Advantage:

Asphalt vs. Concrete Driveway

Asphalt Driveway Concrete Driveway

Cost $2.50 - $4.00 /sq.ft. $4.00 - $6.00+ /sq. ft.

Durability Less durable More durable

Weather Issues Softens in high heat Cracks in freezing temperatures

Longevity 20 years+ 40 years+

Maintenance Resealing every 3-5 years Sealing optional; occasional degreasing

Finishes None Multiple types

Colors Primarily black Multiple color options

Resurfacing Yes No

Repairs Easy Difficult

Disadvantage:

ASPHALT
Become soft in the high heat of
summer, become tacky and even
deform in some cases.
CONCRETE
Tendency to crack and suffer from
frost heaving in cold and freezing
winters.
Salt used for ice melting can create
pits in concrete leaving blotches
across the driveway.
Maintenance

There are definite differences when considering maintenance. After about six months to a year
after installation, asphalt driveways should be sealed. Asphalt should then be subsequently sealed
every three-five years afterwards. This can be done by anyone and does not require any special
tools or machinery. Sealing the asphalt will extend the life of the driveway, which when properly
maintained may last upwards of 30 years.

Concrete driveways do not necessarily need to be sealed to last upwards of 50 years. However,
sealing a concrete driveway can preserve the look and finish. Concrete driveways will stain
easier than asphalt (although sealing will help) and will require a degreaser to remove any oil
based stains that may occur.

Both asphalt and concrete driveway cracks can be repaired. However, asphalt cracks are easier to
repair and blend into the original. Meanwhile, concrete repairs are more obvious due to
weathering. An added plus with asphalt is that it can be resurfaced fairly inexpensively leaving a
brand new top coat if the old layer falls into disrepair, which is impossible for concrete.

Cost

Ignoring any maintenance costs, asphalt is generally much cheaper to install than concrete. On
average, the cost per square foot for asphalt will run between $2.50 to $4.00. Fluctuations in
crude oil prices can cause fluctuations in asphalt prices but the price will remain around this
range. Concrete, on the other hand, can run between $4.00 to $6.00 per square foot for basic
installation and can cost more depending on different finishes and detail. Its not unheard of to
have a stained concrete driveway with a smooth finish cost over $15.00 per square foot.
Regulations

Finally, before you get too far, you may want to check with any local building codes to see if
there are any specifications. For those that live in a development, your HOA may have very
specific restrictions on color, finish or even type of driveway material you can use.

Airfield uses of asphalt

Most of the world's paved roads are surfaced with asphalt, which gives good performance
and durability under the most heavily trafficked conditions. Asphalt mixes are also widely used
in the construction of hard standing and parking areas for both light and heavy vehicles. They are
therefore eminently suitable for use in the construction and surfacing of access roads, perimeter
roads and vehicle parking areas on airfields.

Asphalts give good performance and durability under the wide range of climatic and
traffic conditions. More and more often asphalts are used for industrial areas or for specific
applications, such as base courses for railway tracks. Asphalt is also widely used in airport
construction, although this usage is not always recognised.

A majority of airports are constructed with asphalt pavement. In airports, there are
different areas such as runways, taxiways, aprons and parking areas. For each, the required
specifications could be different particularly for surface courses. For parking and aprons, good
resistance is needed to puncturing, to fuel and to chemical agents. For other surfaces, a good skid
resistance is necessary. Asphalt mixes provide the answer to these various requirements.

In addition to these uses, asphalt mixes are widely employed in the surfacing of runways
and aircraft handling areas on a wide range of airfields, from international airports regularly used
by the heaviest airliners, through military airfields carrying high performance jet aircraft and the
smaller domestic airfields regularly used by light or medium-sized aircraft to the smallest private
airfield used by light single or twin-seat aircraft.
 In Europe, the construction and surfacing of military airfields is the responsibility of the
each nations Ministry of Defence, whilst responsibility for the civil airports usually rests with
the civil or municipal aviation authorities. These organisations often have their own standard
specifications for this type of work.

Why Use Asphalt Instead of Concrete?

Though concrete once was used for paving roads, parking lots and other projects, asphalt
paving is the preferred choice today. To begin to understand why asphalt paving is superior to
concrete paving (also called cement paving), one should know how asphalt and concrete are
made. Concrete is made using aggregate (like crushed rock and sand), along with cement and
water. The cement acts as the binder in concrete, holding the aggregate together. As the mixture
dries, it forms a stiff, unforgiving solid that is prone to cracking and breaking, especially if the
surface beneath it is not perfectly smooth.

Like concrete, asphalt is made using aggregate. Its binder, however, is bitumen, a dark,
sticky substance derived from crude oil. When roads, parking lots or driveways are built using
asphalt construction, hot asphalt (bitumen mixed with fine aggregate) is poured onto a bed of
heavier aggregate and then pressed into it with a steamroller. Once the asphalt cools to the
surrounding air temperature, it is strong enough to withstand automobile traffic. While asphalt is
extremely hard and durable, it offers enough flexibility to accommodate imperfections in
underlying surfaces, a feature that concrete sorely lacks.

The other advantages of asphalt paving over concrete or cement paving are plentiful. One
of those advantages is that removal and replacement of damaged asphalt is a simple and
relatively easy process compared to concrete. Asphalt is also a 100% recyclable product. Due to
the heavy demand of asphalt for recycling purposes, you will rarely find this material taking up
valuable and limited landfill space. Asphalt construction projects can be finished and opened for
traffic much faster and with a lot less expense than concrete construction projects. Maintenance
and repair of asphalt pavement is faster and less costly than that of cement pavement, as well.
 Repairing minor cracks in asphalt driveways and walkways can be so easy that
homeowners can tackle this maintenance project themselves. Asphalt crack repair can be done by
a single person in one afternoon, and this simple, inexpensive task can increase the longevity of
an asphalt surface significantly.

When more than just simple asphalt crack repair is needed, however, the solution still
requires less time and money if one chooses asphalt paving over cement paving. Unlike concrete,
which needs to be removed and replaced when significant cracks appear, asphalt can be
resurfaced in much less time, and at a fraction of the cost.

Asphalt resurfacing simply involves applying new asphalt over the old. Damaged areas
are filled with fresh asphalt, and a steamroller goes over the entire surface to yield smooth, even
pavement.

Complete asphalt resurfacing is fast and extremely cost effective. Even better, asphalt
resurfacing, while returning the asphalt to its original smoothness, also adds structural integrity
so that it can continue to provide a durable, pleasant driving surface under higher traffic volumes
and increased vehicle weights.

From new construction to all types of repairs, asphalt paving beats concrete or cement
paving every time. Count on asphalt for attractive, long-lasting performance and a substantial
savings of both time and money.