Asphalt is a dark-colored, solid, semi-solid or viscous hydrocarbon substance derived from petroleum. It is primarily used in road construction and is the main component of many pavement mixtures. Asphalt is composed of organic compounds that are mixed with crushed stone, sand, and gravel to form a strong, durable surface.

What's the difference between pavement and asphalt?

Pavement refers to hard surfaces used for streets, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots, made of materials like asphalt, concrete, brick, or stone. Asphalt is a specific type of pavement made of aggregate and asphalt cement, known for its durability, flexibility, and weather resistance.

Paving Services | GCS Group

Built in Alberta…

On Major Roadways In The City of Edmonton & Surrounding Counties.

Roadways and high traffic areas

We are highly competent in the use and implementation of traffic controls and pedestrian accommodation to make the work area safe. Whether the work is the restoration of asphalt for emergency utility trench work or the repairing of potholes on arterial roadways, GCS can do the work.

Bike lanes and shared use paths

GCS has the capacity and capability to bike lanes and shared use paths of any size and in any situation. We have experience working in tight residential park/playground areas, in sensitive environmental locations, and near rivers/streams/bodies of water. We have experience in working with environmental sensitive areas and municipalities and environmental consultants to come up with creative solutions to keep all our projects on time, on budget, and to keep the environment safe.

Installation

Proper care and treatment of sub-grade

We always ensure that the sub-grade is of good quality and compacted to optimum density with a sheep foot packer. It is important to start with a good sub-grade layer and we make sure that your paving project is built on good ground. We make sure that the clay base is dry, well graded, and compacted to design standards. After completion, we make sure to cover the clay subgrade with gravel as soon as possible to prevent moisture saturation into the sub-grade.

Installation of gravel base

While installing the gravel base, we make sure to use approved crushed gravel by recognized gravel suppliers. All granular products are installed in even lifts with a maximum thickness of 150mm/lift. Each lift is then watered and compacted with smooth drum mechanical compactors until optimum density is achieved.

Proper installation of asphalt

All our asphalt is installed to the highest of standards. This includes providing asphalt that is fresh and hot. We never use left over asphalt from other projects or asphalt that does not meet the highest standards and specifications. We coordinate our projects so that our asphalt trucks sit on site for the minimal amount of time possible. Good coordination allows the asphalt to be placed at the optimum temperature and provide the highest amount of time to compact the product. We use mechanical asphalt screeding machines (pavers) whenever possible to provide as smooth a product as possible and to reduce the number of seams on each project. GCS only uses ride on mechanical smooth drum/pneumatic packers for compacting asphalt. The type and sizes of the compactor(s) is chosen based on the size of the project and the thickness of the asphalt being placed. Each project is unique, and we choose the right equipment for each job.

Treatment of open ends

At the end of each paving job, GCS makes sure to treat the edges. This is done by making sure all the edges are at a 45-degree angle to the granular sub-base.

Proper blending of seams

Depending on the size of the project, there may be seams/joints created between pours or from the budding up of pavers. To prevent future cracks and/or potholes, GCS heats up these joints and compacts them to make sure that they blend in together and end up with a strong bond.