Hot Asphalt Driveway Paving by Bill Casey, Lead Operator, Casey Paving, LLC

The first step in paving a residential driveway with hot asphalt is excavation of the driveway. This clears all unstable elements such as sand, clay, large rocks, and organic material. The subgrade is then installed, usually a blend of gravel and loam, to a thickness of 6 to 12 inches. The subgrade should be permitted to settle and compact. In most conventional residential driveways, once the subgrade has been installed and has settled, its surface will be between 4 and 6 inches below grade.

Installation of a base comes next. The base usually consists of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). Once installed, the base undergoes grading and compacting. Many contractors give the base a few days to settle before applying the surface layer. The surface layer is asphalt concrete, a mixture consisting of about 95 percent aggregate, such as gravel, crushed rock, or RCA, and 5 percent hot asphalt, a natural derivative of petroleum which binds the aggregate when cool. Hot asphalt concrete is delivered to the site, loaded into a paving machine, and applied to the driveway. Immediately upon application, the surface is rolled and compacted; it should sit for a few days before vehicles drive on it.

Newly installed asphalt driveways must cure for up to a year for the asphalt surface to achieve the hardness necessary to provide a durable surface that should last for decades. At the end of the curing process, any asphalt surface should be sealed against penetration by water and other liquids.


About the Author: Bill Casey, the Lead Operator of Casey Paving, LLC, has 35 years of experience installing hot asphalt surfaces on driveways and parking lots. Casey Paving, based in Reno, Nevada, also serves customers in Idaho.