Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement
Using reclaimed asphalt payment is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective option for paving a parking lot or driveway. Asphalt is 100% reusable, and more than 45 million tons of reclaimed asphalt is produced annually in America. The Federal Highway Administration actively promotes the recycled asphalt pavement applications due to their ability to protect the environment, minimize waste, and offer affordable paving material.
What is Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement?
Reclaimed asphalt pavement, or RAP, refers to the reprocessed pavement substances that consist of asphalt and other aggregates. RAP is created when asphalt pavement is removed for repair, reconstruction, or when accessing buried utilities below the ground. The asphalt is crushed and carefully screed to produce high-quality aggregates with several useful features.
Even though most reclaimed asphalt paving uses factory-generated RAP, you can also pulverize the asphalt on-site and incorporate it into stabilized or granular-base courses. The reclaimed asphalt can be mixed with helpful additives like a binder or virgin aggregate through cold or hot mixing before being placed and compacted on site.
How Reclaimed Asphalt Paving is Used in Parking Lots
Asphalt repair, patching, and paving are all essential maintenance duties for a parking lot. Fortunately, you can use reclaimed asphalt pavement for all these maintenance tasks. Best of all is that you can use both asphalt millings from recycling factories and have the pavement recycled on-site.
Reclaimed asphalt paving creates an excellent foundation for limited budgets to afford new asphalt aggregates. RAP is typically applied on top of a gravel foundation. It’s rolled and compacted over the gravel to release the oils and initiate fast binding action. RAP also makes an excellent base for a hot mix asphalt layer in the future.
Besides the cost-effectiveness of RAP, it’s also better than crushed limestone aggregates since it doesn’t kick up too much dust from cars. The aesthetically pleasing result means that it is perfect for both commercial and residential uses.
New Asphalt Vs. Reclaimed Asphalt
The mining processes used for the creation of new asphalt aggregates are not environmentally friendly. Asphalt mining typically destroys the surrounding area, and it also involves the use of considerable volumes of water. Besides that, once the unwanted aggregates are discarded, they can take up massive space in landfills since they are not biodegradable. That is why it is necessary to restrict new asphalt mining whenever possible.
In contrast, reclaimed asphalt pavement protects the environment and produces a more robust material when mixed with new asphalt. It means reduced mining of new asphalt alongside lowering the ecological footprint of the process. Also, since asphalt aggregates can be easily recycled at a nearby site, it significantly minimizes transportation costs and reduces air pollution.
Benefits of Using Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement
Here are some of the benefits you should expect when using reclaimed asphalt paving in Tampa for your parking lot maintenance:
- Reclaimed asphalt repair can save up to 50% in costs since it involves much less material. It means that these driveways and parking lots are more cost-effective to install.
- The compacted reclaimed asphalt doesn’t shift too much compared to gravel
- It produces a smooth surface and doesn’t track much dirt into homes, especially when combined with Tampa sealcoating services
- Reclaimed asphalt creates an excellent foundation for hot mix asphalt paving
- Your parking lot will also be ready to use quickly. Asphalt paving with reclaimed asphalt is faster than using fresh asphalt.
- Reclaimed asphalt patching is still highly durable and strong
Contact ACPLM to Learn More about Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement in Tampa
At ACPLM, we use reclaimed asphalt pavement for our projects from asphalt paving to patching and repair services. If you need any asphalt-related service or sealcoating for your parking lot maintenance, contact us today at (888) 959-9637 to get your free quote.
