PDA

View Full Version : Pouring concrete over asphalt putt putt


rdech65
Nov 1, 2012, 09:30 AM
I would like to pour conrete over old asphalt that is boxed in with pressure treated wood on a putt putt course I am repairing for eagle scout project my son is doing.

smearcase
Nov 1, 2012, 11:59 AM
My experience is in highway engineering. The most common situation was placing hot mix asphalt over deteriorated concrete pavement. Concrete on asphalt comes up occasionally but not very often, because concrete is usually more expensive.
A similar question was previously asked on AMHD here:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/construction/concrete-over-asphalt-92010.html

I was not involved in those previous discussions but the comments look very valid. And those comments pertained to a driveway so if you have no vehicle loads, many of those earlier comments might not be as critical for just foot traffic. But vehicles can cause damage even if it only happens once or twice.

I would have three concerns.
One, that the foundation under the existing asphalt is good. A lot of cracking showing in the asphalt and especially alligator cracking (surface looks like an alligator's skin) or a lot of distorted areas (humps and valleys) would be an indication of a bad base. If there is a lot of this condition, you are probably better off to remove the asphalt, redo, add to or provide drainage in the base and replace with new asphalt or concrete.
2) If there are potholes or other deteriorated areas of the asphalt, they should be repaired, preferably with hot mix asphalt but a cold mix patch will probably work too. The surface of the asphalt needs to be flat.
3) Concrete and asphalt expand and contract at different rates. The two will bond together and the movement in different temperatures may cause the concrete to crack (another reason you need a flat surface on the asphalt). A bond breaker between the two would improve the chances of success. Maybe a 1/2 to one inch layer of sand could be placed as a bond breaker if you are certain the sand can be confined on the edges. You could research other bond breakers by searching "bond breakers between asphalt and concrete". You will find many opinions and ideas.
Finally, wire mesh reinforcement in the concrete will help prevent cracking as will use of air entrained concrete.
We don't know your budget, what loads might be on the concrete etc, but there are many points to consider.
I know of an incidence where a 13 mile portion of an old concrete interstate highway was rehabiltated by placing a leveling course of hot mix asphalt (2 inches thick) on top of the old concrete, then new concrete with rebars on top of the asphalt. It became a maintenance nightmare, a total multi-million dollar failure for many reasons, one of which was the fact that the asphalt was bonded to the old concrete and to the new concrete. But there were many other factors too.