The installation of asphalt has been done in a variety of weather and temperature conditions. People ask me all the time “What is the optimum temperature to lay asphalt?” Now I’m thinking “I like it around 65 to 70. Not too hot, not too cold, I don’t sweat so much”. Then I realize the customer is talking about the installation of their asphalt and not my well being. The answer to their question is “It depends.”
The installation of asphalt has been done in a variety of weather and
temperature conditions. People ask me all the time “What is the
optimum temperature to lay asphalt?” Now I’m thinking “I like it around
65 to 70. Not too hot, not too cold, I don’t sweat so much”. Then I
realize the customer is talking about the installation of their asphalt
and not my wellbeing. The answer to their question is “It depends.”
The temperature criteria for laying asphalt depends on the
temperature of the asphalt more than the existing weather conditions.
When installing asphalt correctly, a contractor must get the asphalt
from the plant, install it at the job sight and compact it before the
material gets too cool. In theory, asphalt can be installed any time of
year as long as it meets these criteria. The reality is that the
weather and temperature is one factor that affects these criteria.
There are several other factors that come into consideration as well.
When I look at a job, these factors are considered: weather,
temperature, distance from the asphalt plant, is the asphalt going to be
installed by hand or run through a machine, what size asphalt rollers
are at the job site, Crew size and experience, how many seams in the
asphalt, number and size of the trucks hauling asphalt to the job site.
All these factors affect the quality and finish of asphalt pavement.
Is it too cold to do asphalt? Maybe. I will check everything else to make sure the asphalt project is done right.