Suppose you are considering contacting the concrete contractors in Melbourne for asphalt driveway installation. In that case, it will be great to know about the process so you can ensure that they are performing a good job. Also, it doesn’t hurt to imbibe information about the everyday things around you. So this article is a detailed guide to the steps involved in asphalt or bitumen driveway installation.
Comprehensive 10-step Guide for Asphalt Driveway Installation
1. Demolition
The workers begin the process by clearing the site and eliminating the remains of the existing driveway, whether concrete or asphalt, from the site. They scrape off the material from the surface with the help of forklifts or a bobcat machine.
2. Removal of Debris
Once the debris loosens from the site, the removal process begins. Front loaders and large debris trucks collect the materials and shift them to another location. It’s crucial to remove all the waste so that asphalt sits nicely at the surface; otherwise, the finish may not be as smooth as it must be.
3. Recycling the Waste
The workers then collect the waste and transfer it to the recycling unit to build other usable materials.
Most concrete contractors in Melbourne offer recycling services, so they collect the waste of existing roadways, driveways, pavements, etc., and transform them into usable materials. When you assign the driveway installation to a company, ask them what they do with debris and proceed only if they responsibly recycle it.
4. Grading the Driveway
As water is the main culprit of damaging the bitumen driveway in Melbourne, the concrete companies keenly work at grading the surface, i.e., ensuring that the water flows towards the sides or seeps into the bottom. To understand the slope, the workers run a hose and grade the driveway according to the slope. If the water fills a few low spots and refuses to flow, the workers fix the spot. The following steps commence only after the water dries or the asphalt will not stick to the surface.
5. Preparing the Base
The base lies between the ground and the asphalt driveway. The asphalt companies build a strong base since it’s detrimental to the strength and durability of the driveway. Preparing the base is also crucial since it’s a barrier against weather conditions such as pouring rains, heavy snowfall etc., that may damage the bitumen driveway. Companies use recycled concrete or asphalt and add some crushed rocks depending on the availability of materials. According to the jargon of concrete contractors in Melbourne, these materials are closely packed or “compacted”.
6. Proof Roll
Once the base prepares, it’s now time to evaluate its strength and fix the areas that seem clumsy. The workers drive a quad-axle dump truck over the base to determine soft spots. If gravel underneath flexes while the truck moves, the workers begin to strengthen that particular area until the truck shuttles smoothly on the base.
7. Undercutting or Geo-Grid to Ensure Strength
Strengthening the soft spots on the base happens through any of the 2 methods-
Undercutting: Once the quad-axle dump truck recognises the soft spots, the workers dig at least 2 to 3 ft on the surface. After removing the soil, they use stronger aggregate materials such as concrete or crushed rocks to fill and strengthen the area.
Geo-grid: For geo-grid, workers dig only 1.3 ft of ground and lay a grid or a metallic framework to strengthen the base. Geo-grid enables the concrete contractors in Melbourne to achieve a strong base at a fraction of the cost of undercutting. Hence, it’s the favored method of soft spot removal.
8. Applying the Binder
Once the base is strong enough to endure the weight of the asphalt driveway, the workers begin applying a binder on the surface to help the driveway stick onto the base. The aggregate mixture with oil is spread over the base to make it strong and allow the base to withstand the bitumen driveway in Melbourne.
9. Pouring Asphalt
The workers then move on to pour asphalt, the topmost layer of the driveway, on the binder. Asphalt consists of small aggregate, sand and oil and delivers a jet-black smooth, shiny finish when done.
10. Surface Smoothening
The final step is to smoothen the asphalt driveway and connect it seamlessly to the nearby roads, pavements and parking lots. The workers install butt joints in these transitional portions so that passersby cannot distinguish between the new and old construction.
After smoothening the joints, workers use roller trucks to move back and forth on the driveway so that the asphalt hardens. During this procedure, they also ensure there aren’t any soft spots left out in the driveway.
Once the asphalt companies are sure that there aren’t any soft spots and the driveway is smooth, they hand it over to the owner.
Wrapping Up
We hope you understand how asphalt companies build smooth, shiny driveways high on strength, durability and aesthetics. However, to get the desired finish, you will still need to connect with the best concrete contractors in Melbourne, so perform a background check of the company before assigning them the opportunity to build the driveway.
