St. Louis Pavement Repair

CONCRETE MAINTENANCE SEALING

Why should I worry about sealing joints?

There are many reasons, some will be explained below, but a very clear example we have pulled together is this:

*** For the expense of 4-5 concrete slabs to be replaced…..you could have about one full mile of typical residential street correctly crack-sealed end to end, side to side!!!!

What is Maintenance Sealing?

Typically there are two (2) variations on concrete:

1) Many older concrete streets and even some newer streets were filled with a dated hot tar product named AC-20. This product was cheap, readily available, and could be quickly applied. Some of the problems associated with this product are that it becomes re-emulsified when temperatures reach the 80's, it will begin to run and ooze from the joint or crack. This same product will become increasingly brittle as temperatures dip into the 40's. As the thermometer falls the product loses all ability to flex and sheers easily from the joint, resulting in an unprotected joint or crack.

To keep it simple, after a few cycles of the seasons, AC-20 breaks bond with the pavement joints and you're left with missing sealant and a very easy entry point for water. This begins the downward spiral.

What should be done?

All old material should be power routed from the joints. This requires a specific piece of equipment and a trained operator. During this process, we will be able to rout out the old AC-20 material as well as groove open the random cracks that may be in various slabs.

Once the joints and cracks are opened to a uniform depth to width ratio we will use our vacuum truck to pick up all the debris and millings created from our routing procedure.

Now you are ready to become modern and protect your expensive investment!

At this juncture we can now clean and dry with a special tool called a heat lance. This all-stainless steel tool combines propane with high pressure air to create a 2500 degree jet. This blast of hot dry air really cleans.

The final major step will be the installation of the correct hot rubber sealant. This material is heated in a unit, or kettle, specifically designed for the application of joint sealants. All material is kept constantly agitated and is heated to the prescribed temperature. Material is then pumped directly to the joint or crack, and can be applied in several different manors appropriate for the job.

What if I already have a rubber sealant, but it's older?

2) If upon inspection we determine that your streets are reasonably sound and have been sealed in the past with a rubber sealant we can re-apply rubber sealant over rubber sealant.

We employ many of the same techniques as described above to complete the job to the highest level of quality. In most cases we will find random cracks (inner slab) scattered throughout the streets, settling or tearing of the old sealant depending on the amount of movement or shifting in the slabs. All random cracks will be routed open to create a reservoir for sealant.

Our jobs are always heat lanced (2500 degree pressurized air). This ensures a tight bond by cleaning, drying, and "tacking" the old material to bond with the new application.

What if I don't know or can't tell?

The fact is most people are great in their own arena, if you are a trustee or property manager you likely have enough irons in the fire. B & D Pavement Maintenance simply asks you to either call or fill out the Bid Request Form. We will gladly take it from there!

This all sounds pretty impressive but... No buts! In many cases we can guarantee our work 98% for two full years from the time of placement. (This warranty will be explained on your bid.)

When you find a good contractor…..you want to keep them! When we find a good customer …..we want to keep them happy!

We also keep you in our database and automatically check our work and inform you of any possible trouble spots in the future. Our goal is to help you stay on top of your pavement maintenance needs so the price actually goes down over the years instead of up!

NEW CONCRETE

“Correct placement and installation of joint sealants neatly INTO the joints can either make or break the best looking concrete work! Know the integrity of your joint sealing contractor.”

Once a new concrete pavement is poured it will be either grooved or saw cut to allow "breaks." These are man made stress relief points. These joints need to be cleaned correctly and have a hot rubber sealant installed. It is extremely important to know what type of material should be applied and the correct depth to width ratio.

In many cases it is required that we open the joints to the correct width in order to seal the joints neatly and professionally. With the increase pressure on environmental issues it is important to know if your particular project falls within the "S.W.P.P.P" guidelines for dust control.

Contact us for a free bid! We will be happy to help.

If there is any concern with our experience level on new concrete, we have set the standard in this field too! With over 2,500,000 pounds of material installed or about 6,756,750, lineal feet we can likely handle your project!