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Crushed asphalt vs. gravel
A few readers called yesterday afternoon, furious over Granite, the contractor doing the last section of the Street LID, using crushed asphalt on the side/shoulder of newly paved roads; Lakeside, which did all the previous Street LID work, used gravel. I emailed Ken Lanfear, director of Public Works, this morning, asking him what was in the contract, and what (if any) difference in quality exists between crushed asphalt and gravel for this purpose. His prompt answer:
The “crushed asphalt” is being used. It has been used successfully on State projects; meets the spec and intent of the shoulder protection gravel, and was approved for the application. The contractural obligation of Granite is
to place approved material. Actual use of the “crushed asphalt” generally results in shoulder placement that holds in place longer. The source of the ”crushed asphalt” is the planing of the top two inches of existing paving on Pt. Brown from north of the roundabout project to the City gates. Similar to the recent work done in Hoquiam, the planing allows paving of new surface without raising the roadway profile, avoiding adverse curb and storm drainage impacts.
The only complaint we have heard is that the material is “black” instead of ”gray”.
If not going on shoulders, Granite could have hauled it to their plant for re-processing as part of new asphalt materials. Another excellent use of it is as base for new paving in place of the crushed surfacing top course.
Ken
hey, crush a load and drop it on my driveway, thank you very much.
Good question Joan. Considering that they did grind up many roads in town. The only thing I can think of is that they want the water off the road and onto the adjoining land.
Then it is the property owner’s problem as to how to control their own water and that which was on the road.
Maybe the Storm Drain lawsuit has something to do with it. Now they will have to improve the ditches. Think, you can now walk on the side of the road and fall into the new ditches to come.
The gravel settles because they did not compact it. Driving over it once probably was not enough. They make driveways out of this rock all over town. They are firm and compact. Black rock is supposed to interlock into a firm surface. I think the stuff Lakeside put down had a great deal of sand in it too. Looks good until the next rain. Think of all the asbestos and oil in all that asphalt they put down on the side of the road.
The downtown is going to be much improved with the new sidewalks, I have seen many people walking where the new sidewalks will be and had to go on the shoulders.
The roads I think they did a great job, all those that I have driven on are now nicer than before.
Grinding roads cost money, we’re going to wind up paying way more
than originally intended, so do we want to pay even more?? Almost
sounds like a good time to sell and get the hell out…
SteveL
I’ve wondered why they didn’t grind down more roads instead of just adding the unnavigatable climb all over town.
I thought they normally planed the side of the road only so the new asphalt is strengthened by the old asphalt and the added slope adds to drainage.
Ripping out all of the asphalt can make the new asphalt weaker in parts.
Has anyone gone into the Post office and seen the drop onto the old pavement? It is dangerous pulling out with that change in elevation.
Sounds like good “instantly recycling” to me . . . if crushed properly.
It also got used to stabilize the dirt lot behind Levee Lumber. Much better than a mud hole.
When I saw that, I was jealous. We got the black gravel last year and it settles and scatters and leaves a drop off again. I felt last year that they left about 2 inches everywhere and did not bring the side up to the pavement level AT ALL. This looks like it is up to the level of the roadway and my feeling is that it stays in place better than the loose gravel from places where I have seen it used elsewhere (albiet not a professional opinion). It also looks much better for say a biker who has to get off the side of the road because of traffic. They can’t easily drop off the side where the black gravel has been used in the past and the level left well below the roadway. Personally, I feel this is finally a good use of $$$. The first I’ve seen is some time here.
Regarding Tripnfall’s comment about wider – I too feel whatever the bedding, the width should have been MUCH wider all over the city.
Has Ken gotten out of his car and walked on it? There are chunks the size of a very large man’s shoe. How about if a bike goes off the side and hits one of these large irregular chunks?
Maybe we should have used it for the base under our new sidewalks down Point Brown. Maybe use it down below Ocean Lake as a sidewalk once it is compacted like they did elsewhere on the roads as a roadbed.
Poor decision. Meeting standards is one thing, meeting the needs of our city is another. We do not have sidewalks everywhere on Point Brown. People walk on the side of our roads. With the increased hight around town of our roads, the angle of the gravel makes it impossible to walk on. Wider would have been better. But, I am sure we did not figure on that.