Asphalt is the best choice for parking lots and driveways in Florida when comparing concrete and asphalt paving.
Composition and Characteristics of Concrete
Concrete is composed of an aggregate (crushed rock and sand) mixed with cement and water. Cement binds the concrete, holding the aggregate together. When the concrete dries and is cured, it forms a solid surface that can crack if the sub-base below the concrete is not perfectly smooth. Cracked concrete is much harder to repair than asphalt, and once it cracks, it’s challenging to perform a waterproof repair.
Composition and Characteristics of Asphalt
Asphalt for parking lots and driveways is made using aggregate with bitumen for a binder, which comes from crude oil. Asphalt paving for roads and parking lots uses bitumen mixed with fine aggregates poured onto a heavier aggregate sub-base and is pressed into it with a steamroller. Asphalt paving is hard and durable, and it offers the flexibility to bond with the sub-base under the asphalt surface, a feature that concrete sorely lacks.
Advantages of Asphalt over Concrete
Replacing damaged asphalt is an easy process compared to concrete, and asphalt is also recyclable. Because of asphalt’s many uses for recycling purposes, you won’t find asphalt taking up landfill space.
Asphalt parking lots can be completed and opened for traffic much faster and with a lot less expense than concrete. Maintenance, as well as repairs if needed, is faster and less costly than that of concrete pavement.
Repairing cracks in asphalt parking lots is less costly and faster than concrete repairs. Asphalt crack repair can be done in a day and is far less expensive than tearing out and replacing damaged concrete, which can take days and inconvenience your customers.
Asphalt resurfacing (when needed) is as simple as applying new asphalt over the old asphalt. Damaged asphalt parking lot areas are filled with fresh asphalt, and a steamroller goes over the entire surface to yield smooth, even asphalt pavement that looks like new.
Asphalt sealing is extremely cost-effective and returns the asphalt to its original look and feel, also adding structural integrity to provide a durable driving surface under increased commercial vehicle weight.
Asphalt is your best choice for ease of repairs. Asphalt paving will give you an attractive parking lot with savings of both time and money.
Florida Asphalt Solutions has offices in Tampa and Clearwater so we can serve the entire Tampa Bay Area. You can call us at 813-326-2169 or Contact us for Free Estimates and Consultations.