Glossary
Terms & Definitions
Asphalt - This is usually the material that surface parking lots are made of. It consists of tars, oils, sands, bituminous matter and rock. The original asphalt cap could be as thick as three inches or as thin as one inch.
Cold Patch - A cold applied asphalt mixture designed to temporarily repair potholes and damaged areas.
Crack fill - A hot melt, hot applied rubberized material used to seal cracks larger than .¡¨ to help prevent water penetration and damage to base.
Cracking - Cracks occur due to numerous reasons from the settling of your asphalt, reaction to seal coating, expansion due to heat or just plain old age. Crack filling is used to seal cracks in your asphalt that are about a fourth of an inch in width. The cracks are routed to a uniform depth and then a hot rubberized material is injected into the crack
Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) - A mixture of rock, oil and fines that is heated prior to mixing and installed at an elevated temperature to allow for better compaction and adhesion.
Milling - The grinding down and removal of an asphalt cap almost to the base.
Overlay - A fresh layer of asphalt, usually 1¨ thick, that covers existing asphalt cap. There are a couple of different types of overlay. The most inexpensive is applying a one-inch overlay asphalt cap that is put on top of your existing pavement. Most major areas of deterioration will be repaired prior to this type of overlay. This procedure will give your asphalt a brand new look and can be maintained for years with properly scheduled maintenance.
Oxidation - The natural deterioration of your asphalt due to the elements that surround it such as weather, irrigation, fluid spills and traffic.
Ponding - This is an area where water puddles due to the lack of drainage or the inability to drain properly.
Potholes - These are the areas of your asphalt that have deteriorated to the point that the asphalt has been removed or washed away and your sub base is exposed. This, if not taken care of immediately, will continue to grow in size and can do more damage if neglected over a period of time. Potholes occur for reasons such as standing water, high traffic, sealcoat breakdown, gouges and even sinkholes or washouts.
Raveling - The loosening of the rock and fine aggregate due to the oxidation of the oils (binders) that hold your asphalt together.
Rejuvenation - Over time, the tars and oils that surround the rocks that make up your asphalt eventually begin to dry up and evaporate. When this occurs, the rock that makes up the binder becomes exposed causing early stages of deterioration. If left untreated, the rock will eventually become loose and a complete overlay will be needed.
Sealcoating - Sealcoating is a water-based coal/tar emulsion that is applied to your asphalt to protect it as well as give it an aesthetically appealing look. Asphalt sealcoating is sprayed on or squeegeed on, either method is acceptable.
Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) - is the term given to removed and/or reprocessed pavement materials containing asphalt and aggregates. These materials are generated when asphalt pavements are removed for reconstruction, and resurfacing. When properly crushed and screened, RAP consists of high-quality, well-graded aggregates coated by asphalt cement. Asphalt pavement is generally removed either by milling or full-depth removal. Milling entails removal of the pavement surface using a milling machine, which can remove up to 50 mm (2 in) thickness in a single pass. Full-depth removal involves ripping and breaking the pavement using a rhino horn on a bulldozer and/or pneumatic pavement breakers. In most instances, the broken material is picked up and loaded into haul trucks by a front-end loader and transported to a central facility for processing. At this facility, the RAP is processed using a series of operations, including crushing, screening, conveying, and stacking.
