Asphalt Paving for Parking Lots

What are the benefits and general information regarding asphalt paving for parking lots? If you’re looking to construct, repair, or perform maintenance on a parking lot, you’ll want to know about the best options out there.

You’re trying to make a decision that gives you the best results, but you’re not sure exactly what that decision is. Before deciding to construct a commercial or a residential parking lot, you need to consider the different materials.

Asphalt Paving for Parking Lots

Usually, contractors narrow down the top picks to concrete or asphalt paving for parking lots. While both materials can satisfy the demands of a busy lot, the better option is to go for an asphalt parking lot.

While concrete can be a good option, many contractors favor using asphalt instead because there are various drawbacks to using concrete.

Perhaps the biggest drawback is that it offers relatively lesser tensile strength compared to asphalt. Concrete is also relatively more prone to cracking, making asphalt a more suitable option.

Another disadvantage of using concrete is that it’s less ductile and has a lot more weight compared to its strength which can be problematic in the future.

Benefits of Using Asphalt Paving for Parking Lots

Asphalt, on the other hand, is a great option for constructing a parking lot or even a driveway. Many contractors use asphalt to construct commercial parking lots because of its benefits.

Asphalt is especially useful for commercial settings.

These are some benefits of using asphalt instead of concrete for constructing a parking lot.

Highly Durable

When you’re looking for the best materials for construction, one of the first things you notice is how durable the material is. Asphalt offers greater durability in comparison to other materials because it has better tensile strength.

Asphalt is relatively more porous than concrete, which helps drain water faster. One of the most important things when constructing parking is its ability to keep water from seeping into the ground. Since concrete is not as porous, water can seep through the surface, which softens and eventually weakens the durability of the constructed parking lot.

This is one of the reasons most contractors prefer asphalt instead of concrete.

Better Resilience to External Conditions

A good way to determine how well a parking lot is constructed is by analyzing its ability to tolerate external conditions. Fluctuations in temperature and climate change are usually responsible for weakening the underlying structure of the parking lot.

However, using materials like asphalt can offer better resilience to external conditions as compared to concrete. The materials in asphalt comprise bitumen which offers better elasticity.

Asphalt is, therefore, less vulnerable to any changes in temperature.

Relatively Cheaper

Constructing a parking lot can account for some heavy expenditures, and knowing which materials to use can be the difference between saving expenses. Asphalt is normally cheaper to use compared to concrete because the project is a lot faster to complete.

It is important to take maintenance costs into account as well. Asphalt does require the occasional maintenance costs to keep your parking lot in the best condition, but the overall costs are reduced.

Sustainable

Climate change is a real threat to our planet, and we need to encourage the use of sustainable and recyclable materials to play our part in saving the planet. The great thing about asphalt is that it uses sustainable materials. You can reuse recycled asphalt more than once, which makes it a lot more favorable to use compared to concrete.

Asphalt Paving for Parking Lots: Bottom Line

Asphalt is, therefore, the most suitable material that can be used to construct a parking lot. If you’re interested in construction, maintenance or repair of an asphalt parking lot, Whitman’s Asphalt Maintenance & Repair, Inc would be a great place to start. With over 30 years of experience, Randy Whitman is a seasoned asphalt and concrete contractor operating in the St. Petersburg and Tampa area of Florida. 

No job is too big or small. Contact us today for a free consultation!

Whitmans Asphalt Maintenance & Repair
Randy Whitman
6802 Stonesthrow Circle North
St. Petersburg, Florida 33710
727-449-9204
whitmansasphalt1981@gmail.com