Expert Knowledge Base

Pavement Preservation & Project Insights

An informed client is our best partner. We've compiled this resource center to share our industry knowledge, helping you understand the intricacies of pavement care and make sound decisions for your property or community infrastructure.

Maintenance

The 5-Year Pavement Plan: Maximizing the Lifespan of Your Asphalt

Investing in new asphalt is a significant capital expenditure. However, the initial cost is only part of the story. A proactive, long-term maintenance strategy is the most critical factor in maximizing the return on that investment. Failing to maintain your pavement is like buying a new car and never changing the oil; premature failure is inevitable. A well-structured 5-year plan can easily double the service life of your asphalt, saving you substantial amounts on costly repairs and premature replacement. This approach shifts the focus from reactive, expensive fixes to proactive, affordable preservation.

Year 1: The Foundation is Set. Immediately after a new installation or overlay, the asphalt is at its most durable and flexible state. The primary goal in the first year is to allow the pavement to fully cure and settle. Keep it clean from debris and address any fluid spills (oil, gasoline) immediately, as they can soften the asphalt binder. This is also the ideal time to ensure your drainage systems are working effectively, preventing water from pooling on the new surface.

Year 2-3: First Line of Defense - Sealcoating. After the initial curing period, the asphalt binder begins to oxidize from sun exposure, becoming more brittle. This is the optimal window for the first application of a high-quality sealcoat. Sealcoating serves multiple purposes: it blocks UV rays, prevents water and chemical intrusion, and restores the rich, black appearance. Think of it as a sacrificial layer that wears away instead of your valuable asphalt. At this stage, we also perform the first comprehensive crack sealing. Any minor cracks that have appeared are sealed with hot rubberized sealant to prevent them from expanding.

Year 4-5: Re-evaluation and Touch-Up. By year four or five, the initial sealcoat will have started to wear, especially in high-traffic areas. This is the time for a thorough inspection to assess the pavement's condition. We look for signs of wear, new cracking, and any areas of concern. A second application of sealcoat is typically recommended during this period to replenish the protective layer. We will also re-address any new cracks that have formed. This mid-cycle preservation step is crucial for carrying the pavement through to its next major lifecycle event, pushing the need for an expensive overlay or reconstruction far into the future.

Close-up view of porous asphalt pavement

Innovation

Beyond Blacktop: Understanding Sustainable Paving Solutions

The paving industry is undergoing a green revolution. As environmental regulations become more stringent and clients become more eco-conscious, sustainable paving solutions are moving from a niche specialty to a mainstream demand. These innovative approaches not only reduce the environmental impact of a project but often provide superior long-term performance and can even lower lifecycle costs. At Apex, we are at the forefront of implementing these technologies, helping our clients build smarter, more resilient infrastructure.

Porous Asphalt: Paving for a Rainy Day. One of the most impactful green technologies is porous asphalt. Unlike traditional impervious surfaces that create stormwater runoff, porous asphalt allows rainwater to percolate directly through the pavement into a specially prepared stone reservoir base. This system dramatically reduces runoff, recharges local groundwater, filters pollutants, and can eliminate the need for costly retention ponds and drainage systems. It's an ideal solution for parking lots, low-traffic roads, and pedestrian paths, helping municipalities and property owners meet modern stormwater management requirements.

Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP): The Circular Economy in Action. Asphalt is the most recycled material in North America, and for good reason. Old asphalt that is milled from a road surface is not waste; it's a valuable resource. This Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) contains both aggregate and aged asphalt binder. At our recycling facility, we crush, screen, and test this material, then carefully reintroduce it into new hot-mix asphalt. Using RAP reduces the need for virgin aggregate and petroleum-based liquid asphalt, conserving natural resources, lowering energy consumption, and reducing the overall cost of the mix without compromising on performance.

Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA): Lowering the Temperature. Traditional hot-mix asphalt (HMA) is produced at temperatures between 300-350°F. Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA) technologies utilize special additives or processes that allow us to produce and place asphalt at significantly lower temperatures (typically 50-100°F cooler). This reduction in temperature provides numerous benefits: it reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at the plant, lowers fume exposure for our crews, extends the paving season into cooler weather, and allows for longer hauling distances without the mix cooling down too much.