Asphalt paving and asphalt repair play an important role in ensuring that the people who visit your property are greeted with a safe, aesthetically pleasing space to walk or drive on. That makes it tempting to pave in all weather conditions.
Unfortunately, there are times when asphalt paving is impossible. When it’s raining outside, we can’t pave asphalt. A light drizzle might not impact our work, but significant rainfall degrades the quality of freshly paved asphalt to the point that we can’t guarantee its quality.
Let’s explore why asphalt paving is impossible in the rain:
Why asphalt can't be paved in the rain
Rain prevents proper adhesion
In order to work as a durable paved surface, asphalt needs to adhere to the substrate beneath it. When it rains, a layer of water forms on the surface of the substrate. This layer of water insulates the substrate from the asphalt, preventing it from adhering properly. Rain can also wash away the tack coat, a thin layer of asphalt binder that’s applied before asphalt is paved to improve adhesion.
Rain can dilute the asphalt
Asphalt contains liquid binder (bitumen), a viscous, sticky material that’s similar to tar. This binder keeps the aggregates (stones and gravel) together. When it’s raining, the binder gets diluted with water, weakening its ability to hold aggregates together. The result is a fragile, more porous surface and a product that’s more difficult to compact. The resulting asphalt would be extremely prone to cracking and potholes; it may not even have the strength to hold vehicles.
The asphalt can be cooled by rain
As asphalt cools, it begins to harden and set. When it cools too quickly, it becomes impossible for workers to spread and compact. This means the asphalt may not cover the area you need it to. Additionally, asphalt that hasn’t been compacted properly becomes brittle and extremely prone to cracking and potholes. Rain cools asphalt down, even on hot days.
The oils in the asphalt may separate
The bitumen in asphalt is a byproduct of oil—and as we all know, oil and water don’t mix. Moisture can cause the oil in the asphalt to separate in a process known as “bleeding”. This creates an incredibly slippery surface which can make it dangerous for our crews to work and creates a surface that’s far too slippery for vehicle or pedestrian traffic.
Our policy regarding rainy days
To ensure the quality of your project, we’ll reschedule asphalt paving for a drier day if rain is forecasted.
Sometimes, the chances of precipitation are low. We may start working on a sunny day, only to be met with rain. When it’s a light drizzle, and we don’t think it will impact the quality of the asphalt, we’ll continue to work. In a heavy downpour, however, work will be postponed and resumed on a drier day. We’ll repave any asphalt we think may have been impacted by the rainfall.
Scheduling your next asphalt paving project with Infinity Asphalt
We care deeply about the quality of our work. For asphalt paving in Calgary, you can trust the professionals at Infinity Asphalt. We know the weather here can be fickle (to put it mildly)—we’ll always take any steps necessary to ensure that you’re happy with the work we do.
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.
