Asphalt Advantages for Port Pavements

As the shipping industry expands, port facilities are being constructed and improved by new asphalt materials and mix designs. Conventional wisdom has always been to use concrete pavement for ports. Particularly in hot climates, concrete pavement was thought to be superior to asphalt pavement. But recent changes in mix designs and binder improvements have raised the stock of asphalt for port pavements. According to a project manager of well known engineering firm responsible for the design of several container ports throughout the United States, “There was a time when some believed that concrete pavement would outperform asphalt in every category, but today, with the new binders and high performances mixes, asphalt has become a more cost-effective alternative.”





Asphalt is now the material that is normally used in U.S. ports. When project engineers began to consider asphalt paving contractor Florida for container port usage, they looked at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport requirements. Before designers started to consider runway-type pavements, ports used standard, local DOT highway mixes. However, these mixes were designed for relatively fast moving traffic with no heavy loads. Some proved ineffective for port usage. However, a typical mix used by the FAA for aircraft loads was considered worthy for port pavements. It held up better to the slow moving traffic, tight turns and the much heavier weight concentrations typical to container ports.





Asphalt industry leaders, however, were not content with standard state mix designs or FAA approved mixes. They envisioned asphalt pavements that could rival other pavement types. Superpave and stone matrix asphalt (SMA) is typical of these improved mix types. Specially made superpave binders are also utilized alongside to resist rutting and indentation.





While totally eliminating rutting is difficult, high performance asphalt mixtures have performed well. Historically, the problems can typically be seen in the high traffic areas or where lifts, containers and trailer loads are operated or in the wheeled load areas where the chassis and containers are stacked and stored during the loading and unloading process. Under these very heavy loads, the new paving contractor Miami can hold up very well





One variable in the consideration process is climate. Hot weather regions have to be considered when choosing a pavement type. Port authority officials have expressed concerns ovesr the detrimental effect high temperatures have on asphalt pavements. These conditions can sometimes lead to heat deformation, high temperature bleeding and fatigue cracking but they can be overcome with proper design. While this is a legitimate concern due to the higher flexibility offered by asphalt compared to concrete, the same characteristics that set asphalt apart from concrete provide a more ride-able surface and reduced maintenance costs. If pavement designers take into consideration the regional climate issues, mixes can be formulated so that the pavement will have longevity regardless of where it’s located.




Perhaps the single most important factor in choosing paving contractor Tampais cost. Asphalt can be half as expensive as concrete and is easier to construct. Concrete can cost as much as $400,000 per acre and asphalt can match the lifespan when proper conditions, aggregates and binders are employed correctly. The payoff? With the cost savings that can be realized by choosing asphalt paving contractor Orlando, port authorities can use much more space—paving 50 percent additional area for the same price.