5 Reasons Asphalt Parking Lots Don’t Last Forever

Here at Parking Lot Pros, we are extremely proud of our reputation for top-notch concrete and asphalt paving services. We put our best effort into every parking lot we work on. But we also know that nothing lasts forever. There is no such thing as a permanent parking lot, irrespective of whether it is paved with concrete or asphalt.

Let’s discuss asphalt parking lots and why they need to be repaired, and even repaved, from time to time. We can boil the problem down to a single word: degradation. Asphalt is a fantastic material more than capable of providing decades of reliable service. But it is always degrading. Eventually, the degradation is just too much. The asphalt needs to be replaced.

With degradation in mind, here are five reasons asphalt parking lots don’t last forever:

1. Vehicles Drive on Them

This sounds like a no-brainer but think about the degradation caused by vehicles driving over asphalt. Vehicles contribute to degradation in two ways. First is friction. The friction between tires and asphalt surfaces slowly degrades the asphalt (and your tires, too) just by the natural laws of physics.

The second issue is weight. Vehicles driving over asphalt compress both it and the soil underneath. The heavier and more frequent the traffic a parking lot gets, the more weight contributes to degradation. That’s why asphalt parking lots intended to handle larger vehicles, like trucks, need more support underneath.

2. The Sun Shines

Sunshine is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, it can contribute to asphalt degradation. Both direct sunlight and UV rays slowly break down the components that make up asphalt pavement. Over long periods of time, a sun-drenched parking lot succumbs to the sun. Much of the damage can be slowed down considerably with regular asphalt seal coating.

3. It Rains and Snows

Few forces in nature are as powerful as water. It does not take a torrential river flowing through an asphalt parking lot to damage it. Torrential rivers will do just that, but even years of being subjected to rain and snow degrades asphalt. It is a little here and a little there. Over many, many years, it all adds up.

As a side note, regular asphalt seal coating is the answer to water as well. Seal coating prevents water from getting into cracks underneath the surface. Based on what you’re about to read in the next point, seal coating helps a great deal in the fight against degradation.

4. The Freeze-Thaw Cycle

In some parts of the country, including here in Texas, asphalt parking lots are subject to the freeze-thaw cycle. It gets cold enough to freeze moisture, which then expands in place. Later on, it warms up enough that the ice melts. How does this affect asphalt? The constant expansion and contraction causes asphalt to heave and sink. Repeated cycles over many years causes the material to break down until it eventually cracks and buckles.

5. Cars Leak Chemicals

Last but not least are the cars and trucks that use asphalt parking lots. They have a bad habit of leaking chemicals. From oil to transmission fluid and coolant, all these chemicals eventually penetrate the asphalt and compromise its ability to hold together.

The good news in all of this is that a properly designed and installed asphalt parking lot should last a long time, especially when combined with a routine maintenance plan that includes regular asphalt seal coating and crack repair. Asphalt does degrade overtime – it can’t be stopped – but taking care of it makes it possible for a parking lot to last for decades.