Cold planing, also called cold milling, is the removing or milling of a layer of pavement by a cold planing machine. The exposed surface can be used temporarily as a driving surface and is usually overlaid with new material. Cold planing is performed when an old asphalt parking lot needs to be refurbished or resurfaced, and is often used as an economical alternative to full parking lot removal. Where the grades are too high to accommodate the new lift of asphalt, a cold planer will grind existing material down to the desired projected depth and turn the material into fine chips, which are cleaned and removed from the site.
Some parking lots only require areas at hard point transitions, such as sidewalks or cement floors, ground down to accommodate the new asphalt lift. Other parking lots require the entire surface ground down in order to establish proper paving grades.
Why use cold planing for your commercial job?
The benefits of cold planing include:
- Improved pavement profiles and cross sections
- Restored drainage flow and curb reveal
- Improved base for a smooth asphalt overlay
- Improved bonding
- Reclaimed material for future use (grindings can be recycled and used on ranch roads, reused as base or used in hot or cold asphalt mixes)
- Ability to use in conjunction with petromat paving fabric for even longer life
- Increased safety by removing spots that cause trip hazards
- Cost efficiency. Although costs vary according to material hardness, depth of cut, job specifications and general location, cold planing it typically cost efficient
With over 50 years experience in commercial asphalt, Challenge Asphalt looks forward to helping you determine the right cold planing application for your needs. For further information about commercial cold planing, give us a call at 805-969-2616 or email us, we would be more than happy to assist you.