Concrete VS Asphalt
Consider The Environmental Impact Of Paving Materials
Did you know? Asphalt paving material is environmentally friendly. It is considered a green technology because it can be recycled. When asphalt pavement is recycled, the old asphalt is ground up and reused. This is not always the case with concrete, which must be hauled away and disposed of in an environmentally approved facility.
Certain types of asphalt, such as porous or permeable asphalt, also helps with water drainage by allowing the water to percolate through the pavement into the soil below. With concrete, the water must run off the sides into streams and the local water table.
Consider the Ease of Installation and General Maintenance
- Asphalt is often considered superior to concrete for certain paving projects because asphalt is much easier to work with than concrete.
- Asphalt can be installed and used more quickly than concrete.
- When asphalt needs maintenance or replacement, usually only the top layer is repaved, the base layer and middle layer are considered permanent, which can make it more cost-effective than concrete.
- Typically, concrete is around 35% more costly than asphalt.
There may be more preventative maintenance with asphalt materials, but this serves to keep the asphalt looking and functioning like new for a longer period of time. Concrete, on the other hand, often loses its new look much more quickly. With proper maintenance, asphalt pavement can last more than twenty years and when it is replaced, the cost is often significantly less than concrete.
![Newly paved asphalt driveway leading to a gray two-story house with a two-car garage, landscaped yard, and yellow caution tape in Minnesota.](https://www.aurora-asphalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/asphalt-driveway-2.jpg)