Asphalt over concrete

[Kevin54]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but it is related as it is on the ground

Has anyone ever had asphalt installed over concrete on a driveway? We are thinking about doing ours that way. I know when Honda built the new road to their plant, they laid down something like a foot of concrete (IIRC) then had it topped with asphalt. Reason being is that the concrete would carry the weight of the daily traffic and trucks running in and out, but if needing resurfaced, then it would be done with asphalt as it is a cheaper way to go. That has been a number of years now.

The asphalt guy that did my one drive said not to do it, although the asphalt would be 3" thick. He wants to take the concrete out to do asphalt. The reason I want the concrete out or covered is mainly in the winter, the concrete builds up with ice and will be ice for weeks at a time due to the sun not hitting it for very long. The asphalt drive to my garage melts as soon as the sun hits it. I have hardly ever had ice buildup. The older you get, the more you want to eliminate risk of falling

So if anyone has had it done, have you had any problems, and if so, what were they?

 

[nmanitou]

Asphalt is applied over concrete all the time in road construction. If done properly it can provide a great surface. It's generally overkill for a driveway, but if your concrete is already in place, it is worth evaluating.

The big thing to watch for would be the condition of your concrete. Like any foundation it needs to be strong and in good shape. Any cracks or deteriorated sections will "reflect" through the asphalt over time. So, some repair effort to the concrete might be required first.

With a concrete base, you shouldn't need 3" of asphalt either. The actual thickness will depend on the asphalt mix (this is highly variable depending on your location and the asphalt plant) so you'll need to ask them about other mix choices.

The only other issue I can think of is how you would "feather" or transition to where your existing asphalt is. You may need to remove some concrete to make that edge work right.

 

[Kevin54]

Asphalt is applied over concrete all the time in road construction. If done properly it can provide a great surface. It's generally overkill for a driveway, but if your concrete is already in place, it is worth evaluating.

The big thing to watch for would be the condition of your concrete. Like any foundation it needs to be strong and in good shape. Any cracks or deteriorated sections will "reflect" through the asphalt over time. So, some repair effort to the concrete might be required first.

With a concrete base, you shouldn't need 3" of asphalt either. The actual thickness will depend on the asphalt mix (this is highly variable depending on your location and the asphalt plant) so you'll need to ask them about other mix choices.

The only other issue I can think of is how you would "feather" or transition to where your existing asphalt is. You may need to remove some concrete to make that edge work right.

No asphalt to feather. This would be strictly over a concrete drive. My other asphalt drive is separate and about 70' away or more.

 

[Jeffksf]

Paint the Concrete black.
Seriously, you could put asphalt sealer over the concrete.

 

[prdny]

What about putting asphalt over a crumbling concrete garage floor? We could do 3 inches of asphalt and grade it to prevent water from running back in when it rains as this is what has been the cause for the damage over the last several decades. We really don't have the funds to completely re do the garage floor and it's only gotten worse since we bought the house 17 years ago.

 

[Kevin54]

Wow, a Zombie thread I tore out the old concrete driveway and had it redone in asphalt.