How We Pave

How well a driveway is installed can mean the difference between an asphalt pavement that will breakdown in a few months or one that will last over 20 years. At WCI Paving and Concrete, whether you’re installing a brand-new driveway or replacing an existing driveway, you can always count on us for quality driveways that stands the test of time.

Being an industry expert for such a long time, we have seen clients pay thousands of dollars to shoddy asphalt driveway installers, who ended up with a deteriorated driveway in 10 months come to us to reinstall their driveways. With years of experience installing asphalt driveways, WCI Paving and Concrete have installed driveways that still look as beautiful as they did 15 years ago.

Don’t waste huge sums of money on sub-par driveways and do it right on the first try with us. See our standardised asphalt driveway installation process:

Subgrading

The subgrade is the material that is beneath the asphalt pavement construction. Although it is common to think of pavement performance solely in terms of pavement construction and mix design, the subgrade is typically the most important aspect in pavement performance. A well-constructed subgrade should be free of topsoil and weeds as well as proper compaction to avoid soft spots.

Whether you are installing a brand-new driveway or reinstalling an old one, extensive evaluation is key. For reinstallation projects,  if there are existing structural problems, the existing asphalt will need to be removed and subgraded properly.

Structural Integrity: The structural design of your asphalt pavement is essential as every pavement needs to be fundamentally free of defects to carry expected weight. The condition of the subgrades plays a huge part in the structural integrity as it is the foundation of the pavement. In general, the more resistant to deformation a subgrade is, the more load it can support.

Water Drainage Planning: Properly levelled and contoured to ensure proper drainage. If the subgrade is not level, it may drain back to the house and cause flooding or cause driveway pooling which increases stress to your driveway.

Subgrade Compaction: To complete the subgrading process, the subgrade should be compacted with rollers before installing the asphalt. The subgrade must be stable and compacted with no settling before paving.

Herbicide Treatment: The subgrade is treated with herbicide to prevent vegetation growth. Weeds growing through the pavement could cause damage and pavement failure.

Asphalt Laydown and Compaction
For quality asphalt pavements, the asphalt should be laid down using an asphalt laying machine and not by hand. This is because an asphalt laying machine provides a consistent asphalt depth throughout as well as a much smoother finish to the surface of the driveway. Areas that can’t be reached by the machine and needs to be installed by hand should be done by experienced asphalt rakers.

Asphalt compaction after laydown is an important part of the installation process. Asphalt compaction should be done while asphalt is still hot. If the asphalt isn’t hot, the asphalt will not be compacted enough, and will lead to lose pavement which deteriorates faster due to water penetration. If the asphalt is too hot and gets over compressed, the asphalt may stretch and crack leading to reduced life expectancy. Compaction while asphalt is too hot or too cold can lead to problems and our professionals at WCI paving have the experience to provide you with an optimally paved surface.

Asphalt Thickness: If your driveway or parking lot is not paved to the proper thickness, your asphalt will likely begin to deteriorate prematurely. The volume and type of traffic that passes through a parking lot or driveway determines its thickness. The thicker the asphalt (and quality of subgrade), the more load it can support.

Shoulder Edging: Compaction of edges makes your driveway stronger and less prone to damage. Leftover subgrade material or removed soil should be used to fill up the shoulders of the driveway and prevent it from being exposed. This shoulder should also provide a smooth transition should a vehicle drive off the edge. After pavement process is complete, we use caution tapes to prevent vehicles from driving on the asphalt pavement before it is cooled down.

Professional Asphalt Driveway Installation

Your asphalt pavement will disintegrate prematurely if your driveway or parking lot is not paved to the proper quality standards. Proper subgrade preparations, base application, and subgrade thickness are essential elements in getting the right results. Use of quality materials, proper asphalt thickness and proper drainage considerations are extremely important in ensuring you are getting a good quality pavement with a long life.

WCI Paving & Concrete is locally owned and has been recognized as one of Ottawa’s top asphalt contractors. At WCI Paving & Concrete, we have the confidence to stand by our work, offering up to a three-year warranty.  Get started here.