What is the Concrete Paving Process?
The Paving Process
Are you interested in investing in concrete paving? Concrete is a fantastic material that’s revolutionized modern construction. It’s popular for parking lots, sidewalks, loading docks and other reliable surfaces. A skilled concrete paving contractor can handle all the logistics from start to finish, delivering an outstanding final product that lasts. But what does the paving process entail?
Does Concrete Paving Require Any Site Preparations?
All projects involving concrete paving begin with careful planning and site preparations. Before construction starts, contractors develop strategies to bring engineering plans to life. That includes determining the proper paving thickness, planning the placement of reinforcements, etc.
After finalizing those details, your concrete paving company can excavate your site. The excavation and grading process is different for every property. Some sites need full land clearing, while others require strategic subgrade preparations to ensure the foundation has the load-bearing capacity needed to support traffic. Most concrete flatwork also involves the construction of forms, allowing the wet mix to hold its shape while it cures. Whatever the case, contractors take extra time to get things right during this stage to prevent complications later.
What Type of Mixes Do Concrete Paving Contractors Use?
Concrete is a mix of cement, aggregates, water and additives. It seems simple, but the ratio of those core ingredients and the specific materials used can give concrete characteristics that meet engineering plans. When performing concrete paving, skilled contractors choose the right mix based on your project’s needs. The standard for commercial parking lots is a mix that can achieve a strength of around 4,000 PSI after 28 days of curing.
Concrete paving companies order the appropriate mix from suppliers who prepare it offsite and transport it to your property.
Does Concrete Paving Require Curing?
Curing is a critical part of the paving process. After compacting the concrete to remove air pockets and finishing the surface to create the right texture, your concrete paving company will allow the material to cure for 24 to 48 hours. Concrete paving takes 28 days to fully cure. However, it’s ready to walk on after a few days and can support traffic after about a week.
Concrete paving companies will monitor the concrete as it cures, ensuring no issues arise.
How Do Concrete Paving Companies Minimize the Risk of Cracking?
A skilled paving contractor will cut joints into your pavement to prevent cracking during and after the curing process. Joints serve many purposes, and there are different types that your concrete paving company can create. Control joints give flatwork a designated path to crack, preventing uncontrollable spread. Meanwhile, expansion joints allow the material to expand and contract during seasonal temperature changes. Experienced contractors will determine what’s necessary when performing concrete paving, creating joints during the pouring process or after curing.
We are ready to serve when you need a concrete paving contractor you can trust. With years of proven experience behind us, we have what it takes to complete projects of all sizes and scopes. We strive to deliver great results while providing reliable communication, regular project updates and full transparency. Our team will also work closely with you to complete paving projects on your terms, minimizing or preventing downtime to your business. We’re available for concrete paving, repairs, crack routing and filling, ADA compliance, warehouse striping and more.