Five Things You Didn’t Know About Pavement

At Sunapee Paving we are proud to provide quality solutions for parking lots, driveways, walkways to a wide variety of clients. Here are a few fun facts about asphalt.

Asphalt occurs in lakes naturally

Many people don’t know that asphalt naturally occurs in lakes. The largest natural deposit in the world in Pitch Lake in the Caribbean.

By Grueslayer – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

Porous asphalt can help with drainage

There are types of asphalt that are porous and can help drain off water buildup. Most types of asphalt today repel water. Porous asphalt can help to absorb precipitation and prevent flooding.

Asphalt cracks vary

There are many different types of asphalt cracks that occur.

  • Alligator cracking: small, close knit cracks similar to alligator skin
  • Transverse crackling: perpendicular cracks caused by high traffic
  • Block cracking: large rectangular cracks shaped like squares
  • Edge cracking: cracks at the edge of your asphalt
  • Slippage cracking: crescent-shaped cracks that can turn into potholes

Grass grows through asphalt

You might think that asphalt is solid without any air gaps. Properly compacted asphalt contains approximately 10% air voids in it. This means that weeds can grow through the asphalt.

Smooth asphalt improves gas mileage

Smooth asphalt can improve your mileage. A study done by the Federal Highway Administration found that smooter asphalt can improve fuel efficiency by 4.5%.

Jeremy

Jeremey Zullo is the owner of Sunapee Paving, llc. He is active in the local communities and serves many businesses throughout the region. Local business and local communities are an important part of who Sunapee Paving is as a company.