Potholes in asphalt are depressions in the pavement that form when water seeps into the asphalt, either through cracks in the pavement or from the edges of the pavement, and then freezes and thaws. As the water expands and contracts, it weakens the structure of the asphalt and causes it to break apart, creating a pothole.

Can you fill potholes with asphalt?

Potholes can be filled with asphalt by cleaning the hole, applying a layer of asphalt, and compressing and smoothing it by hand or with machinery.

Asphalt Pothole Repair

Adhering To The Highest Level Of Engineering Standards…

GCS Can Remove Potholes & Restore The Smooth Surface Of Your Parking Lot.

Potholes

Do you have potholes plaguing your parking lot? Potholes are caused when water flows into the cracks of deteriorated asphalt and freezes. The formation of ice crystals is stronger than the tensile strength of asphalt and causes the cracks to expand and become holes. When this is repeated throughout the winter months, potholes form.
Potholes, left untreated, can cause damage to employee and customer vehicles, tripping hazards, and invisible water holes that can catch people unawares.

GCS adheres to the highest level of engineering standards when doing any repairs. The existing asphalt is saw-cut around each pothole and all the compromised asphalt is removed. The hole is then excavated to allow for the installation of new granular sub-base. Once the new gravel has been placed and compacted, the limits of the repair are sprayed with an oil tac to ensure adhesion between the old and new asphalt. New asphalt is then placed and compacted with a mechanical ride on packer to ensure that the asphalt reaches maximum density.

Alligator Cracking

Weak/saturated sub-grade

It does not matter how thick your asphalt is if the foundation its on is squishy. Many parking lots suffer from cracking because the existing clay base cannot handle the downward force of vehicles and displaces under the pressure. This displacement causes the asphalt structure to shift and endure tensile forces that asphalt is not designed for. This can be caused either because the sub-grade was never compacted properly or that the sub-grade is too wet and should never have been used.

This issue can be fixed! GCS has the expertise to correct this issue. After removing the affected asphalt and gravel base, the clay sub-grade will be inspected. If the clay is of good quality, then GCS will compact the clay and re-establish clay to an acceptable density. If the clay sub-grade is unacceptable, then it will be removed and replaced with clay that meets the highest standards for roadways. This clay will then be placed and compacted. Once the new gravel has been placed and compacted, the limits of the repair are sprayed with an oil tac to ensure adhesion between the old and new asphalt. New asphalt is then placed and compacted with a mechanical ride on packer to ensure that the asphalt reaches maximum density.

Insufficient Gravel Sub-Base

If there is not enough gravel base under your asphalt, there is not enough force displacement to distribute the force applied by vehicles. Asphalt cracking is a sign that your asphalt is suffering from tensile forces or from overwhelming compressive forces. Both could be caused by insufficient gravel base.

This can be fixed by a very similar process to weak/saturated sub-grade. To fix the areas with insufficient gravel, additional clay sub-grade will be excavated out, and replaced with additional gravel base.

Insufficient Asphalt Thickness

Sometimes, the hard truth is that the asphalt in your parking lot was just not designed for what you are now using it for. If your asphalt is not thick enough, then we can provide you with options to either fix areas of need or we can replace your parking lot with well designed structure to meet your needs.