Excavation Processes for Paving Jobs

A paving contractor will prepare land for the installation of a patio, a walkway, a driveway, or any other addition that will contain concrete, asphalt, or other hardscaping material. The soil conditions and the load weight that pavement will need to support may reflect upon the excavation processes that must be performed.

The Initial Stages

Excavation does not take place immediately. First, a paving contractor will need to assess the ground where the pavement will be laid out and will need to determine if there are any obstacles that will require modifications to a project or the use of specialized excavation equipment. Excavation equipment consists of mechanical machines and manual tools that are designed to move the earth.

A project that will be complex will require the acquisition of a permit. A paving contractor may supply an excavator that can be used for standard paving projects. If the pavement is going to be added to a confined area that a standard excavation machine or tool will not be able to access, it may be necessary to rent a particular type of excavation machine or extension piece.

Soil Testing, Backfill Materials, And Timetables

Rocky or clay-like soil may require a deeper trenching method than a surface that contains sandy dirt particles. A contractor may need to lift several layers of dirt, to level out land and adequately prepare it for the addition of pavement. If soil conditions are unfavorable or if there is an inadequate amount of soil present to support a pavement project, a contractor may need to order some backfill materials.

Paving projects often require a base layer to be installed on top of the freshly-graded property. A contractor will assess the thickness of the pavement material that will ultimately be installed and will determine how deep the trench will need to be. Pavement that is going to be thick and that will need to support a lot of weight will require a deeper excavation process. If the pavement is already on the property and is going to be replaced, a contractor will need to factor in the removal steps that are necessary to remove the pavement.

Existing pavement that is going to be removed will be inspected. Next, an excavation contractor may perform a walkthrough of the property that surrounds the area that is going to be excavated. Temporary fencing is often installed on worksites. The fencing will prevent anyone from disrupting the area where excavation equipment will be used.