Everyone wants their parking lot to look good on the surface, but when a problem starts, the source of the problem can likely be found underground. Tucker Paving has installed parking lots, roads, driveways, and more in Central Florida for over 30 years. In our experience, the lion’s share of parking lot problems start underground. There are a number of likely culprits that can be responsible for cracking, sinking, or recurring potholes in a parking lot.
Parking Lot Problems That Start Underground
Drainage Failures
All paving needs to be protected from stormwater runoff, and that is achieved through proper drainage. When water doesn’t have somewhere to go, and fast, it will work its way underneath the pavement. There, water will erode the base and subgrade beneath the pavement and will break down the integrity of the upper layers. You will see cracks, depressions, potholes, and crumbling pavement around edges and utility features like storm drains with this problem.
Poor Compaction
Before the top layer of a pavement is laid down, the base layer is compacted so that all the particles of the substrate, usually some form of stone aggregate, are packed as tightly as possible and there are no air pockets. If the compaction is done poorly, then the base will eventually settle, leaving depressions in the top layer that can fill with water and will likely become potholes in the future.
Unstable Soil
Just like with poor compaction, leaving soil that is unsuitable as a subgrade—such as soil with organic matter in it—under a parking lot will lead to settling. This will create pockets of air that will be eventually filled in with collapsing material from the top layer.
Utility Problems
Utilities like sewer lines, gas lines, and more can also fail under a parking lot. The trenches around utilities can collapse, water can get in from improper sealing, and more. Usually when utilities under a parking lot fail, you will see the top layer sinking, features like sewer drains sinking or tilting, or crumbling pavement.
When there is something wrong with the base of the parking lot’s pavement, above-surface fixes like patching will not remedy the problem for long. The same problem will continue to occur because the source of the problem is not getting fixed! This is why it’s important to have an experienced paver fix problems and install a pavement right the first time!
At Tucker Paving, we have more than three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry, including install and repair. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online, to inquire about your next paving project!