Guide to Basic Asphalt Paving Equipment

There's a fair chance you don't think twice about asphalt paving equipment operated to pave roads and parking areas that you utilize daily, but we think about it often. Although we do many commercial projects, we also assist with more significant municipal undertakings like streets. In these circumstances, equipment is key to obtaining ROI and building paved surfaces that resist heavy traffic for years.

The last thing we desire is a timeline to be moved back from equipment breakdowns or failure; whole communities rely on asphalt paving jobs happening quickly and with few interruptions.

We sidestep these issues by selecting the right equipment and training our team to guarantee it's operated accurately. The finest equipment on a job site with backups waiting to take over means we deliver the peace of mind that we will do their projects on time with little disturbance.

Some fantastic tools are used for asphalt paving in Stockton, CA, that we all count on every day; here's everything you need to know about them.

Asphalt Paver

An asphalt paver is a self-propelled machine that was initially patented in 1936. A dump truck places asphalt into the device's hopper, and a conveyor moves asphalt from a hopper to an auger, which spreads the paving material on the street or parking area. A screed is a component of the apparatus that then flattens the asphalt.

Compactors

Often dubbed road rollers, this machine engages its weight to compact the structure to make it smoother and denser. Different compactors execute different duties throughout the paving process, beginning with the bottom layer of soil and until the last layer of asphalt is established. This delivers pavement that stands up to traffic.

Dump Trucks

These trucks aren't distinctive to asphalt paving, but they are a critical element of the paving process. There are different kinds of dump trucks employed. End dump means the truck raises the front end and opens up a tailgate at the rear end to allow material out. A belly dump opens the bottom floor, releasing the material along sloped barriers. Live bottom dumps operate a conveyor to discharge material instead of raising the truck.

Graders

This heavy-duty machine offers a combination of services within the construction realm; it's an automobile with a long blade to form a flat surface. Typically, it's used to create a flat surface onto which the last layers of the asphalt are spread, but you can also use it to preserve gravel or dirt routes on job sites that don't demand traditional paved surfaces.

Milling Machines

This equipment is generally used to repair or replace older, damaged asphalt pavement. Milling machines can form an asphalt surface that's more level and sufficiently prepared for a fresh top layer, offering a rough surface with channels safe for drivers between the stages of asphalt restoration or replacement. It also reclaims asphalt materials you can repurpose and recycle.

Stabilizers and Reclaimers

This equipment often does double duty. For example, soil stabilization creates additional strength at the bottom of asphalt pavement by milling, spreading additives, then grading and compacting, making more practical support for other asphalt layers. Likewise, reclamation is the method of rehabbing pavement by crushing it to deliver a base for a renewed asphalt surface. Stabilizer and reclaimer machines can help with these processes.

This is a guide to some of the essential asphalt paving equipment used in the process. Contact us today for more information on asphalt paving in Stockton, CA.