Can You Pour Concrete Over Asphalt

The truth about asphalt over concrete.

Can you pour concrete over asphalt.

An asphalt overlay is cheaper to install than replacing concrete and can provide a smooth ride over deteriorating concrete. You can put asphalt over concrete but professionals don t advise it. Homeowners can benefit from this whitetopping technique to reduce labor costs and time when replacing worn asphalt driveways. If you ve been thinking about updating your driveway or parking lot you might be wondering if asphalt can be paved right over the top of the concrete.

This is constructed by placing and compacting the base material and then placing about a 3 layer of permeable asphalt. In fact many miles of concrete roads are paved over with asphalt every year. Concrete is a great base material because it is stable and allows for excellent compaction of the asphalt above. There are situations where we commonly put concrete over asphalt when building roadway pavements.

2 go by what they tell you. Therefore concrete is often used as a bridge over unstable ground. Asphalt can be successfully installed over concrete but due to the characteristics of each material you may not be happy with the long term results as the asphalt will ultimately crack in the same manner that concrete does. Concrete itself is very stable and strong so no matter what it is poured over the slab is going to be solid when it hardens.

To save time and money many states and municipalities use a road repair technique known as whitetopping the process of pouring concrete over asphalt rather than removing the existing asphalt. If you want the asphalt to remain to return this to normal. It is called an asphalt treated permeable leveling course. Asphalt requires a well prepared stable subbase otherwise the resulting pavement will be subject to instability and cracking.

Putting asphalt over concrete is done for several reasons but does have its drawbacks. When concrete deteriorates it draws and holds moisture. It will however require a little more maintenance than a typical asphalt overlay. It is safe to pave asphalt over concrete.