Many people choose the perfect blend of asphalt and bitumen because it’s smooth, durable, and versatile, and the finished result looks better than other driveways. Among all these factors, people mostly opt for Bitumen Driveway in Melbourne because they last for many years. If built by professional Concrete Contractors in Melbourne, a bitumen driveway with regular maintenance can last for 15-20 years. But after these many years, there comes a time when it needs to get replaced. Now, are you thinking about what damages a driveway and what the solutions are? You’ll find it here!
Today’s blog post is all about what causes bitumen driveway damage and what are the solutions to fix them. We will start with,
Causes of Bitumen Driveway Damage
1. Excessive Moisture on the Top
If water gathers on the surface, penetrates the bitumen, and separates the composite, your bitumen driveway may chip and crack. It may change the texture of the soil below, which may destroy the driveway’s support. The bitumen is pushed up or left unsupported, which causes fractures to appear more.
2. Excessive Moisture Beneath
The shape of the soil beneath your asphalt driveway may vary if there is too much or not enough moisture present. It may result in the bitumen being either pushed up or left unsupported, which can lead to cracking.
3. Overloaded Weight
Your bitumen driveway may break under high weight depending on its thickness. The weight of the trucks and construction vehicles can overload asphalt, especially if parked on your driveway, but the usual car traffic shouldn’t cause any harm.
4. Soil Erosion
The soil beneath your bitumen driveway may shift due to the seasonal expansion and contraction of the soil or soil degradation from another source, necessitating the movement of your driveway. Although bitumen driveways can move a little bit, a continuous or significant displacement might result in bitumen cracking.
5. Improper Installation
The bitumen driveway will begin to crack as it tries to accommodate the moving soil. If the soil beneath a bitumen driveway is not flattened properly and compacted before the placement of asphalt, tree roots can find its way to grow through cracks.
6. Tree Roots
If your bitumen driveway expands beyond the limits of its design and pattern due to tree roots pushing it upward, the chances of crack formation increase, eventually leading to a driveway filled with cracks that may look unpleasant. Additionally, according to the concrete contractors in Melbourne, your driveway will begin to form lumps and dips where water may gather.
Solutions to Prevent Bitumen Driveway Damage
1. Drainage
To lessen the amount of collected water on the surface and seeps into the soil, take the help of professionals and install suitable drainage from your asphalt driveway.
2. Reduce Overload
A bitumen driveway shouldn’t be used as an entrance point unless it can handle heavy-duty automobiles. If you cannot prevent trucks from using your driveway, try to lessen the frequency of use or avoid parking a large car there.
3. Cleaning
Cleaning is another significant way to reduce the damage to bitumen driveways in Melbourne. Driveway often can help reduce damage as it will remove all the dirt, dust, and moisture that affects the surface of the bitumen driveway.
4. Prevention of Cracks
- Fewer Cracks
Your bitumen driveway might have a few small cracks filled using a road crack filter purchased from a hardware store. If you choose to do this, ensure adhering to the product’s directions, and when the crack filler has dried, consider putting a sealing coating.
- Cracks Severe in Few Parts
If you notice your bitumen driveway to have noticeable cracking, but only in a few selected parts of it, you might need to discard the severely damaged sections of your driveway or replace them rather than have the entire driveway rebuilt. Get in touch with a concrete contractor in Melbourne or a bitumen driveway repair specialist to get expert advice on such situations.
- Severe Cracks
You might need to completely repair your driveway if most of the bitumen is damaged. It will also enable the concrete contractors in Melbourne to inspect the driveway’s subsurface for the cause of the issue and address it correctly.
To Conclude
Bitumen driveways are one of the most suitable driveway materials. The concrete contractors in Melbourne call it their first choice for building driveways because it is strong, durable, and versatile. If you have installed a bitumen driveway, all you need to do is look out for the causes and get them fixed with the solution mentioned above. Although, getting it maintained and repaired is another aspect you must follow.
