Whether you’re paving your driveway or building a parking lot, you’ll have a choice to make: Whether you should use asphalt or concrete. Both have their advantages and disadvantages; this article was designed to help you pick the material that’s right for your needs.
Before we start, though, we want to touch on the concept of “cost”. Based solely on upfront cost, asphalt wins, hands down. Things get more complicated, however, when you look at how often repairs are needed, the longevity of both systems, and even aesthetics. All of these things can impact the value of your parking lot or driveway—and whatever impacts value, impacts the relative cost of the material.
With that out of the way, let’s begin our deep dive into the paving battle of the century: Asphalt vs. concrete!
Asphalt Paving
Asphalt is a petroleum product that, when combined with sand, gravel, and other aggregates, forms one of the most commonly used paving products in the world. While this form of asphalt is technically known as “asphalt concrete”, no one calls it that—so we’ll continue to call it asphalt throughout the rest of the article.
Pros of asphalt paving
Cost: Asphalt costs anywhere from 30%-50% less than concrete—a significantly lower upfront cost. Typically, asphalt paving for driveways costs about $7-$13 per square foot, while the cost for parking lots is lower (about $4-$8 per square foot). Parking lots are much larger—the lower price is something of a bulk discount.
Low time to install: Asphalt can be walked on mere hours after it’s been installed—vehicles can drive on asphalt within 24 to 48 hours. Both easy to install and quick to cure, it’s a great choice if you want to accommodate vehicle traffic sooner rather than later. This makes it an excellent choice for driveways and parking lots.
Ease of maintenance: Sealant and filling make asphalt cracks easy to repair. Asphalt sealcoating, which adds a layer of protection, only needs to be applied every two years. The dark colour of asphalt means oil stains will be virtually invisible. You can sweep asphalt clean in no time flat—maintenance is a breeze.
Perfect for Alberta’s climate: Asphalt paving can be designed to draw rainwater away from the surface, helping to prevent potholes. With our climate, where rain and frigid cold can both hit within hours, asphalt is a very useful paving material.
Cons of Asphalt Paving
Shorter lifespan: Asphalt generally lasts from 20-30 years with regular maintenance. That’s a pretty impressive lifespan—but it’s actually about 30%-50% lower than the lifespan of concrete! Regular maintenance is key.
Frequent resurfacing: While regular maintenance of asphalt is pretty straightforward, at some point you might need to fully resurface your asphalt to extend its life. It’s not nearly as expensive as installing a new driveway or parking lot, but it does add to the cost of asphalt over the course of its lifespan.
Low heat resistance: When asphalt reaches about 48°C, it becomes viscous and sticky. The temperature here in Calgary will never hit 48°C (we hope), but asphalt is often hotter than the ambient temperature outdoors, especially when exposed to sunlight. On particularly hot days (30°C+), your asphalt may become uncomfortable for people to walk upon.
Concrete Paving
Concrete is a mix of cement and sand, gravel, and other aggregates. After water, it’s the second most consumed material on the planet—3 tonnes of concrete are used for every person. Most importantly, it’s a great material to pave with.
Pros of concrete paving
Longevity: Concrete driveways and parking lots are incredibly long-lived. With proper installation and maintenance, you can expect a lifespan of 50+ years; pretty impressive!
Ease of maintenance: Like asphalt, concrete is easy to maintain. All you’ll need to do is seal it every 3-5 years. Outside of sealing, sweeping your concrete driveway or parking lot regularly can stop grit from scratching and damaging its surface.
Customizability: Not everyone is looking for branding on their parking lot or driveway—but if you are, concrete is an excellent option. It can be stamped and engraved, and even tinted in a variety of different colours. Asphalt, on the other hand, basically varies from dark grey to black.
Lower cost over its lifespan: Concrete doesn’t need to be resurfaced in the same way that asphalt does; resurfacing only occurs when the concrete has been damaged. This lowers concrete’s cost over time significantly—over the course of its lifespan, concrete is less expensive than asphalt.
Cons of concrete paving
Higher upfront cost: The installation costs of concrete are substantially higher than asphalt. Prices for a concrete driveway range from $18-$25 per square foot; the cost to pave your parking lot will be lower (there’s that bulk discount again), but you can still expect around $16 per square foot. That’s about double the price of installing an asphalt parking lot or driveway!
Longer installation period: Curing concrete takes time. You’ll be able to admit vehicle traffic after about 7 days; the concrete will be fully cured after about 28. For many people (and companies), that curing time is simply too long.
Low cold resistance: Concrete is more prone to cracking in cold weather; it’s less elastic than asphalt, so the thermal expansion-contraction cycle can do a number on it. Water gets into the cracks, then freezes—and all of a sudden, you’ve got potholes. Road salts are also more damaging to concrete than they are to asphalt.
What’s better—Asphalt or Concrete?
There’s no concrete (excuse the pun) answer to that question. In our experience, however, more homeowners and business owners in Calgary opt for asphalt. The ease of installation, lower upfront cost, and better cold resistance all make it a more viable option in most cases.
At Infinity Asphalt, we know a lot about asphalt—that’s because we offer asphalt repairs, sealcoating, and more. We also offer parking lot maintenance services for both concrete and asphalt parking lots. Need a hand with your parking lot or driveway? Give us a call!
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.
