The cold and snowy conditions of a Wisconsin winter are something to consider carefully when choosing the material to pave with. Today we’ll look at asphalt in a cold climate as well as other paving options. All paving materials come with their own set of drawbacks. Paving materials are typically prone to cracking and degrading through freeze-thaw cycles. Learn about the durability of a properly installed asphalt driveway.
Freezing & Thawing
Winter poses a threat to the physical structure of your paved surface through the process of freezing and thawing. During the freeze-thaw cycles of winter and spring, snow and ice seep into small cracks in the paved surface. Once the temperature drops back below freezing, this trapped water freezes and expands, causing the cracks in asphalt or concrete to grow in size.
While it doesn’t directly degrade asphalt, road salt’s effects on asphalt in a cold climate can be profound. Salt can accelerate the effects of freeze-thaw cycles in paved surfaces. This is because salt decreases the melting point of water and makes it easier for water to seep into cracks in the surface.
Salt doesn’t have a direct damaging effect on asphalt. However, it does degrade concrete surfaces.
The solution to freezing and thawing of paved surfaces is regular maintenance. If you see cracks or bumps in your asphalt, contact a professional to fix it before it gets worse. Cracks in paved surfaces cause more damage over time and require immediate fixing.
An example of asphalt in a cold climate. Freeze-thaw cycles can cause damage.
Oxidation
Asphalt begins the oxidation process from the moment it is laid down. Once exposed to the air, molecules in the asphalt binder and the asphalt aggregate begin to bond with each other. As time progresses and these bonds become more prevalent, the surface becomes brittle and rigid. The load-bearing capacity of an asphalt installation goes down as time continues on.
Oxidation occurs at an increased rate in colder climates. Breakthroughs in mixing techniques for asphalt have made large improvements to the rates of oxidation for asphalt. Experts recommend that asphalt pavers in cold climates primarily use hot-mix asphalt. Hot-mix asphalt is far less prone to oxidation than traditional cold-mix techniques.
You can recognize oxidation in asphalt just by its look. Fresh asphalt is black, and the boundaries between the asphalt binder and asphalt aggregate are clear. When asphalt oxidizes, it starts looking faded, and the distinction between the binder and aggregate becomes less clear.
You can prevent oxidation of your asphalt surface by adhering to a regular sealcoating schedule. Treating your asphalt with a sealcoat earlier in its life will help it last longer against oxidation. Seal-coated asphalt is separated from the air, making it far less prone to oxidizing.
If your asphalt already has oxidation, sealcoat will have diminished effects. Sealcoating does not work as well on already oxidized asphalt because it has already weakened the asphalt’s integrity. You can learn more about the technical details of asphalt oxidation here.
While no paved surface is perfect for harsh Wisconsin winter conditions, asphalt does offer up a lot of advantages. The reparability and recyclability of asphalt make it a sustainable and long-lived paving material when compared to concrete. It also boasts a lower price to install. If you take good care of it, asphalt can last longer in cold weather than concrete or other paving materials.
Mid-State Asphalt takes the variables mentioned in the article above to give you a durable driving surface that will last very long. Click here to get started with a quote on unparalleled installation and service.
