Champion Pavement, Inc.

"Champion Pavement, Inc."

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative Maintenance saves money. It is easier and less expensive to preserve the asphalt pavement you have than to repair and replace it. The idea behind preventative maintenance is simple. An easy analogy is your automobile: if you change the oil every 3,000 miles, you greatly reduce the possibility of problems with your engine and subsequently increase the longevity of the motor. If you neglect the engine completely, there is a high probability that the engine would break down and you would be faced with large repair bills. The repair or replacement costs will greatly exceed the amount you would have spent on oil changes and regular maintenance.

Your parking lot is the same way. If you sealcoat and crack treat on a regular basis, the asphalt will last longer and hold up better. And, as a result, you wil spend less.

SEALCOATING

BENEFITS OF SEALCOATING

Beautifies Pavement

As these photos show, the difference is quite remarkable. A fresh sealcoat will restore a jet-black color to your lot and fresh paint will make it look new again.

Before

commercial-Before

After

commercial-After

Stops Weather Damage

Unsealed pavement allows water to penetrate into and through the pavement structure leading to base erosion, freeze thaw damage, and ultimately pavement failure. Sealcoating provides a protective barrier to stop water penetration. The Asphalt Institute states: "The accumulation of moisture in pavement structure is probably the greatest cause of pavement distress."

Prevents Oxidation

Asphalt pavement is made up of asphalt binder and little rocks called aggregate. As the pavement cures, the sun's rays harden and dry out the asphalt surface. This causes the asphalt to become brittle and small aggregate break lose from the surface. This accelerated raveling and erosion can reduce asphalt thickness by as much as half in 5 years.

Unsealed v. Sealed

Unsealed VS Sealed
Please pay special attention to how porous and rocky the unsealed side appears.

SAVES

Sealcoating is considered preventive medicine. By applying a coal tar based sealer over your asphalt you will protect the surface from the harsh effects mentioned above, in addition to damage caused from gas, oil and salt.

Sealcoating costs only pennies a square yard
versus repairs which can be as much as twenty times higher.

As these cutaway sideview diagrams of asphalt show, the sealed version retains its structural integrity while the unsealed version shows severe deterioration over time.

Sealed

Unsealed @ 5 Years
Unsealed @ 5 years

Unsealed @ 10 Years Unsealed @ 10 years

THE SEALCOATING PROCESS *Barricades* - The parking lot will be blockaded off using a combination of orange traffic cones, flourescent flagging and yellow "Caution" tape. All entrances and exits will be clearly marked.
*Pavement Cleaning* - All pavement surfaces are cleaned thoroughly. The condition of the pavement will dictate which cleaning technique is used. For dirt, a street broom will be used and for silty areas, a wire broom. Weed whackers will be used to remove grass and vegetation from pavement edges. Once all dirt, silt, grass, vegetation, etc. has been removed or loosened, the pavement will be cleared and blown free using a walk behind blower.
Oil Spot Treatment - Oil, grease, and gasoline stains will be treated using an oil spot bonding agent. In extremely bad situations, oil stains will be treated with a torch and scrap method, then primered using the same bonding agent. This is important because sealer will not adhere properly to any of the above named stains. When bonding agent is applied properly, the stains will not quickly eat through the fresh sealer.
Application of Sealcoat - Champion Pavement stores and delivers its material to the jobsite in full sweep agitation tanks and constantly agitates the material. First, Champion Pavement will cut-in around the curbs, sidewalks, buildings, etc., to a width of 36 in. The sealer will be applied directly to the edge where the asphalt meets the curbs, sidewalk, buildings, etc. We will use every precaution not to splatter or spill any sealer on concrete or building surfaces. All entrances and exits will have the first and second coats brushed on. In addition, all areas inaccessible by spray will have one coat brushed on
Upon completion of all cut-in and brushing, Champion Pavement will spray the first coat of sealer using industry standards for area coverage and uniformity. This coat will be allowed to completely dry (Minimum 2 hours if weather conditions are perfect). The second coat will then be applied using the same uniformity and thickness. The wet sealer must remain blockaded and allowed to cure for approximately 24 hours depending on weather conditions.

CHAMPION PAVEMENT IS COMMITED TO SATISFYING OUR CLIENTS.
IF A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE OR METHOD OF APPLICATION IS DESIRED,
CHAMPION WILL BE HAPPY TO ACCOMODATE SPECIAL REQUESTS.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SEALCOAT

What is Sealcoating?

SEALCOATING is a widely used and accepted preventative measure that helps safeguard your parking lot against the harsh effects of gas, oil, salt, weather conditions and oxidation. An asphalt sealcoat, or sealcoating, is a layer of asphalt surface treatment applied to your parking lot. This coat will significantly reduce the impact of these harsh effects. When applied properly, a sealcoat cures on your parking lot leaving a jet black finish. There are many ways that sealer may be applied and material mixes may vary.

Applications

The sealer may be applied by a spraying apparatus or by brushing it on by hand. Champion Pavement believes that commercial assignments should be sprayed by hand wand with a two coat minimum. This provides the best value for our customers. It contributes to greater performance and longer lasting durability.

Material

Champion Pavement uses a coal tar emulsion sealer that contains 48% to 52% solids. This is a commercial grade sealer that is not available through retail outlets. (This material meets and/or exceeds all federal specifications. Federal Specification #RP355e) The sealer is made from refined coal tar, selected clays, water and emulsifiers. In addition, rubberized latex additives and sand aggregate are added to increase the performance of our material. It is important to understand what latex and sand counts will be used for your project because the higher the latex and sand percentages the higher quality sealer, hence the material will last longer.

How often should you have your parking lot sealcoated?

Your parking lot should be sealcoated at least every 2 to 4 years. A newly laid asphalt parking lot should be sealed within 6 months. Because of the ever increasing costs of asphalt, many business owners now seal every other year. This has proven to be an excellent approach to avoid expensive repairs and maintain an aesthetically pleasing parking lot. There are many factors to consider when deciding how often to sealcoat. How much traffic does the pavement receive, what are the weather conditions like, and what applications methods were used when applying the sealer are all things that would affect its longevity. The trained estimators at Champion Pavement can evaluate all these things and recommend a sealcoating plan for you.

What types of problems can I expect if I Do Not Sealcoat

Raveling is the most common problem caused by unsealed asphalt pavements. Raveling is the loss of aggregate from the asphalt pavement surface. This results from an "abrading" action of vehicle wheels and oxidation from the sun. Raveling will appear as a rough texture on the pavement surface, or "craters" in the surface left as the coarse aggregate pops out of the surface. Raveling is most evident in the parking lots that have a gray or white color to the asphalt surface. This indicates the asphalt binder has dried out and the surface is now brittle. Even though raveling is aggravated by vehicle traffic and the sun, it is a material problem, not a structural defect, of the pavement system.

CHAMPION PAVEMENT IS COMMITED TO SATISFYING OUR CLIENTS. IF A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE OR METHOD OF APPLICATION IS DESIRED, CHAMPION WILL BE HAPPY TO ACCOMODATE SPECIAL REQUESTS.

CRACK TREATMENT

Crack treatment is one of the best investments a Business Owner
or Property Manager can make to their parking lot

BENEFITS OF CRACK TREATMENT

Crack Sealing is often used as the first line of defense against pavement deterioration because it:

1. Protects the base and/or sub-base from erosion, which usually results in further cracking or potholes.

2. Preserves the adjacent pavement around the cracks.

3. Eliminates the damaging effects sand and stone can cause within the cracks.

4. Extends pavement life.

5. Is cost effective.

The Asphalt Institute says… "Crack sealing is the most important maintenance work you can have done to extend the life of your pavement."

"Water is the number one destroyer of asphalt pavement. Standing water under the asphalt will eventually turn into 'MUSH' from the bottom up. Water also erodes the base that is supporting the asphalt, which in turn weakens the pavement structure, leading to further cracking. Then the cycle repeats itself until there is nothing but 'MUSH'."

Champion Pavement offers a full line of both cold
and hot applied crack treatments

THE CRACK TREATMENT PROCESS

Cleaning Cracks - All cracks to be treated will be cleaned completely. A combination of mechanical walk behind crack cleaning machines and miscellaneous hand tools will be used. This will loosen and remove most debris within the cracks and then air will be blown directly into the crack, to clear away any remaining dust and dirt.

Application of Sealant - Hot or cold pour rubberized sealant will be applied directly into the crack. This application is performed using walk behind crack treatment applicators, machines which self level the sealant as its dispensed onto the pavement. With cold pour applications the material will be leveled with pavement using a V-shaped squeegee. Hot applied crack treatment is usually traffic ready within 30 minutes. Cold pour can take up to 24 hours to fully dry.

EXPLANATION OF CRACKS

Transverse Cracks

Description - Transverse cracks are cracks that are 90 degrees to longitudinal cracks, or, in other words, they are across the direction of travel.

Causes - Transverse cracks are shrinkage cracks and are the result of shrinkage of the subgrade soils, much like block cracking.

Significance - Like longitudinal cracking, transverse cracks are of no real alarm unless they are numerous. It is important they be kept sealed on a routine basis. Because they occur across the direction of travel, they can affect riding quality or cause trip/fall hazards.

Solution - Transverse cracks, like longitudinal cracks, should be sealed using a rubber crack sealer. In severe cases, transverse cracks-which are causing trip/fall hazards or greatly affecting ride quality-may require an overlay.

Longitudinal Cracks

Description - Longitudinal cracks are along the direction of travel if the cracks occur in a road, or along the direction of travel lane or the long axis of a parking lot. They often occur directly in, or just outside, a wheel path. They may also occur in a construction joint.

Causes - Longitudinal cracking can forewarn of future fatigue cracking, especially if more than two are present in a wheel path. They can be a result of materials shrinkage or of poor joint compacting between adjacent passes of the paving machine. Cracks that appear as longitudinal cracks, but more in the lower traffic area of a pavement, are often the result of alternate drying and wetting of subgrade soils due to natural seasonal variations or landscape watering/land uses.

Significance - Typically, longitudinal cracks alone should not cause significant alarm, even at their widest. There is cause for alarm, however, when a series of longitudinal cracks, spaced at 10 to 15 feet across, occur in a fairly new parking lot. This indicates severe subgrade shrinkage.

Solution - It is important that these cracks be sealed to prevent moisture intrusion. A 1/4 inch crack on a sloped pavement can "funnel" many gallons of water per hour into the base materials and risk the structural integrity of the pavement. Cracks of 1/4 inch or greater can be sealed by first blowing out all debris and cleaning the crack, then sealing the cracks with commercial crack sealer.

CHAMPION PAVEMENT INTENDS TO EARN YOUR BUSINESS BY PERFORMING PROMPT INITIAL CONSULTATIONS, OFFERING COMPETITIVE PRICES AND COMPLETING WORK TO THE HIGHEST INDUSTRY STANDARDS

P.O. Box 1138
Laurel, Maryland 20725
301-604-0222
Baltimore 410-792-PAVE
Washington 301-953-7425