The Importance of Asphalt Milling: Advice from a St Augustine Asphalt Paving Company

24 Jun The Importance of Asphalt Milling: Advice from a St Augustine Asphalt Paving Company

Pavement management programs can be a major expense for companies that own parking lots or other paved properties. This is why having a cost-viable milling option is essential. Milling, or cold planing, is an asphalt maintenance process that can serve many different purposes. Its main function is to remove the surface of the asphalt, and any imperfections that may appear over time. It is also used to correct and maintain the elevation of the asphalt, restore the geometric properties such as a cross-slope, and improve various other characteristics of the surface. Milling will also generate reclaimed asphalt pavement, or RAP, which can then be recycled into material for a new surface, or into a material that improves the bond between layers.

The Benefits of Asphalt Milling

One of the main economic benefits of milling comes from the RAP material, which is recycled and reused in other mixes. For example, the RAP can replace a considerable portion of the asphalt binder and virgin aggregate that are used in the overlay mix. In fact, the savings can be quite impressive. In the first five years of using recycled RAP, the Missouri Department of Transportation reported savings of up to $34 million.

Milling can also be used to remove surface distresses such as rutting, cracking, or raveling. This is because the distresses are confined to the top surface of the pavement (for rutting, this is usually within the top four inches). With milling, you do not have to replace the entire depth of the asphalt to improve the smoothness of the pavement. This, of course, saves money and time on a maintenance or repair project.

We could also add the following list of benefits to the procedure:

• Milling restores the pavement to a uniform longitudinal and cross-section profile.
• It restores drainage flow.
• When a parking lot or roadway has had numerous overlays, the curb-reveal may become less noticeable. However, it can be restored through milling the surface of the asphalt.
• Cold planing can also be used to smooth the wash boarding and remove ruts
• If a lane is distressed, you can use milling to prepare it for the pavement inlay, leaving the undamaged lanes untouched.
• If a pavement has a poor bonding potential, milling can be used to provide the texture needed for an improved bond.
• Milling can also be used to restore pavements that have a poor profile and cross-section.
• You can achieve a uniform pavement match to the curve and the gutter if you mill a tapered inlay to the curve.
• Milling is safe and clean, the process generating no flames or smoke, with only a bit of dust that can be easily controlled. Needless to say, this is very convenient to the public when working in an urban space.
• Not only does milling save you money through recycled RAP, it is also one of the least costly asphalt maintenance/repair procedures.

From this list, we can see the numerous applications and benefits of milling. Because of this, it is an essential procedure for asphalt contractors, and many clients stand to save costs by employing it for their asphalt maintenance needs. But that’s not all. Asphalt milling machines are continuously improving, leading to technological advances that further improve the process.

Asphalt Paving and Asphalt Milling Company in St. Augustine

If you’d like to find out more about asphalt paving or asphalt milling in St. Augustine, or if you’d like to get a quote, call us today and one of our representatives will be glad to help. You can also take advantage of one of our other high quality asphalt services—whether you need a new pavement installation, an ongoing maintenance contract, or repair services for an existing surface.