and cuts everything in half, less man power, equipment, material, breakdowns and headaches. In the construction field no news is good news. One self-equipped unit with two capable operators and the potential is limitless.
Their Infrared Restoration System is equipped with a 6’ x 8’ pavement heater that generates the infrared radiation heat used to heat the asphalt material to a depth of 2-3 inches without damaging the asphalt. The 3 ton reclaimer comes equipped with infrared heaters that can hold plant mix temperature in all types of weather, even in their Hot Box reclaimer, where asphalt repair materials can remain for 48 hours with a holding temperature of 275-300 degrees. The system is supplied by 5-100lb vapor draw gas cylinders, which in fuel capacity eliminates the need for HAZMAT placarding. The safety feature on this system are great, it comes with pressure activated gas solenoids that prevent the flow of gas while the unit isn’t operating, full time flame sensing shut off valves, excess flow checks POL valves and lockable control boxes.
In fact, the daily output for this equipment is 1440sf, which includes 30 heats or 3 heats per hour with a 6×8 heating panel, including the propane gas needed to complete a 10 hour day, which takes into account travel time. The cost savings to customers is great and, in a down economy, a customer can still get a great service at a low cost. The advantages over conventional removal and replacement are the time spent, repairs are able to be completed in minutes and parking lot disturbances become minimal. With infrared asphalt repair machines, since there is not cutting of any asphalt, high-quality thermal bonding, new asphalt added becomes an integral portion of the asphalt pavement and makes it a permanent repair if done correctly. With these kinds of machines you can operate at night or day to minimize customer disturbances and taper the work schedule to please you customers.

Surface Preservation and Repair
Another company specializing in surface repairs is Coast Pavement Services, operating out of Tigard, Oregon. They see pavement as having a well known life cycle which can and should be better managed with maintenance that begins with the initial construction of the pavements and proper timing and proper products which can extend the life of the pavement far beyond its average life. Unfortunately, most regular customers do not understand anything about pavement life cycle, let alone what is the proper timing and treatments necessary to keep it looking great and functioning as it was intended when it was built. Nevertheless, most pavement owners start the process once they see cracks in the pavement or it is breaking up. Little if any maintenance or preservation treatments are placed on the pavement when it is in good or great condition. At that point it becomes much more difficult to keep the pavement from following the march toward a complete overlay or reconstruction. Even people who understand the life cycle of a pavement still throw good money at treatments which do not perform as they are intended. Pavement is sealed when it is beyond the point where the surface is worth preserving. Crack sealer is used on broken areas of the asphalt instead of reconstructing the pavement. Coast managers lament that fact that all too often they see people throw cheap solutions because they don’t want to acknowledge their lack of preventative maintenance.
Everyone knows that pavement preservation has risen due to the increased cost involved with asphalt pavement. Coast does their best in order to provide their clients with the best products and processes to meet the needs of any budge, goals, or expectations customers may have. To this end, they utilize a number of products with different life-cycles. In fact, Coast has recently been working with a new product: HA5 High Density Mineral Bond. It was developed by a company in St. George Utah who was experiencing tremendous success using it for low traffic residential streets. It replaced a gap in the market between fog seals which did not last very long and chip seals/slurry seals which the public does not like. Its main feature is long life with great pavement preservation characteristics. Coast turns out to be the main contact for the entire Pacific Northwest. According to managers at Coast, the HA5 product performs radically different than any asphalt emulsion sealcoat on the market and was given the name High Density Mineral Bond by the American Public Works Association so that it could be defined as product separate from any of the asphalt emulsion sealcoats. Most sealcoat applications carry a 1 year warranty with an average life span of 1 to 3 year. HA5 carries a 5 year warranty with a 5-10 year life span.

Story by Mark Joseph Manion

RESOURCES:
www.rosepaving.com
www.coastpavementservices.com