A guide to the road resurfacing process
If you speak to any civil engineer, they’ll tell you that resurfacing a road is a process that has to be done very carefully, in order to make sure the new road is safe and durable.
Road users often get frustrated at how long road closures are in place when resurfacing work is happening, but it’s a process that can’t be rushed.
So, what goes into resurfacing a road? And what role do we play, here at Minster Group?
Removing the top layer of road
The first step in resurfacing a road is to remove the top layer of old asphalt in a process which is known as planing. To do this, specialist machines break up the old, damaged road surface.
Planing is a more cost effective and sustainable way of resurfacing a road, because it just removes the top layer of the existing road – rather than completely removing the road surface.
At Minster, we transport the material that is extracted in the planing process to our HQ, where we have the green technologies that allow us to recycle it – or we can recycle it using our mobile equipment. This turns it into new material that can be used in future surfacing projects, whether this is footpaths, industrial yards, car parks or other roads.
Sweeping and spraying
After planing the old road surface, the road is then thoroughly swept by an industrial sweeper to ensure any debris is picked up. This makes the surface nice and smooth, ready for the new surface to be laid.
At the same time, any ironwork like manhole covers and drains are also adjusted, to make sure they will sit at the same level as the new surface.
After this has been done, the road is then sprayed with a bitumen bond coat, which allows the new surface to adhere to the old surface. Not only this, but it also seals the substrate which helps to prevent water from getting in and reduces the chances of potholes forming.
Laying the sub-base
Now, the sub-base is ready to be laid. This is the main load-bearing layer of the road and it sits underneath the top layer of asphalt, providing additional support and helping with drainage.
The sub-base is usually made of materials such as crushed stone, gravel or recycled concrete and the thickness of it depends on the volume and weight of traffic that will be travelling on the road. For example, a driveway would have a much thinner sub-base than a farm track, which heavy tractors will be driving on.
Laying the new surface
Once the sub-base has been laid, the new asphalt is then laid using a paving machine. Typically, hot asphalt is delivered to the paving machine by an insulated delivery truck and the hot material passes through the paving machine, where it is then laid to the correct thickness.
For low traffic areas like car parks, farm tracks and industrial yards, this surface layer can be made of recycled materials, which have been taken from other road surfaces and given a new lease of life.
Rolling the new road
After the new asphalt has been laid, it then needs to be rolled with a road roller, to compact it and provide a smooth, even driving surface. It’s important that this is done quite quickly after the surface has been laid, because if the hot material cools down below the minimum compaction temperature, then it won’t be compacted properly.
The rolling process also ensures that no bumps from the sub-base are left poking through the new surface, preventing accidents and damage to vehicles.
Line marking the new road
The final stage in the road resurfacing process is to re-paint the road markings and replace the road studs, so the road can safely be reopened and normal traffic levels can be resumed.
How long does asphalt take to cure?
Freshly laid asphalt can take around two to three days to fully cure, however it’s generally fine for traffic to drive over a new road around 48 hours after it’s been laid.
However, the actual curing time for asphalt can vary depending on things such as weather conditions, the thickness of the asphalt and humidity levels.
How can we help with road resurfacing?
Here at Minster, we’re one of the UK’s leading road surfacing contractors, working on behalf of local authorities, retailers, developers and the Ministry of Defence.
We can support at every stage of the road resurfacing process, from surveying through to line marking, and we’re also on hand 24/7 for emergency road repairs. As a member of the Institute of Asphalt Technology (IAT), the professional body for the asphalt industry, we’re trusted to create roads which are of the highest standard.
We’re also at the cutting edge of innovation and prioritise sustainability in all our work. We use the latest waste reduction strategies and recycling technology to cut our carbon footprint, eliminate waste and reduce reliance on quarrying and crude oil.
We routinely produce roads that are 50% recycled and we can recycle road material as soon as it’s removed from an existing surface. We can even safely recycle material containing coal-tar, saving councils up to £100 per tonne in landfill costs.
If you’d like our support with a road resurfacing project, or would like to find out more about what we do, get in touch with us today.