Understanding Asphalt Raveling

In our last post, we mentioned asphalt raveling, a type of asphalt disintegration. But what is asphalt raveling exactly, and what should be done about it?

What is raveling?

Raveling is a type of asphalt damage caused when the pavement, either entirely or in large sections, begins to fall apart and lose material. Walking over a raveling surface, you might notice loose rocks and crumbling along with overall unevenness or coarseness on the surface. It won’t have that nice, smooth feeling that you get from new asphalt, and over time the raveling can eat away at the entire surface layer until the pavement as a whole erodes away.

Why does raveling happen?

Ultimately, raveling is just a sign of age and wear in the pavement—but it’s a dangerous one that has to be taken care of.

More specifically, asphalt raveling happens when dust or dirt falls on top of the pavement and sticks to the asphalt binder, pulling the ‘glue’ out of the mix and slowly picking the asphalt layers apart. If the asphalt isn’t properly mixed or compacted, raveling can and will happen faster with more severe effects, and heavy traffic will tend to physically wear down the pavement with similar effects.

Repair or replace?

Whether the pavement is repairable or not depends on the severity, size, and cause of the issue. If only a few areas are evidencing damage, these spots can be removed and replaced without involving the parking lot or roadway as a whole. Otherwise, if the damage is more widespread, we may recommend an overlay to provide a fresh, reliable paving surface that makes use of the existing foundation.

Experienced asphalt paving in Holland, Michigan

Is your asphalt looking worn out, broken down, or worse every day? Call Stripe A Lot! We’ll evaluate the damage and propose the best value solutions to meet your needs while respecting your budget and resources. West Michigan’s premier paving company is here to serve!