Spotlight: Magna Composites Design/Build

Location: Magna Composites, Salisbury NC

Issue: The facility required an overflow parking lot in order to provide additional spaces for their ever growing employee base. They stipulated a 76 space minimum, the new lot's location, and a wish to keep costs low.

Solution: Pave South sent their surveyor to assess the initial site conditions and conduct a topographical survey. The site was designed in-house and the area of the parking lot was kept under 1 acre in order to avoid site disturbance permitting and keep costs low. We were also able to design the lot with 79 spaces, giving the facility a few more parking spaces than their minimum.

The topsoil was stripped and stockpiled on-site

The lot's earthwork was designed and calculated so as create a balance of cut to fill and avoid any costly soil export charges

The site was fine graded, abc was installed, along with a run of storm sewer along the southern edge of the lot

The asphalt was install

And the lot was striped per the customer's specifications.

Spotlight: Lone Star Steakhouse, Statesville, NC

Job: Lone Star Steakhouse Pavement Repair

Location: Statesville, NC

Issue: A large pothole had developed in the facility's parking lot and was in need of repair.

Solution:

The area was coned off for traffic control

The failed area was then saw-cut

The failed pavement was removed and the sub-grade prepped

Once the sub-grade had been prepped, it was compacted

New asphalt was then installed, compacted and re-striped.

Why do you have two names? Are you special?

Well, I guess we are special in a way. We actually have 4 names. Eastern Services is the parent company of Pave South and Raleigh Paving. Since Raleigh Paving has been around in Raleigh since 1983 and would not have much relevancy in the Charlotte market we thought it best to keep the Pave South name. Pave South will be the name of any future expansions because it is not localized. We also have another operation in the Buffalo area that goes by the name Thomann Asphalt. Thomann Asphalt has been in business since 1925 and has a strong branding in the WNY area. So in effect we have 4 names but one name that we will use in all new markets, Pave South. Hope this explains everything.

3 Qualities of a Good Contractor

I was reading another contractor's site the other day and they had an article on the 3 qualities of a good contractor. In their opinion the three main qualities are:

Reliable. Responsive. Results-Driven.

Although I think this is a good way to breakdown the issue, I kept getting it wrong everytime I tried to remember it. So I thought a better way to come up with it is to break down what they mean and then see if I can't come up with a better phrase that is easy to remember. Lets see, where do we start?

Reliable.

What is the standard of reliability or in other words what must a contractor do to be reliable. In my opinion reliability is about fulfilling commitments. So is "committed" a better term than "reliable".

According to Dictionary.com reliable means: "dependable in achievement, accuracy, honesty, etc" That is a pretty good cross section of what a contractor should be. On the other hand committed means: "to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance;"

While not as broad, I think there is a difference that makes me lean towards committed. The keyword here is dependable used in defining reliable. Dependable does not strike me as a word that means that you will do it every time. Contractors all claim to be reliable. It is so overused that it really has become virtually meaningless. If you asked any contractor if he is reliable he would say yes. If asked if the the contractor was reliable, references might respond something like: "Well, in general, yes". But if you ask a reference if the contractor is committed, I think that would set a different tone. In my mind if someone tells you that the contractor is "committed", it means that they strive for the highest standard possible before, during and after the job as they really stand behind what they do.

Responsive

I like this term. Responsiveness refers to communication and it is a critical part of the job process. When someone is working for me, there is nothing worse than a contractor who is non-responsive. Everything can be right but the fact that the contractor is non-responsive just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So my vote is responsive stays.

Results-Driven

I think the meaning here refers to the end product and that the organization which includes the office, the field, the equipment or whatever is all focused on completing the end product to the satisfaction of the customer.

Answers.com defines it this way:

"A results-driven organization concentrates on meeting objectives, delivering to the required time, cost and quality, and holds performance to be more important than procedures".

Ok, I can see why they would want to use "results-driven" but like "reliable" it seems very cliche to me. Every contractor claims to be results driven but the concept is very abstract and it is not anything that you can hold your contractor accountable to. So I would like to go a different rout completely on this one and talk about a different aspect of contracting that is very prevalent in the industry, namely, change orders.

Quite frankly, the nature of contracting results in changes. We take our best guess and give you an estimate and based on that estimate as long as their are no unforeseen conditions then the price that we gave you should hold true. Changes occur for many reasons including that the customer wants to increase or decrease the scope of the work. When changes occur however, the issue of trust enters the relationship big time. So many questions can arise but in the interests of time, the customer is usually at the mercy of the contractor. In defense of the contractor, however, he may do his best to give the customer a fair an honest price but often the customer still assumes they are being overcharged. Its a difficult situation for everyone. In these instances we strive to be "fair and reasonable" since we know that the long term relationship is far more important than the short gain that can be had in these situations. But "fair and reasonable" is too long for my replacement phrase so I had to look for another word. I decided that "equitable" was the word that implied fairness, reasonability, and something else that I think goes a long way to building good relationships - objectiveness.

So there you have it. My 3 words for what a good contractor should be.

Committed. Responsive. Equitable.

Its not as appealing from a marketing perspective, but it is also not cliche and it is what you should be looking for in a contractor. We try to do more than just aspire to these ideals.

Spotlight - Cates/Dan Allen

Description: Road rehab project. Complete road rehabilitation completed on 2 of the main campus roads during the summer of 2005.

Spotlight: Apex HS Track

Track overlay and restripe

Spotlight: Raleigh Tennis Court

Tennis courts, running tracks and play surfaces are our specialty.

Spotlight: Advanced Auto

Before

After

At this location we performed several areas of asphalt removal and replacement to address alligator cracking. We then seal coated and striped the lot.

Spotlight: Raleigh Foot and Ankle

The client's lot beforehand,

The lot after the cracks have been filled,

The squeegee machine with brush attachment,

The final product.

Spotlight: Optimist Park

Spotlight: Lillington Parking Lot Paving

Prepping the lot for paving - Installing stone and sawcutting the edge for a smooth transition.

The finished product.

The finished product, again.

Spotlight: CoGeneration Steam Tunnel, UNC

The prepared road-bed.

Spotlight: Heritage Track

Spotlight: New Shop

There are many more photos of the construction of our new shop...Check them out here: LufkinShopPad & ShopPadComplete

Good Repair, Bad Repair

If you have an asphalt parking lot, and have had to maintain it for any amount of time, then you probably know what we’re talking about when it comes to repairs. Sooner or later (one hopes for later) you’re going to have to address issues with your asphalt surface in the form of patching. The need to patch can arise from any number of issues—the most common being water and puddling issues, alligator cracking, and potholes.

The way to repair these issues varies as well—from just removing the oldasphalt and filling the area in, to a full depth removal which involves excavating the area down to the sub-base and installing fresh courses of stone and asphalt. Each contractor has a different method of how to repair a damaged area—some good, some bad. Typically, though, a general repair for a damaged area in your asphalt surface would go something like this:

1) The contractor will mark out the extents of the damaged area with paint

2) The area will be sawcut and all damaged asphalt will be removed from that area.

3) New asphalt will be placed in the area and compacted.

Pretty simple, right? Well, to a certain extent it is; but then there are the intricacies of asphalt repairs which most people don’t get to see, and not all contractors adhere to. Yes, the bottom line of asphalt repairs is to get the broken asphalt out and put the new asphalt in, but to make it look good, to get it to last, there is much more that your paving contractor should be doing.

What is a good repair? A good repair is fundamentally 3 things:

1. Structurally sound

2. Aesthetically pleasing

3. Either improves or maintains existing drainage patterns.

A good repair starts with the contractor’s quote. A good quote will tell you what exactly the contractor plans to do, for example:

“Saw cut perimeter of repairs as necessary. Excavate repair areas to a depth of 4” and haul offsite. Re-compact stone base and tack edges of repair. Install 4” of S9.5B asphalt in (2) lifts. Roll to a smooth even finish.”

By clearly specifying their intent a contractor obligates himself to the results and makes it easier for you to compare their quote with another contractor’s. Another important factor to look for and compare is the quantity of repairs to be performed. Some contractors will not divulge the square footage or yardage of asphalt they are repairing. It is important to make sure you get quantities out of the contractors so you can make sure you get what you pay for. It usually makes sense to try to get the bidders quoting on a apples to apples basis, but sometimes that may not be necessary because you have more confidence in one contractor as opposed to the other contractor.

Good repair work is work that meets the above 3 requirements. The final product should be something which is aesthetically pleasing, structurally sound and addresses the drainage needs of the area.

There is one last thing you must consider however and it is probably more important than any other issue. Does the contractor stand behind their work and are they committed to building long term relationships? Even the best contractors make mistakes from time to time. That is going to happen. Your parking lot is not going away. The older it gets the more maintenance it will need. You’re not going to want to chase several quotes every time you need minor repairs done. A contractor that is committed to quality should also be committed to building long term customer relationships by being always fair with their pricing and always fixing any problems in a timely manner. In the long term this is what will save the customer time and money and achieve the best results.

Case in point:

When it comes to repairing and maintaining our asphalt surfaces, especially in this down economy, people tend to go with whatever is the cheapest solution. This, however, doesn’t always cause the intended outcome of saving money—rather one’s money is wasted due to poor quality work by the lowest bidder.

After meeting in the field with a customer regarding structural and drainage repairs to a parking lot, we sent an estimate detailing our scope of work. The next day our salesman received an irate phone call from the customer who accused him of price gouging because our price was almost twice that of the other contractor. We were both dumbstruck and curious as a result of these comments. Our pricing is always competitive if not consistently lower than our competitors. Had the customer made any attempt to compare the two scopes of work?

Suffice it to say that our curiosity got the better of us. A few weeks later our salesman was in the area of the parking lot and decided to stop by. The axiom, “you get what you pay for” comes to mind. The repair areas were holding water, not cut around the perimeters, and no milling was done at the curb and gutter to ensure an even transition. It looked as if someone had just quickly dug out the broken asphalt, backed a dump truck up full of new asphalt and dumped it in with no care.

Check out the "Bad Repairs" section of photos below and you be the judge. It will not be long before these repairs will have to be done again .

Good Repairs:

Bad Repairs:

Dirt Coming Through Blacktop

When answering this question it is important to first understand exactly how the mud got there and it all comes back to proper preventative maintenance. Typically, if you see mud showing through in your blacktop it means that water usually by way of a surface crack has penetrated beyond the gravel base and into the underlying soil layer. If this happens, mud can then be pumped up into the grave acting as a lubricant and causing the overlaying asphalt to shift as cars and trucks drive across it. You see this a lot in areas which have a vast amount of cracks and in many cases inadequate drainage.

The solution is a full depth replacement. Simply putting a patch over such a repair will only cover the problem temporarily, causing it to worsen. With a full-depth replacement our crew will come in tear out the damaged blacktop and gravel layer and replace it with new stone and newly laid asphalt. Important to note here – this fix among several others in many cases could have been avoided with proper asphalt maintenance, like crack filling and sealer, which studies prove can add up to 30-50% more life span to your lot, eliminating costly repairs.

Differences Between Patching, Peel & Pave, and Mill & Pave

Asphalt Patching
Patching is a common asphalt repair in areas where the asphalt has cracked, but the base is still stable, or in areas where potholes have occurred. This process begins by cleaning the repair area and applying a tack coat to help the new asphalt adhere to the existing surface. A layer of asphalt is then installed upon the existing surface; the depth will vary from 1”-2.5” depending on the severity of the existing damage. Patching is a cheap solution to asphalt defects; however it will not last as long as removal and replacement. Eventually cracking will reflect through the new patch, or spread beyond the patch.
Asphalt Removal & Replacement
Asphalt removal and replacement or as we call it “peel & pave” is another common repair. The repair is often prescribed for areas with cracking and or base/failure. This process begins by saw cutting the perimeter of the repair area in order to achieve a clean edge. After the edges are saw cut, the existing asphalt is removed to the depth specified. Typically the new asphalt is installed in 2 lifts; a binder course usually at 3” is followed by a 1” top course. The depth of repair will vary dependent upon the extent of existing damage, and/or the load requirements needed to be met. By adding up to 10 times more life span than patch work, asphalt removal & replacement is often a very cost effective fix for your surface’s distressed areas.
Mill & Pave
Milling, or grinding, takes a much different approach than either patching or peel & pave in that it removes built-up layers of deteriorated asphalt down to a specific depth, making room for a new surface, by actually grinding up the existing asphalt into a tiny like gravel. The millings, as they are often referred to are then hauled off site and can easily be recycled. The newly grinded surfaced is then layered with tack and set to receive a fresh smooth coat of asphalt. In many cases this type of fix is done on much larger areas where a peel and pave or patch is just not sufficient.

Cracks in Asphalt

The next 5 questions (13-17) from the top 50 paving maintenance questions are on the subject of cracking:

13. My lot has cracking can you repair the cracks?

14. What is the difference between normal cracking and alligator cracking?

15. What are my options for fixing the alligator areas?

16. You said there is reflective cracking in my lot, what is reflective cracking?

17. What are the advantages of repairing the cracks.

Although these are the common questions that we get, they really do not cover all the questions associated with cracking. This is a really big topic and from the perspective of someone who has spent over 30 years in the asphalt industry its an interesting one. This article is not intended to be definitive. I am trying to be informative to the typical property manager who is trying to deal with degrading conditions in their asphalt.

After spending some time on google, going through various journals and researching this subject in all the publication I have at my disposal, its clear to me that there is alot of information that covers this topic but not alot that pulls the whole topic together. Actually I didn't find any articles that did this. Even in the Asphalt Handbook you would have to pull alot of sections together to try to cover all the reasons for cracking. As a result there do not appear to be any ready reference guides to help property managers figure out what their problem is.

This article will attempt to give some insight into the issue. Lets start with the broad sweep and say cracking is a symptom of some sort of pavement failure. The question is why does pavement fail and does it always result in cracking? Not always but for the most part yes there is always some sort of cracking that occurs at some point with a pavement failure. Its worth repeating though that its not the problem. Its a symptom of the problem.

Pavement failures for three main reasons:

1. Surface Failures

2. Bonding Failures

3. Structural Failures

This provides a nice umbrella but it needs to be said that every crack or failure cannot be neatly classified into one of these categories. They often fall in between or in both.

Surface failures have to do with problems that occur in the surface layer of the asphalt. A common example of this is a crack that forms along a seam. Another example is cracking that water causes through erosion or deterioration of the asphalt. Oxidation or the effects from the sun would fall into this category.

Bonding failures are problems that occur between layers. Asphalt unraveling from layers not being tacked well together. Shoving or sliding that occurs at intersections where trucks always stop. Reflective cracking in my mind would fall into this group.

Structural failures are usually associated with the underlying stone base. Causes include weak or deficient base, excessive moisture, and lack of proof rolling procedures before placing the stone base.

Determing the cause of the crack usually will dictate the remedy. Normally crackfilling techniques can be used for surface failures and, on the other hand, would not be an acceptable remedy for structural failures. In the case of structural failures, it would be better to address the fundamental underlying problem by doing some sort of full depth repair.

Bonding failures could require either crackfilling or full depth repair but also might have other remedies that may be more appropriate. For example if asphalt is sliding or shoving the right remedy has to be determined by finding out what is the root cause. Asphalt might shove because the new surface was not properly tacked to the old, or its on a steep incline and the weight of the vehicles is pushing the asphalt, or there is something inherently wrong with the asphalt. Only someone with reasonable experience in these situations would be able to determine the cause. Generally an experienced geotech with roadtech experience would be able to determine the cause. There is no substitute for experience. A contractor who has dealt with these situations before would almost always have a good grasp of the problem and reasonably come up with a remedy that will work.

Be careful to consult a contractor that has the knowledge and technical skill to come up with the right remedies to problems. Our field estimators have alot of experience to draw from and if they don't know the answer they will get someone out there that does.

Sealcoating Questions - Questions 1-10

The first 10 questions have to do with  sealcoating. 

Sealcoating is the process of placing a protective coating over the asphalt to help increase the life of the parking lot by reducing oxidation, protecting from gas and oil spills. Additionally  it returns the lot to its original consistant black appearance which should probably be considered as an aesthetic benefit. Now lets try to answer the questions. The questions were not in any specific order. I will try to answer them in the order they were given to me which may not be the best. 

1. How much will it cost?

Sealer pricing will range depending on size of lot, striping and number of coats. Depending on the lot the pricing is generally less pennies on the dollar compared to the cost of resurfacing or other repairs. 

2. What is spider cracking on sealed lots?

Hairlines are very thin cracks, (usually less than 1/16th of an inch wide). They are cracks in the sealcoating, not in the asphalt itself. They are spider web looking, interconnecting cracks, and are usually more apparent when it is wet or damp out. This generally results from too many applications of coal tar products.

3. How did it happen?

We think it occurs because the coal tar cures differently than asphalt and as a result creates this incompatibility after successive applications. Check out this article: http://www.geeasphalt.net/asphalt_competitiveproducts.asp

4. What can I do to fix it?

Using asphalt sealer will generally improve the situation. If you begin sealing your lot with asphalt this problem will never occur. The only way to eliminate them completely would be to re-surface the parking lot.

5. Why should I seal my lot?

Why Seal Coat?

· Seal coating seals the asphalt pavement, preventing the oxidation and erosion of the top layer of asphalt

· On older pavements seal coating replaces fine particles lost from the asphalt surface due to oxidation

· Seal coating seals the small cracks that can turn into large cracks and prevents water from seeping down to the base material.

· Seal coating helps protects the asphalt from the sun as well as the harmful effects of chemical spills such as oil and gasoline.

· Seal coating provides an attractive black surface that is ideal for painting lines and other markers.

· Seal coating leaves a smooth, clean surface ideal for sweeping, lowering cleaning costs.

· Seal coating costs pennies a square foot compared to the dollars needed to repair or replace damaged asphalt.

6. Are there alternatives to coal tar?

Yes there are asphalt based products that are the equivalent of coal tar based sealers and do not have the strong odor, acidic burning or carcinogenic effects.

7. What is coal tar?

Coal tar is a byproduct of the coking process. It is has been used as a preservative and in medicinal products that deal with lice and psoriasis. Coal Tar is thought to be carcinogenic and for that reason was banned in parts of California and Texas for use in sealcoating products. Here is the city of Austin's brochure on coal tar products: http://www.cityofaustin.org/watershed/downloads/brochure_coaltar.pdf

Here is another good article on coal tar that I think tells the whole story:

http://www.geeasphalt.net/asphalt_competitiveproducts.asp

8. What is asphalt sealer?

Asphalt sealer uses asphalt instead of Coal Tar to make a comparable sealcoating product.

9. What are the benefits of asphalt sealer?

Asphalt based products that are the equivalent of coal tar based sealers and do not have the strong odor, acidic burning or carcinogenic effects.

10. The other contractor said he is going to squeege the sealer. You are spraying. Whats the difference?

In our opinion spraying is the better method. It provides the more consistant coat across the entire surface (in terms of thickness) and without question produces the better finished look. Some websites question whether squeeging may be the better method. Maybe as a first coat application but its benefits are minimal. It is often view that this method does a better job filling cracks and voids. This is really  a misnomer.  Structurally sealcoatings do not do a good job to fill cracks since the resins in it are not flexible enough to deal with the movement in asphalt. As a result there is only minimal benefit to fill the cracks using the squeegee method. Squeegees tend to drag on the surface leaving the coating thin on the wear part of the surface where it is needed the most. Proper spray applied asphalts tend to outperform squeegee applied applications.

Spraying vs. Sealing is not the end of the story. There is one other method that is worth mentioning - Brush Application. "The bristles of the brush push the sealer deep into the pours and fill in all the little nooks and crannies. " (http://www.sealcoat911.com/about2.html), 

The author of the above reference however recommends a squeegee application as the finish coat to the brush application. We have experimented with this and are not satisfied with this process. In our opinion there are 3 options to sealing:

1. 2 coat spray

2. 1 coat brush

3. 1 coat brush and 1 coat spray. 

Number 3 is the best choice albeit the most expensive process. While the jury is still out our results indicate that 1 coat brush is better and slightly less expensive than 2 coat spray.  But the brush / spray 2 coat process is by far the best. 

50 Important Questions

The Thanksgiving holidays are over and its time to get ready for Christmas. I always look forward to this slower time of year. In the construction industry the winter represents a time to take account of everything you did last year and how you would like to change things for the following year. I have been involved in this process since 1981, the year I was married. 5 children and almost 28 years later it has become a ritual that I can now look back on with some sentimental feelings for what seemed like a simpler time long ago. 

When we decided to get this blog together, I asked for people within our company to put together lists of questions that our customer always ask. We felt that it would be another way for our customers to gain insight into our operations. My brother, David,  took me up on this and put together a list of 50 questions that address issues that he answers all the time.  So I thought I would simply list the questions in this blog entry and then over the next few weeks do my best to put some sort of an answer to each of the questions. Here is that list (which for better or worse) I simply cut and pasted from his email. 

1,  How much will it cost

2,  What is spider cracking on sealed lots

3,  How did it happen

4,  What can I do to fix it

5, Why should I seal my lot

6,  Are there alternatives to coal tar

7,  What is coal tar

8,  What is asphalt sealer

9,  What are the benefits of asphalt sealer

10, The other contractor said he is going to squeege the sealer, you are spraying,  whats the difference

11,  My business is open 7 days a week, can we phase the work to keep the lot open

12, I am closed on weekends, can you seal then

13, my lot has cracking can you repair the cracks

14, What is the difference between normal cracking and alligator cracking

15, What are my options for fixing the alligator areas.

16,  You said there is reflective cracking in my lot, what is reflective cracking

17,  what are the advantages of repairing the cracks

18, What are the differences between patching,  mill and pave  or  peel and pave,  what are the advantages or disadvantages to each one.

19,  There is mud coming through my blacktop, what can you do to repair it and why do I see mud

20,  I always have water ponding in certain areas of my lot, what can you do to get rid of the water

21, Do you stripe,

22, I have broken curbs, can you repair them

23, I have damaged concrete walks or driveway approach, do you do concrete

24, I have a catch basin that’s  collapsing, Can you repair or replace my catch basin.

25, I have water going into my garage doors, do you install trench drains

26, There is a sink hole in my parking lot, what could be causing it and how can you fix it

27, I got another price and he said he is giving me 1” compacted, what does that mean

28, I have another quote and his scope is different than yours.

29, My lot is breaking up and I have a lot of heavy trucks coming in and out of my business, what are my alternatives

30, The blacktop where the dumpster truck empties the dumpster has deep tire ruts, what are my alternatives.

31, How is the price of gas effecting the blacktop business

32, I want to resurface my lot, but the blacktop is already above the doors and walks,  what can I do

33, Do you do oil and chip,  Is it a good option to repaving my lot.

34, I only need 1 pothole fixed, Will you come to do a small job

35, We have a community board, will you come to our board meeting and explain your quote

36, I need a budget price , we will be looking to do some work in the next yr

37, I have another location in Rochester, how far will you travel

38, I am from out of town, will you go and do a survey of what repairs and overall condition of my parking lot

39, I already have a site contractor, will you just do the paving

40, Do you do residential work

41, Do you need any money down

42, It’s the middle of winter, can you fill the pothole in my lot

43, Do you have a guarantee

44, How often should I seal my parking lot

45, My concrete is Spalding, what causes that to happen

46, Can you break your bid up and give me multiple prices, I might not do all the work

47, You bid this job for me 2 months ago, are the prices still good

48, You bid type 7 top and the other guy bid type 6 top, whats the difference and whats better for me

49, why do the sabres keep losing

50, why do the bills keep losing

Stay tuned for all the answers.