When posing the question in the title above, it is likely you will get an array of different answers. It will depend on the asphalt paving company you ask, the area in which the drive is to go and even the budget available. Yet, it can all boil down to some simple issues relating to quality. For instance, the National Asphalt Paving Association has a lot to say about the thicknesses that any asphalt paving company might offer. Just consider, their recommendation:
“For improved soil stability, it is recommended that topsoil is containing clay be removed or modified. Soil stabilization or as much as 6 inches of a crushed aggregate base may be required for some subgrade conditions. Once the site is ready, paving with asphalt follows. In many cases, a 4-inch thickness may be adequate, but five or even six inches of full-depth asphalt will assure you of a stronger, stable driveway under a wider range of climate and loads.”
Yet, they admit that there is room for flexibility here and say that an asphalt paving company might use six to eight inches of aggregate and then apply three inches of asphalt.
Of course, you still need to begin with the question of the soil in the region. For example, for those in the Jacksonville area soil can be very sandy and it can require the skills of a soil engineer to indicate the ideal pavement design for any specific property. Quality builders know this and prepare for it as they layout lots in any project done. Yet, they don’t always have control over this issue because they might be dealing with a property with a failed or pre-existing pavement.
What all of this simply means is that there is no universal answer as to the ideal depth or thickness of any paving job. It has to start with the soil and conditions in the area, the base that should be placed, the amount of traffic that may pass over the pavement during the building or post-installation period and even the budget.
You may have a lot of questions for your asphalt paving company in Jacksonville, and that is why it is best to work with an experienced team like Vallencourt, Inc. With decades of work in the region, they can tell you precisely the kind of work needed to get you the driveway you desire.
