Asphalt is a funny substance. It lasts under our feet and tires like a natural part of the landscape in suburban areas, but it has a beginning. When you first lay asphalt, it will undergo two kinds of processes: asphalt curing and asphalt drying. How long does it take for asphalt to cure? How long does it take to dry? We will answer these two common and commonly confused questions right below.

Asphalt Curing vs. Asphalt Drying

Asphalt curing is the process of the asphalt fully hardening and developing its maximum strength. When aprofessional lays asphalt pavement, it needs to cool down. The bitumen that holds the gravel and other particles together is wet and naturally moldable. Slowly, excess moisture will evaporate, the asphalt will harden, and its molecules will bond together as they begin to oxidize.

On the other hand, asphalt drying simply refers to the time it takes for the pavement to be ready for traffic. It is imperative to keep all foot and vehicle trafficoff of the drying pavement, as well as any wildlife, moisture, chemicals, or other materials.

How Long Does It Take for Asphalt to Cure?

Believe it or not, it can take asphalt six to twelve months to cure. If you have confused the asphalt curing process with asphalt drying (which is common,) it may seem like much longer than you thought!

If you are merely resurfacing an asphalt road, parking lot, or driveway, however, the curing process will naturally be much quicker. The thicker the new pavement is, the shorter it takes to cure and dry.

How Long Does It Take for Asphalt to Dry?

It can take new asphalt between forty-eight and seventy hours to dry. After two or three days, the new asphalt will be ready for people to drive and walk on it, even though it has not fully hardened.

Of course, the asphalt will take longer or shorter to dry, depending on the temperature, the humidity, and the type of asphalt mix used.

Receive Asphalt Paving Services with Tri-State Paving

Call Tri-State Paving. We’re a seasoned asphalt pavement company based in Maryland and have the experience and knowledge to help you with asphalt, concrete, and hardscaping projects.

I have built this business from a philosophy standpoint of handling my customers the way I would expect to get treated. Having this type of philosophy, I could only have for my company slogan, Setting the Standard, because that is what will be done from the first handshake till the last one.

My customers’ impression of me causes me to be as informative as possible. We refuse to sell hot air to our customers and that’s why we have been around for over 4 decades. We listen, inform, educate then decide what is best for our customers project and budget.

If any problems arise during construction we keep our customers updated and respond to make the imperfect perfect.

Our area numbers are:

West Chester: 610.563.9456

Oxford: 610.932.3566

Delaware: 302.757.4100

Check back here for weekly updates on current projects, important paving facts and info, and smart ideas for homeowners interested in concrete, asphalt, or hardscaping work.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

 

Tags: asphalt curing, asphalt drying, asphalt paving

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 6th, 2024 at 9:21 pm and is filed under Asphalt Paving. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.