Monthly Archives: March 2017

The Freeze-Thaw Effect: Fill Up those Winter Potholes Before they get Bigger!

The freeze-thaw cycle of winter can certainly do a number on our roads, parking lots, and driveways. Whether you own a commercial property or have a residential driveway, asphalt suffers when it comes to water and ice. All it takes is a single crack or a small pot hole to cause a lot of damage–9.86% of damage to be exact. That is why paving companies in NJ are so important to keep in mind during or before the winter months.  

The Freeze-thaw Cycle

The science of the freeze-thaw cycle is rather simple, entailing volumetric expansion. Basically, when water freezes, it expands, causing a whole lot of damage. And if that liquid water was in a crack, crevasse, or preexisting pothole, then it essentially pushes it outward, making it larger and larger the more it occurs.

Formation of Potholes and Enlargement of Cracks

Over winter, it is impossible to avoid this scenario, as temperatures will fluctuate above and below freezing regularly. Unless you have your asphalt in New Jersey sealcoated and safe, it will not be resistant to the formation of cracks. Snow or winter rain will seep into those cracks–however small–and the freeze-thaw cycle will continuously make them larger.

Another danger occurs when water is able to reach the sub-pavement, where gravel and soil support the asphalt. The expansion-contraction in the freeze-thaw cycle can then cause a frozen water bubble, which pushes the pavement up from below. Plows, trucks, or other heavy vehicles that pass over this slightly elevated bubble, can then break it and cause the pavement to collapse, creating an unfortunate pothole.

Our Solution

If you want to avoid having a massive pothole or a gaping crack on your hands, it is best to get it filled right away or to take preemptive measures by sealcoating your commercial lot, road, or residential driveway. Over all other residential driveway paving companies, Stanley Paving is the one that can handle any situation regardless of how big or how small. We want to keep your roadways safe from recurring damages, by getting the job done right the first time. When you have sturdy and hardly asphalt, your lot, road, or driveway will be in tiptop shape all winter long.