We’re not here to bury the lede—you can pave asphalt in cold weather. While you shouldn’t try to pave an entire parking lot during the winter (save that for the warmer months), asphalt repair is entirely possible in cold weather.
In this article, we’re going to teach you all about winter asphalt repair. We’ll discuss why it’s more difficult to pour asphalt in cold temperatures and other adverse conditions. We’ll talk about the different types of asphalt that can be used for cold weather repair, and we’ll even tell you about our favourite asphalt repair method for the harsh winters we get here in Calgary.
Paving asphalt in cold weather: What you need to know
Daily temperatures
Low daily temperatures are the main factors affecting repairs to asphalt in the winter months; asphalt needs to be compacted to create a long-lasting bond with the substrate and a smooth, even surface. Compaction is achieved through heavy machinery (like rollers), though tamping is sometimes used for smaller repairs (like small cracks and potholes).
When the ambient temperature or the surface temperature of the substrate is too cold, asphalt becomes impossible to compact—it effectively freezes in places. When it’s very cold out, the rapidly cooling asphalt doesn’t allow enough time for compaction, which leads to a less-than-stellar end product. This is why most asphalt repair is done in warmer temperatures; colder weather doesn’t lend itself to paving.
Precipitation and temperature consistency
Temperatures are one of the most important factors—but they’re not the only factor. Wind speed, precipitation, and even temperature fluctuations can hinder the asphalt installation process.
The effect of wind speed is easy to understand—we’ve all experienced wind chill. The same basic principle is at play with asphalt—the wind quickly dries the asphalt mixture, sapping it of moisture and reducing the time available for compaction.
Precipitation—be it sleet, snow, or rain—makes it difficult for the asphalt mixture to adhere to the surface it’s being applied to. As we all know, we might see sleet, rain, and snow on any given winter day in Calgary! When there’s too much moisture, it becomes nearly impossible to repair potholes and cracks.
Finally, temperature fluctuations can shock the asphalt, causing it to crack. Repairs are best left for when the forecast shows consistent temperatures for a few days.
Hot-mix vs. cold-mix asphalt
Weather conditions aren’t the only thing that affect how well asphalt can adhere to a surface. The type of asphalt used is another important factor.
Hot-mix asphalt provides a much more stable, durable, and long-lasting paved surface than cold-mix asphalt. Hot-mix is typically only applied during warmer months because hot-mix needs to stay at a certain temperature in order to adhere properly. When the surface temperature or ambient air temperature is too low, hot-mix asphalt becomes impossible to apply.
Cold-mix asphalt, conversely, can be applied in even very cold weather. The problem with cold-mix is that it only provides a temporary patch—you’ll usually have to fully repair the cracks or potholes when it’s warmer out.
Preventing cold weather damage with Infinity Asphalt paving
After reading all of the things that can go wrong with cold weather asphalt repair, you might have come to the conclusion that asphalt paving is impossible in the winter months—especially in Calgary.
We’ve got you covered. As a Calgary paving company, we know exactly how to repair asphalt in the winter.
We don’t love cold-mix asphalt repairs—they’re too temporary, and the results are too inconsistent. Here’s what we do instead:
Our team uses predictive technology—like computer software and standardized nomographs—to estimate how quickly the asphalt will cool and how much compaction time we have.
We then clean the crack or pothole being treated, removing any debris. From there, infrared heaters are used to heat up the existing asphalt. The old and new asphalt can then be mixed together. This process keeps the asphalt warm enough to tamp down and provides perfect adhesion with the area being repaired. This allows us to repair damage all season round.
The paving professionals at Infinity Asphalt can repair cracking and damaged asphalt year-round. You don’t need to wait for warmer temperatures for asphalt paving and repair—give us a call today for an estimate!
Brent Schuldhaus is the founder and president of Infinity Asphalt. He grew up in Calgary, Alberta, played junior hockey for three years, graduated from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in Ontario with a Bachelor of Commerce and went on to found Infinity Asphalt in 2019.
