T. farnsworthy
Milwaukee,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, March 18, 2010
Can you provide more details? What kind of driveway was this, asphalt or concrete? Was it a new driveway or a re-pave? If a re-pave of existing asphalt, did they grind the original drive and use it as base course?
Min. asphalt profile for a new residential drive should be 3", ideally done in two lifts (2" binder & 1" wear course.) Low-end contractors will do the install in one pass but this can lead to slope & thickness problems. Either way, the asphalt is installed over a min. 8" compacted stone base.
Min. concrete profile for a new drive should be 4" (skimpy) or 5" (more typical.) The ACI has changed its tune on WWM and no longer suggests it for strength. Early-entry saw-cut joints are now the preferred joint method for concrete. A 6" compacted stone base is a minimum.
If an asphalt drive is in poor enough condition to warrant repaving, a simple overlay (whatever thickness) will not suffice, as all the existing cracks will reflect through in a matter of months.