Concrete Paving

Concrete paving in St. Louis and elsewhere is a process of installing concrete material to a road, parking lot, loading dock or similar surface. The concrete material consists of rock, sand and Portland cement, which is essentially the glue that holds the rock and sand together. All of these materials are combined together with water to create concrete.

Asphalt paving, on the other hand, is a process of applying asphalt material to a road, parking lot, driveway, etc. The asphalt material consists of rock, sand and asphalt oil, and it’s the oil that serves as the glue that holds the rock and sand together.  The oil used in asphalt material comes from the refining of crude oil and is basically what’s left over after the more valuable oils (like gasoline) have been extracted.

The Concrete Paving Process

Concrete paving in St. Louis can sometimes create traffic issues that require some planning prior to the beginning of work. Pre-planning will help to isolate problem areas and minimize any inconveniences.

We start by removing continuous slabs of concrete and exposing the base rock to prepare the area for concrete paving. The base rock is inspected for its ability to support a load and compaction. Any rock areas that don’t meet our standards are excavated and repaired prior to concrete paving beginning.

To help support the new concrete, holes are drilled in the edges of the existing concrete and steel pins are inserted. Concrete is then poured back in around the exposed ends of the steel pins in a continuous manner to provide the best possible finish. This is done when large areas of concrete have failed or deteriorated to the point that none of the surrounding concrete can support the weight of traffic.

When is it Time for Concrete Paving?

You’ll know it’s time to consider concrete paving when you see any of the following:

• The surface starts to flake off (called “spalling”)
• Excessive cracks start appearing in the concrete surface
• The concrete starts lifting (called “heaving”) and settling, which makes a wavy, rough surface that is difficult to drive or walk on

These issues are not uncommon, especially for St. Louis concrete paving projects that endure a wide range of weather conditions. The sooner you identify these issues, the easier it will be to find an affordable solution.