WHY BITUMEN DRIVEWAY IS BETTER THAN CONCRETE?

Often a real estate construction company or a local government body is faced with a dilemma to choose between an asphalt and concrete road.

Well, there are unique benefits to both asphalt driveways and concrete road, but the cost of the project and the type of traffic will most likely determine the final choice. We list down the benefits of asphalt road over concrete to tell you why, when and where are asphalt roads more preferred over concrete roads.

BENEFITS OF ASPHALT DRIVEWAYS OVER CONCRETE:

• CHEAPER

It is the most obvious factor that tilts the scales in favour of Asphalt over a concrete road. An Asphalt driveway costs much less to construct in comparison to concrete roads. Thus Asphalt is best preferred for most of the average roads and driveways. Moreover, while asphalt pavements have an average lifespan of 15-20 yrs, concrete roads have a lifespan of 20- 40 yrs.

• EASY MAINTENANCE

Asphalt roads only need to be re-layered over the old layer and they are good to go. Easier and cheaper road repair makes them the preferred choice for low volume roads where maintenance is possible. Concrete roads, though are preferred for roads with a heavy volume of traffic like interstate and where quick, regular maintenance is not always feasible. Asphalt driveways are easier to maintain, replace or repair and the process is easy and fast too, unlike concrete roads, which although demands repairs less frequently, but can be costly when it is required.

• FLEXIBLE TO IMPERFECTIONS BENEATH THE SURFACE

Cement acts as the binder that holds the aggregate together in concrete, thus making it solid and stiff. Whereas, in case of asphalt driveways, bitumen acts as the binder mixed with finer aggregates to keep asphalt together, making it more resistant to water, temperature effects and cracks. Since bitumen driveways are composed of several layers of materials, they are flexible enough to accommodate the imperfections in the surface beneath the roadway. Whereas, if the underlying surface beneath the concrete parking or a driveway is not perfectly smooth or damaged, the concrete road is prone to cracking and the damages would soon reflect on the new layer too.

• EASIER AND CHEAPER TO REPAIR

Asphalt roads are easier to replace, repair, have lower maintenance costs and last longer with proper maintenance. If there are many utilities underneath the roadway, you can just dig the asphalt to access the broken sewer. However, in a concrete pavement, it can be very tedious and will require a jackhammer to break it open. Secondly, in instances when a part of bitumen driveway gets damaged, it can be easily repaired, however, in concrete pavement, if a slab develops a crack; it runs down the entire slab and is not limited to the specific area. This is also the reason that we provide contraction joints to ensure that the cracks stay restricted to that particular slab.

• 100% RECYCLABLE AND REUSABLE

Asphalt is fully recyclable without downgrading its functionality, performance, thus offering a more sustainable alternative to concrete driveways.

• TEMPERATURE CHANGES

Even as an asphalt road lacks the rigidity and strength of a concrete, it is more tolerant of water ingress and sagging. Unlike asphalt that either shrinks or expands with fluctuations in weather, concrete roads are less forgiving for temperature changes and susceptible to developing cracks. Thus, properly spaced joints are effective to accommodate temperature variations.   

• SMOOTH, QUIETER RIDE ON ASPHALT

Driving on concrete roads can be noisier because of the shifting and settling of concrete slabs and also because it is especially tined for friction and skid resistance. Bitumen driveways, on the other hand, absorbs the noise because it is flexible and more porous, thus offering a smoother and quieter ride.

SUMMING UP

Whether it is a new construction of parking, real estate project or any type of repair, asphalt driveways area better option than concrete every time. Cheaper, easy-to-maintain and durable, asphalt road offers you significant savings too. As one of the leading civil engineering companies in Sydney since 30 years, we provide expertise in kerbs and guttering, rural driveways, car park construction and civil works to major private and government corporations across NSW.