5 Essential Asphalt Paving Tips for Construction Managers

Gorgeous paving doesn’t happen by accident. Proper planning and execution from a well-experienced team is key to long-lasting roadways and paving. There was a running joke in the industry that went something along the lines of, “if you can’t get the paving right, it is your own asphalt” – you can let that sit with you a while. Take your time…

Most people who work in the asphalting business know there is a lot that goes into durable and quality paving jobs – and it isn’t just about mixing several hot rocks together and compacting them.

Below are five essential asphalt paving tips for construction managers – read on for construction empowerment:

Effective Planning

As with most projects, asphalt paving jobs need to be well thought out and planned – long before any actual construction begins. The design, pre-construction, procurement, and construction phases require extensive planning.

Develop and revise your plan as often as you need – it should get better and better each time.

Team Communication

The biggest downfall for any construction team is a communication breakdown. Proper communication skills are underrated in most industries, leading to confusion, frustration, and avoidable delays.

Communication skills are one of the most important soft skills an entrepreneur can have.

Anything can go wrong at a construction site, which is precisely why communication should be at the forefront of every construction manager’s mind. Establish a clear flow of communication between everyone on the ground and the rest of the stakeholders/suppliers involved.

You might think that means you will have to send a million emails daily, which isn’t true – just be transparent. Transparency will reduce the number of emails and calls if a problem arises. 

Consult Professionals

Paving machines and components have to get inspected before the project starts. Consult pavement and asphalt engineering services to come in and take over the project, that way you can be guaranteed good service and even better results.

Asphalting may seem like a simple job, but once you get into it, you will realize how complicated it is. Without the proper experience you will end with a sticky mess on your hands that will take so much time and money to fix.

Head Of Material

Almost all material faults in asphalt paving projects are caused by an improper head of material in front of the screed. That “head” is a mass of paving mix that lies in front and spreads across the width of the screed.

If that fluctuates too much during paving, producing a smooth or level surface will be impossible. By suddenly increasing the head of material, you will increase the thickness which will leave you with a waxy surface.

This head needs to be consistent across the entire width of the screed and monitored regularly throughout the paving process.

Speed Limiters

As mentioned above, too much or too little of an element could destroy the entire paving project. You must buy speed limiters for your paving machines to keep them from paving too quickly.

Think of them like a car’s cruise control function. With the proper speed set, your pavement should come out beautifully!