Serving all of Southern California

Inland Empire Palm Desert San Diego

800.357.0711

License #415436

Let’s Get Social! Follow us @amspaving

Let’s Get Social! Follow us @amspaving

Serving all of Southern California

Inland Empire Palm Desert San Diego

Let’s Get Social! Follow us @amspaving

Serving all of Southern California

Inland Empire Palm Desert San Diego

Glossary

ADA Compliance

AMS Paving, Inc. provides ADA compliant workmanship for your project. ADA, or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, ensures that persons with a handicap have full access to buildings and public areas. The ADA act has set forth design standards for paving and striping that must be followed to be in compliance with the law. AMS Paving can provide you with the expertise to remove your existing, non-compliant features and install new ADA compliant ramps and handicap access. In the case that the area must be re-engineered completely, an outside architect firm may be brought in to design the plans that AMS Paving will follow.

ADA Compliance

Base

Base material, or more accurately, “Rock Base,” is a very frequently used mixture of rock and sand, which is able to attain a high rate of compaction. It is very common to place a section of base under new asphalt. The base section typically will be anywhere from 4″ to 9″ thick or, in extraordinary circumstances, may be even thicker. There are several purposes behind the utilization of base material; usually, it is used as a barrier between the native soil and the new asphalt. The reason for this is that many areas contain what is called “expansive soil.” This term means exactly what it says; the native soil has a high degree of expansion and contraction, and if asphalt were to be placed directly on this native material, it would crack and fall apart in a very short period of time. The more expansive the soil conditions, the thicker the base section that will be required.

Another reason for the utilization of base material is that it provides a strong underpinning to the new asphalt being placed. Heavy traffic areas will destroy new asphalt if it is not on a strong material already. Often, even if the native soil is not expansive, it is not able to reach a high rate of compaction, or it may have a tendency to shift. Base, on the other hand, allows a certain amount of movement from the native soil beneath it while still maintaining its integrity to support the asphalt above it.

Finally, there are different qualities of base material that can be used, including: Crushed Aggregate Base (CAB), which is crushed rock and usually the most expensive material; Class II Base, which can be a combination of crushed rock and sand and is the most typical type of material used; and Crushed Miscellaneous Base (CMB), which can be a mixture of crushed rock, crushed concrete and/or crushed asphalt material. Such material is often referred to as Recycled Base. There are a few other types of material which you may encounter on a very limited basis, including: Cement Treated Base (CTB) which is rarely utilized and, as the name implies, mixes cement in with the base for an application that requires even higher compaction rates than normal; and Slag, which is typically a by-product of foundry operations. Slag is occasionally used in lieu of base because it is less expensive and may be used in large open areas, such as trucking facilities, when customers do not wish to spend large sums of money to pave their parking areas, or wish to do so at a later time. The large disadvantage of slag is that it is nearly impossible to compact. The material is placed, graded, and rolled a few times to ensure good placement, however, due to the virtue of the material, there will never be substantial compaction.

Base

Concrete

Concrete is a construction material that consists of cements, other materials (such as gravel, limestone or granite), plus a fine aggregate (such as sand and water). Concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing and placement. The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together; eventually creating a stone-like material. Because the density of concrete holds up against water erosion better than asphalt, it is primarily used to form curbs and gutters but can also be used as a traffic surface.

Installing concrete is a three step process. First, the area must be prepared and forms are set to hold the liquid concrete in place. Next, the concrete is poured into these forms and smoothed out by hand. Finally, when the materials have dried, the forms are removed and any landscaping or asphalt may be installed.

Concrete has many variables that can add strength and corresponding cost including: the size of the rock used, the amount of “cements” used in the mix (the higher the “PSI” the stronger the mix), and the size of rebar or wire mesh that may be used. The scope of work for concrete installation will change depending on how much weight and traffic the surface will be subject to.

Concrete

Crack Sealing

Hot Asphalt, Hot Rubberized or Cold Pour Crack Sealing: There are several ways to deal with cracks; the method of dealing with them depends on their size and depth. Large cracks of 1″ or greater, should be sealed with Hot Asphalt Mix. In these cases, the cracks will be blown out and cleaned of debris, then sealed with fine mix asphalt (asphalt with little or no rocks). The asphalt in the cracks will then be compacted using a vibratory plate.

Cracks of 1″ or less will typically be sealed with Hot Rubberized Crack Sealer or Cold Pour. Hot rubberized crack seal involves blowing out the cracks with compressed air and sealing them with a hot, rubberized fill material. Following this procedure, the asphalt will typically be slurry sealed. However, crack seal is not a final solution to the problem of cracking; it is realistically a temporary fix for a more complex problem. The natural expansion and contraction of the asphalt itself will often tend to squeeze the mixture up and out of the crack or, in the case of contraction, will cause the material to sink deeper in the crack. Additionally, in areas of extreme temperatures or in areas of very porous soil, the high temperatures can actually cause the material to melt and dissipate into the soil beneath.

Cold Pour is often used instead of hot rubberized crack seal. The applications are similar to the hot process. The advantage of the hot mixed process is better adherence to the existing asphalt and usually a longer lasting product. Cold Pour consists basically of a substance that is nothing more than a thickened version of the same material used in Slurry Seal.

It is common to use one of the above processes prior to the application of Slurry sealing the asphalt.

Crack Sealing

Curb Painting

Curb Painting is the application of traffic paint to the curbs in an area to define their specific use. Curbs may be painted to define a “NO PARKING” zone, a “FIRE LANE,” “HANDICAP PARKING,” or even “LOADING ZONES.” Curb Painting is extremely affordable and gives a new, fresh look to your property. AMS Paving can also apply number or word stencils directly to your curb surface. It must be noted that in order for the traffic paint to adhere properly, the surface must be clean of dust and debris.

Old paint may be painted over. However, you should realize that as the old paint peels away, the new paint will be removed as well. Scraping the old paint or sandblasting are the processes used to clean curbs prior to painting.

Sandblasting is the process used to remove the old paint by machines that project a high powered stream of fine sand that removes the old paint. Sandblasting is a messy process; cars and buildings in the area will have a fine dust remaining even after our efforts to clean up all the debris.

Curb Painting

Grinding and Cold Planing

Grinding or cold planing is the removing a desired thickness of asphalt. Grinding or cold planing can be used to remove the asphalt without damaging the base material. Grinding the edges of the asphalt prior to overlaying ensures that the complete asphalt thickness is achieved at the edges and the transition is smooth.

Grinding and Cold Planing

Headerboard

Headerboard, or Redwood Header as it is sometimes called, is nothing more than 2″ x 3″, 2″ x 4″, or 2″ x 6″ wooden boards used to create a barrier between a paved area and a dirt area. It contains the asphalt to a particular area and keeps it from spilling over into another area that the owner wants to keep free from asphalt. It provides a neat and clean break between the paved area and the unpaved area. Typically, the thickness of the section to be paved will determine the necessity of the size of the headerboard. It is a simple process to install the headerboard. Usually boards 16′ to 20′ long are placed in the desired area, and are put in place using wooden stakes. It provides an inexpensive and easy answer to providing a border area versus a more expensive proposition, such as concrete curb or beam.

Headerboard

New Paving

New Paving is the application of new hot asphalt applied to either native soil or rock base material. Thickness of the asphalt section or the size of the rock used will change depending on how much weight and traffic the surface will be subject to. The asphalt may be paved in multiple lifts as well to be sure the proper compaction is reached. AMS Paving uses the highest quality equipment and personnel to complete your project in a timely, professional manner.

New Paving

Petromat Overlay

Petromat is a pavement reinforcing fabric specifically designed for the paving industry. Its primary function is to strengthen and reinforce the base course of asphalt upon which the new asphalt will be placed. An additional benefit is that it helps to mitigate mirror or reflective cracking (cracks in the existing asphalt) from coming up through to the new asphalt. The process involves laying a binder coat of hot oil which enables layers of asphalt to stick to one another, then laying the Petromat Fabric, and finally, overlaying these with a layer of asphalt, typically 1-1/4″ and 2″ thick. One important factor in determining whether or not to use this process is to keep in mind that overlaying raises the elevation of the existing parking lot. This is not always a desirable result. If it should be evident that raising the elevation of the parking lot is not an option, the next possibility would be to grind the existing parking lot down 1-1/2″ to 2″ and placing a new asphalt course over the newly ground parking lot. AMS Paving uses state of the art equipment and professional personnel to provide you the highest quality job in the industry.

Petromat Overlay

Pulverize and Export / Regrade

Pulverize and Export: One method of removing asphalt material is to use a pulverizing machine to grind the asphalt into workable material. On large asphalt surfaces where the asphalt may be variable in thickness, or where it might be particularly thick, pulverizing enables a crew to manage removal far easier than pulling up large chunks of asphalt and disposing of them with a loader and dump truck. Since the material is more easily managed, it can be more quickly disposed of and save time, thus diminishing labor and equipment costs.

Pulverize and Regrade: Another application, however, is to pulverize the material in place, regrade it by use of a Blade or Skip Loader, roll it for compaction, and utilize the old, pulverized asphalt as a base material for the new asphalt. This application can be less expensive as it is not necessary to haul off the old asphalt, and new base material will not need to be purchased to place under the new asphalt. The old, pulverized asphalt makes an excellent base material. A word of caution in this arena, however, is that in pulverizing the old asphalt and using it as a base material, there still remains a substantial amount of work in reworking the pulverized material and in regrading it to make it viable for compaction to receive the new asphalt.

Pulverize and Export / Regrade

Reflective Cracking

Reflective cracking occurs when breaks or cracks in the underlying layers become visible on the asphalt surface through a patch, overlay, or seal coat. The original cracks can be caused by a number of factors (separation of underlying joints, shrinkage of the subgrade, extensive water damage, excess pressure, asphalt applied too thinly, etc.) and will eventually appear on the asphalt surface if merely covered by a patch, overlay, or seal coat rather than being completely removed to the subgrade and the section of asphalt replaced.

Removal and Replacement

Removal and Replacement

Removal and replacement consists of removing and disposing of the existing asphalt and repaving the area with new asphalt. Typically, a removal and replacement is necessary when an asphalt surface has failed beyond the point where it can be salvaged. You will often encounter areas where water has undermined and damaged the asphalt necessitating a removal and replacement. AMS Paving specializes in removal and replacement using only the highest quality equipment and personnel to complete your project.

Removal and Replacement

Resurfacing

Resurfacing is the process of grinding off 1”- 1½” of highly damaged asphalt and adding fresh asphalt on top. Generally, it is recommended that seal coat be added as well in about 6 months. Resurfacing is a semi-permanent repair; deeper cracks will show through the surface as reflective cracking since the issues with the subgrade remain unaddressed.

Removal and Replacement

Rough / Fine Grading

Grading is an important part of any good paving company’s performance. Grading is the movement of dirt or base material to achieve the proper elevations prior to paving. However, there are several different scales or levels of grading, depending on the job. For example, there is rough grading, which often involves large pieces of heavy equipment, such as bulldozers and scrapers (large earth-moving machines). The second type of grading is called “Fine Grading,” where the dirt grade is +/- .10′ or 1.2 inches from the desired finish grade. This type of grading is necessary to smooth and compact the finish surface in order to be ready to receive asphalt. If the dirt surface is not almost perfect, the new asphalt to be placed will mirror the grade as it has been left. Thus, an up and down dirt surface will leave an up and down surface on the finished asphalt.

Rough / Fine Grading

Seal Coat / Slurry Seal

Asphalt Slurry Sealing is designed to protect asphalt pavements from the damaging effects of the environment, including moisture, pollutants, and oxidation. Protecting pavement with Slurry Seal (Seal Coating) has basically the same effect as using varnish on wood or wax on a car – it slows the destructive effects of our environment. Slurry Sealing is simply a protective coating.

Seal Coat / Slurry Seal

Skin Patch Overlay

Skin patching or overlaying is the use of fine asphalt mixtures to patch areas where only a thin layer of asphalt is necessary or desired. The fine mix asphalt is usually used to fill low areas where water pools and doesn’t drain or on areas that need to be patched. This application is typically bid as part of a larger project for those small areas that need to be brought up to grade or patched. The process used in doing a skin patch is to clean the area to be paved, applying a tack coat, then raking in the “school mix,” “sheet mix,” or “3/8″ fine mix” and finally rolling the area with a roller to compact and level the area. AMS Paving’s professional crew and quality equipment will supply you with a job you will feel good about.

Note: It should be noted that the most common reason for the use of skin patching is water erosion, typically from sprinklers and over watering.

Skin Patch Overlay

Striping

Striping is the application of traffic paint to an asphalt or concrete surface. Traffic paint is a specially designed paint used on roadway surfaces and provides direction and information to the persons in the area. It is important that the asphalt surface is clean and dry prior to the application of traffic paint. The areas to be painted are marked out using chalk lines to be sure the striping is precise. AMS Paving, Inc. uses specially designed striping machines that apply the paint evenly and provide a professional result every time.

There are multiple uses for striping, such as: the common car stall, handicap designated parking, directional arrows, number stencils, or reserved parking spaces. Striping typically takes place the day after new asphalt or seal coat has been applied. It is important to note that striping is made to last, and may show up through seal coat after a few years of wear. Any striping that is no longer desirable should be “blacked out” (covered with black paint) prior to seal coating to be sure it will not show through in the future. In some cases, a longer lasting surface is preferred. In these cases, two coats of traffic paint will be recommended.

AMS Paving, Inc. provides all of your signage needs as well. Whether it be “No Parking,” “Parking By Permit Only,” or custom signage, we will work with you to create and install your signs. Signs can be installed in planters or drilled into the harder surfaces, such as asphalt or concrete.

Striping

Thermoplastic

Thermoplastic is a thicker and more durable option for striping. Usually thermoplastic is used in large cross walks or stop stencils. Thermoplastic is very thick (approximately 90 mils) and is applied by melting the prefabricated pieces of plastic into the asphalt or concrete surface. Thermoplastic is very useful in areas where high traffic may wear down traffic paint. Due to the thickness of the thermoplastic and the amount of effort in applying the product, there is quite a large cost difference between standard traffic paint and the Thermoplastic Striping.

Thermoplastic

Weedkill

Weedkill is precisely what the name says. It is an inexpensive application of a weed abatement substance that is typically applied to either the native soil before paving or to the rock base before paving.

Weedkill