asphalt vs concrete driveway

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Don't salt your concrete driveway! That'll rust your vehicles on pretty quick!


huh? What does salt on concrete vs salt on asphalt have to do with rusting?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Don't salt your concrete driveway! That'll rust your vehicles on pretty quick!


huh? What does salt on concrete vs salt on asphalt have to do with rusting?


Concrete is much more porous and will continue to release the salty moisture throughout the year. Same as a gravel driveway that gets salted.

 

[linkbelt]

Use Class A Concrete with less than a 3 inch slump.
Place conc. slab on a good aggregrate base, at least 6 inches in depth.
As you know, is cost less up front to pave with asphalt, but, in the long run, concrete will cost you less and out last you. (maybe)

 

[crinkles]

I am an asphalt man myself. But we can't really answer the question reliably without details on what your soil is like. Are they putting in pavement gravel? Straight onto dirt? etc.

A black surface should also heat up more than concrete, and I would have thought that without ice on it, just wet, asphalt would be less slippery than concrete, unless you have a really rough concrete finish.

 

[crinkles]

Concrete MAY be better for the long term. You will need rebars, and what if the slabs start settling unevenly. Has to be done right to be worthwhile.

 

[Shannow]

Concrete all the way I reckon.

http://www.adaa.asn.au/documents/ref_data_sheet_6.pdf

Gives some of the reasons that concrete doesn't like salt in general...can see from the charts that the less cover over the rebar, the more likely corrosion of the rebar, and as rust takes twice the volume of steel, can split and pop (spall)...pick high fly-ash with lots of cover over the rebar.

 

[matrass]

thanks for the comments so far everybody. I do like the paver look the best but I know I would need it done right and not sure about finding the right person around here. for the winter I would use calcium carbonate for sure as I use it now. would love to get a bobcat but I do not think it would be in the budget lol ... maybe I can rent one for the landscaping that I will be doing :O) going to see how much the contractor is allowing for the asphalt driveway and get a few quotes on the concrete to see how much more it will run me. the big factor will be the fact that I am having an additional part to park my 20ft bassboat of of the driveway.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
...can see from the charts that the less cover over the rebar, the more likely corrosion of the rebar, and as rust takes twice the volume of steel, can split and pop (spall)...pick high fly-ash with lots of cover over the rebar.


That is the reason why the rebar in highways, bridges, parking garages, etc, has a green epoxy coating on it - its to prevent the salt from rusting it. Rebar in buildings doesn't have the coating because there is no salt exposure. However, I've never seen anyone do a driveway with epoxy coated rebar.

Ours is concrete and instead of rebar or wire mesh, they used Fibermesh to reinforce it. Its sort of like little plastic "hairs" that's mixed into the concrete. Its used all the time in warehouse floors. Its held up well all these years and if I had any complaints, its that the fibers made it difficult for them to get a nice uniform brushed finish on the fresh concrete. The neighbor's driveway doesn't have Fibermesh and its brushed finish looked a lot nicer; ours looked amateurish in comparison.

 

[123Saab]

I have gravel and its ok.

Were I to cover it up it would be concrete.

Cant stand the heat in the summer from Asphalt.

 

[opus1]

Concrete will last longer. Asphalt has to be sealcoated every couple of years, but 2 advantages I have noted for asphalt is that if the ground does settle, the asphalt is flexible enough to adapt where concrete would likely crack; in addition, the dark color of asphalt seems to absorb the heat from the sun better and will melt snow/ice better than concrete. YMMV.

 

[Malo83]

http://www.angieslist.com/articles/pros-..._source=taboola

 

[Clevy]

HA. Hilarious. We get 40 degree heat and -40 cold. An 80 degree swing and our concrete driveways don't dissolve
Sounds like he makes more on asphalt