When it comes to pavement lifespan, water is enemy #1. Rain and snow can’t be avoided: this is why having proper drainage and slope to your pavement is extremely important. Puddles can cause extensive pavement damage by allowing water time to penetrate into cracks, which causes the pavement sub-base to deteriorate faster than normal. Not only is your pavement lifespan shortened if not repaired, but puddles can also cause slip and fall hazards for residential and commercial properties, increasing liability, especially in winter months when puddles turn to ice. When you notice a puddle remaining on your pavement after it rains, it’s time for repair work.
How Do Puddles Form in the First Place?
There are 4 main reasons why a puddle will form in the pavement:
– New Pavement Installation Heavy Paving Equipment
During a paving project when elevations are extremely tight (with grades of less than 2%), it’s common to have areas where the slope needed for water runoff was not kept intact properly during the paving process. Even the slightest dip or inconsistency in the final paved surface can result in a puddle spot forming where water collects.
– Potholes & Pavement Damage
Another cause of puddles is due to potholes or pavement areas in need of repair that are left unattended to. Any damaged area that is not repaired promptly will continue to grow in size creating a larger problem to fix.
– Soft Sub Base
Puddles can form when the soil under the original construction site has a sub-base material that becomes soft or saturated with groundwater, allowing the pavement surface above to sink. This causes a new low area to form and hold water, creating a puddle.
– Improper Drainage
It is important to keep the roadways and parking lots draining properly. Many times the asphalt around catch basins settle, creating puddles. These puddles can create ice and liability hazards during the winter months, and aid in the premature deterioration of asphalt surfaces of the surrounding drainage basin. Left unattended, this condition will lead to a much larger, more dangerous sinkhole under the pavement.
How Does Power Patch Repair Pavement to Prevent a Puddle?
The infrared patching method is the only cost-effective tool available on the market to fix pavement grade and repair sunken areas where water puddles collect. To correct this, we use infrared pavement patching to fill in dips and low spots in asphalt and regrade asphalt areas that are too high. We create a new swale in the pavement which allows water to drain away from the problem area, and ensure your pavement has the necessary pitch from proper drainage.
Do you have damage to your pavement that needs repair or areas where puddles form? Contact one of our pavement repair specialists today for an estimate on your project.
One unit. No seams. One hot concept in asphalt repair.
We are the pavement problem solvers.
