Over the years, I’ve inspected many asphalt surfaces that were paved when the weather wasn’t ideal. Paving in colder temperatures introduces challenges to the Paving Contractor that are not present in warmer weather. The main challenge is getting the asphalt to the job and laying and compacting it before it cools down. It takes an organized crew with the proper equipment to deliver a quality job at the end of the season. In the Midwest, asphalt plants are usually open until early December. Prepared companies can usually attain good results all the way up to the end of the season. However, companies that are not set up to work fast will run into problems. Having the proper amount of people on the crew and the right equipment insures that the asphalt will be laid and compacted in a timely manner.
If you are only repairing sections of asphalt, Infrared Repairs are a nice option. If executed properly, Infrared Repairs can be done in cold weather as long as hot asphalt is available. Infrared crews typically haul the asphalt to the job in a hotbox, which keeps it at the right temperature. In colder weather it takes a little longer to heat the repair area; but if the crew waits the proper time to heat through the whole lift, great results will follow. Adding hot asphalt into hot asphalt takes the temperature variable out of the equation.
