Top surface of tarmac drive coming away

[Pete maw]

I had a drive laid 3 months ago. The top surface where the car turns is coming loose, small stones are being "worn" off.

Somebody turned up and squirted fairy liquid on it on a rainy day and the water seemed to disapear into the tarmac, he said this proved that the tarmac had not gone off yet. He further suggested that a good rolling after a few hot days would bring the surface back to looking new, coupled with using a blow torch in some places. Does this sound right or are they trying to "mug me off" Please advise!!!

[irishpaving]

Are these the people that laid it telling you this and did you see how it was laid

[Pete maw]

Yes i did see it laid and they seemed to do a very good job. They laid a base of 10mm tarmac and then 6mm 125pen on top. It always seemed a bit soft after they had laid it and the weather has been hot. but can it be made to look as it should by rolling again?

[irishpaving]

Laid base at 10mm... Is this 100mm base... Msh will be on soon to advise...What about a sub base?

[Pete maw]

I meant 10mm tarmac not thickness.

[irishpaving]

Ok... What depts are the layers?

[Pete maw]

I think the thicknesses are fine, it's just the very top of the finish layer is cutting up a bit.

[rab1]

think the tarmac lads are looking for the whole picture mate. ie sub base, depth of base layer and finishing layer.

[Dave_L]

Pete can you post up an image of the whole driveway so we can get an idea of the problem?

[Big Phil]

IME 6mm Macadam 125Pen is only good enough for straight-on-straight-off driveways, and it's not really robust enough to withstand the stresses caused by static power steering and repeated turning traffic. If this is the same drive as your other thread, you mentioned having a transit van, which may be a contributing factor in causing the damage.

Any fresh asphalt surface will soften in it's first summer, until it oxidises and hardens with age & weathering. The soapy water gives an indication of the surface tension of the bitumen on the asphalt surface, so this just proves it's still quite fresh and you have to treat the drive with care. re-rolling after a few warm days will do nothing but mark your driveway, unless there's a freak heatwave that will bring your drive to material rolling temperature of around 130deg. blow torching has to be done carefully, as if you cook the bitumen you'll never achieve compaction.

It may be that the material isn't up to the job, even though supplied and laid to the appropriate standards. I'd be a bit concerned with the 10mm material binder course though, as it may be that they've used a 10mm surface course as a regulating course. Most drives would require a minimum of 100mm of asphalt to provide a good waterproofing to the subbase, so estimating the 6mm surface would be 25mm thick, i'm not sure many contractors would put a 10mm material down at 75mm thick.

[GB_Groundworks]

sorry to break the chain of the thread but just read big phils sig and made me laugh out loud

and he knows his stuff re the black stuff

[jonnyboyentire]

Sounds like my bro-in-law's drive, new mega-money house and they used motorway tarmac on his hammerhead drive. Patchy now after 2 years