Your asphalt paving in Springfield, IL has looked great for a few years, but you’re starting to notice a few issues. For example, you see some small ripples that spread out rapidly from a single location. You’ve also noticed some slight dips in your pavement that look like minor potholes waiting to become more prominent. This situation doesn’t seem dangerous because the problems don’t look too big.
If this situation describes you, then you are suffering from what the paving world knows as pavement distortions. These small changes to your pavement surface typically occur due to a handful of influences but can become a big issue if you don’t take significant steps to fix them. Luckily, these repairs aren’t that hard and shouldn’t set you back that much money as long as you’re smart about them.
The Types of Pavement Distortion
Distortion can be a significant problem with your asphalt paving if you aren’t too careful. Though most of these problems are relatively minor when they first develop, they can quickly get out of control and put you in a very tough position. These pavement distortions include:
- Rutting – Rutting is a problem that occurs when uneven pavement creates an unfortunately shallow or deep feel on your pavement. These ruts can be a problem because they will hold water against your pavement and cause gradual, but persistent, damage in your pavement that can trigger a multitude of issues, including underlay failure.
- Corrugation – Have you ever seen little ripples on the surface of your pavement that look like somebody dropped a pebble into a pond? This effect is known as corrugation and creates a washboard-effect that some may look cool but which is a severe issue.
- Shoving – Shoving is very similar to corrugation in that the latter creates a similar effect on the pavement. Usually, shoving creates a more wave-like appearance, rather than ripples, which are typically broader and more damaging. Both occur due to unfortunate subgrade amalgamation.
- Depressions – This type of asphalt damage is very similar to potholes because the same kind of issues causes them. For example, the subgrade is often unstable and causes instabilities that lead to damage. However, depressions are much smaller and not as big of a problem.
- Swelling – This problem occurs when asphalt bubbles pop up across the surface of your pavement. Typically, this problem occurs when the aggregate is forced to expand by cold or warm temperatures. This type of damage is often widespread and challenging to manage.
- Patch Failures – When you try to patch up your pavement due to damage, you need to be careful to get everything exactly right. Unfortunately, issues such as poor compaction, low-quality patches, or heavy traffic could cause problems with your asphalt that makes it less stable and robust.
While distortions are not quite as severe as cracks in the way that they impact your asphalt paving , they can be just as problematic in their own ways. Understanding the impact of pavement distortions on your driveway or parking lot can help you better prepare for any issues that could develop and give you the insight you need to ensure your pavement is as smooth as possible.
These Problems Can Be a Severe Issue
If you see any of these distortions appearing on your pavement, you should contact a repair specialist right away to talk to them about these issues. These professionals can help you better understand what is happening and can prepare you for some of the problems that they trigger, such as:
- Potential Cracks – As these distortions expand and worsen – as they’re liable to do if you don’t manage their underlying cause – they could eventually turn into cracks. And if they meet up with any other breaks on your asphalt paving , they could worsen and become a significant issue.
- Deeper Pavement Problems – The issues that trigger distortions on your asphalt could lead to a myriad of other problems, such as problems with the subgrade and more. When these issues rapidly spread throughout your slab, you’ll need more severe fixes to get them repaired.
- Pavement Failure – When your pavement gets damaged enough, there’s a good chance that significant portions of the slab will just start collapsing. This type of problem is common with distortions because people ignore them for so long and let them become a more persistent problem.
The critical thing to remember about distortions is that they are easy to fix as long as you get on top of them right away and don’t let them linger. If you let your distortions worsen and spread across your pavement, there is a good chance that your whole slab can be affected. Thankfully, many asphalt paving repairs are possible to avoid this possibility and keep your pavement as strong and as durable as you want.
Repairs are a Smart Choice
If your driveway or parking lot is home to any of these types of pavement distortions, professional repairs are a good choice. While you may be able to handle some of these repairs on your own – particularly filling in depressions – there is a good chance that you could make mistakes that cause the situation to worsen. For example, unnecessary filler could spill out of your crack and produce a bumpier pavement surface.
Even worse, you could even misdiagnose the problem and try to fix an issue that doesn’t exist. This problem typically occurs with corrugation and shoving because they are so similar. Even worse, these problems often occur due to subgrade issues that can be hard to predict and difficult to track. Subgrade repairs, in general, are not a good idea to do on your own because you’re more likely to worsen the situation.
Let Us Know if You Need Help
By now, you should have a pretty good idea of the kinds of problems that pavement distortion can cause your driveway or parking lot. And you should know enough about their appearance to be able to identify and even classify which are occurring on your lawn. Now, you need to do the smart thing and get to the phone right away to call us at Illinois Paving right away to schedule a repair job.
Our specialists operate around and serve Springfield, Lincoln, Jacksonville, and other nearby Illinois cities and provide high-quality pavement repairs for distortions and other issues. Our professionals will check out your asphalt paving and note any problems developing on their surface. Then, we will work with you to better understand how these problems are impacting the structure and strength of your pavement.