When is a road too steep for asphalt pavement?
Most competent and respectable paving contractors can successfully pave driveways with a 12 percent to 15 percent slope. In extreme cases, with the right architect design business, you may be able to find a highly skilled company to pave up to a 25% angle, which corresponds to 25 feet of rise over 100 feet of driveway. Anything above 25% will have to be surfaced with a substance other than asphalt.
According to the American Concrete Pavement Association, if your driveway’s angle is greater than 15%, you should consult with a reputable company; one that understands the “ins and outs” of your local building code requirements and how to design and engineer a driveway that will withstand the test of time and nature.
Driveways with a 15% angle or greater necessitate more complex designs, and in some situations, asphalt cannot be laid if the grade is too steep due to compactors not being able to operate safely and effectively. So, when looking for the correct contractor, make sure you verify some of their work, verifying they have done similar works and the work has held up.
Depending on where you reside, once you’ve completed all of the necessary processes and chosen the suitable paving provider, you should have a good idea of what your driveway approach will look like. If the slope is too steep for a driveway leading straight to the house, it’s a good idea to solicit bids from various driveway design and paving businesses. Meeting with several different contractors will provide you with a clearer image of all of the work that will be required to complete the driveway to your standards.
A good paving contractor will propose an engineer or design architect who can design the appropriate driveway for your property while taking into account all of the crucial criteria.
There are numerous alternatives for off-setting the grade of your driveway depending on your budget. If the approach is too steep in a straight line, many businesses create driveways that twist and bend gradually up the slope. There are various possibilities if your property is tiny and space is limited.
- Excavating the hillside
- Adding turns and bends
- Incorporating transition zone
- Incorporating transition gradients