The first major signs of spring are the rising temperatures and the start of daylight savings time. However, it is a great time for commercial property owners to mend potholes and cracks in their parking lots. Potholes in parking lots are more than just an exasperation; Material Testing Lab in Edmonton performs Asphalt quality testing otherwise they can be a serious safety hazard. Winter causes excessive potholes in the pavement caused by decomposition due to exposure to water and contact with heavy vehicles. Asphalt Quality Testing is necessary to ensure potholes don’t get worse causing serious damage to vehicles and hypothetically life-threatening accidents.
What are the Causes of Pothole Formation in the Winter?
As many commercial, industrial, and residential property owners are already aware, Asphalt Quality Testing is done to evaluate the effects of winter weather and drastic temperature changes. It can be quite detrimental to your asphalt parking lot. The asphalt minor damages worsen severely when the winter arrives. That’s where a Material Testing lab in Edmonton can come in handy. Asphalt quality testing services make you aware of what causes cracks and potholes to form and what can be done to fix these damages.
The winter months are ripe with detrimental factors that can severely damage your asphalt pavement including standing water as a result of uneven pavement, heavy precipitation, as well as the constant freeze-thaw cycles. Enlisted below are the factors that can negatively impact your asphalt parking lots:
De-Icers, Snow Melt & Snowplows
Snow melting and de-icing agents contain a long spell of chemical ingredients that are harmful and also eat away at the structural integrity of asphalt pavement. Material Testing Lab in Edmonton determines that Potassium acetate, magnesium acetate, and salt are the main de-icing agents and such chemicals that break down the asphalt surface. Snowplows coupled with regular foot and vehicle traffic add insult to injury and also scrape away at the surface.
- Freeze-Thaw Cycles
Freeze-thaw cycles are extremely harmful to bitumen pavement and can cause pre-existing minor cracks that continue to expand. As these cracks widen there is a severe need for asphalt Material Testing Services Edmonton to prevent further degrade of the structural integrity of it internally. An increasing amount of water, debris, and chemicals are allowed to infiltrate the surface of your asphalt. Moreover, water that permeates beneath the surface of your pavement can also cause erosion. This will lead to extensive and potentially expensive disrepair at the Material Testing Lab in Edmonton.
- Pooling Water
Pooling or continuously standing water poses a significant threat to the structural integrity of pavement. Eventually, the water will start to break down the asphalt compounds and penetrate the surface. Thus, eroding the asphalt beneath the surface leads to severe cracking which will unavoidably form potholes.
How to Prevent Cracks and Potholes with the Right Services?
Ideally, inspecting the bitumen driveway or parking lot for potential damages at the Material Testing Lab in Edmonton in the fall before the first snowfall. There are a few considerations you can make during the spring months to repair pre-existing damages:
- Regular Wash Out Ice & Snow: Neglecting your asphalt parking lot in the winter is one of the worst things that cause damage. To preserve and ensure that you get the absolute most out of your asphalt. Asphalt Quality Testing Services play an important role. One should remove ice and snow from it regularly. Any driveway crack repairs in winter will be temporary and should be fully fixed in spring once the snow melts.
- Surface Patching Implementation: When it comes to cracked driveways in winter, surface patches are transitory fixes that you can apply. They should be strong enough to seal slight cracks and hold off further damage until the warm weather arrives. Come springtime, you should revisit these areas of your asphalt and implement proper repairs.
Asphalt Damage Safety Hazards for Drivers
Securing commercial parking lots is a top priority for protecting employees, customers, and other visitors regardless of the business type or structure you have. Potholes can be a leading factor in pedestrian injuries and vehicle accidents.
- Hitting a pothole can cause suspension damage, tire damage, body damage, or exhaust pipe impairment to a vehicle. The damage may be seen proximately or can become apparent over time.
- Environmental factors and the mass of vehicles can cause cracks to grow. Not addressing the concern can cause large potholes to form and basis for more damage. This can increase the costs of asphalt quality testing & repairs for full parking lot replacement.
- Lastly, damage to vehicles or individuals can lead to significant liability claims for the property owners or managers. The expectancy that they are in a safe environment is one of the main reasons remain loyal to a company.
Get your Repairs for Potholes and Cracks in the Spring Season
New cracks, divots, and holes can form on asphalt surfaces during the colder months and may need to be temporarily patched. However, proper asphalt quality testing is necessary before the pavement installation. This is because the colder weather doesn’t settle and will not cure correctly. As soon as the spring starts, a material testing lab in Edmonton helps to get the potholes properly fixed. The asphalt quality testing evaluation is done to repair potholes in warm temperatures specifically during the springtime, and has the time and correct temperature conditions to close properly. The March or April time to begin inspecting parking lots and access roads across your commercial property in Edmonton for potholes. The benefits include:
- Winter Damage Repair: As soon as the spring starts, the early weeks allow for any asphalt issues to be addressed before faults become a serious matter. Because even the tiniest cracks can lead to major damage to the asphalt surface.
- Reinforce Safety: Potholes formed over the winter months have been filled and compacted with snow and ice thus preventing them from damaging vehicles and pedestrians.
- Increase Curb Appeal: Melting snow with rising temperatures bring more than spring flowers thus enhancing its curb appeal. This starts with repairing cracks and potholes.
Professional asphalt quality testing companies repair potholes using a variety of tools, equipment, and top-quality materials. Equipment used can include shovels, brushes, sweepers, squeegees, measuring and marking tools, graders, a pothole tamper, and blowers. Central Material Testing has been applying asphalt testing for repair. We take great pride in the work and ensure the use of the highest quality materials in the industry.
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