An asphalt leveling course is a layer of asphaltic concrete pavement of varying thickness that is installed on top of an existing pavement to correct for defects prior to the placement of the surface or wearing course. You may be aware of this or not, but an asphalt pavement structure or segment is composed of several different and separate asphalt layers (lifts or courses). The lower layers are designed to provide support and strength, while the upper layer is designed to provide smoothness and durability. Both of these traits add to the overall quality of the layer. The leveling course is a layer or course that many builders overlook. The leveling course can be laid on top of freshly paved land, previously paved ground, or even milled pavement. When constructing the leveling course, it is critical to use the best paving techniques. This includes ensuring that the pavement is clean and dry and that the required tack coat has been applied. The thickness of a leveling course on a paving mat varies from one area to the next. For example, if the leveling course is utilized to assist surface drainage, it may be 1.5 inches thick on one side to direct water away from the structure, but just 1/2 inch thick where this particular paver pass terminates. This is done to direct water away from the building. 
Furthermore, the leveling course can be applied at an average thickness that is consistent throughout the project. This method can be performed on roadways or bigger parking lots that currently have appropriate drainage but a pavement structure that has to be improved. Some roadways can have one inch of shallow cracking eliminated by milling, and then a leveling course with one inch of loose material and one inch of compacted material can be put along the entire roadway. This not only added an inch to the total pavement section but also provided the crew with a smooth and even surface on which to install a pavement interlayer fabric prior to the placement of the wearing course. If the crown of the roadway required to be raised, a thicker leveling course may have been installed along the centerline as well. Installing the leveling course has several advantages, one of which is that it aids in the identification of unstable regions within the milled surface. This enables corrective action to be made prior to the application of the final lift. The last thing you want to see during the final lift of a brand-new parking lot or roadway surface is a repair. Any cutting repairs will degrade the riding quality, as well as the longevity and rate of deterioration. 
When it comes to paving the surface course or final lift of an asphalt structure, consistency in terms of appropriate slope and mat smoothness is crucial to good drainage. This is due to the fact that irregularity might contribute to drainage issues. Prior to the installation of the final lift, the leveling course assists the team by ensuring that low areas left behind from the milled surface or earlier flaws in the overlaid pavements are filled up. The surface course is billed by the square yard rather than the ton on some building tasks. As a result, the leveling course ensures that the contractor is paid per ton for the grade correction and that the owner receives the required thickness on the surface. This eliminates the prospect of the contractor surprising the owner with a complaint or modification order claiming that they installed more tonnage than expected. Any project that necessitates the use of an appropriate asphalt mix can be viewed as an exercise in asphalt chemistry. In most cases, the surface mix and leveling course are made from the same material. As a result, if the manufacturer paves a leveling course the day before the surface course, he or she will be able to do proper quality control and quality assurance testing on the mix itself. As a result, the factory will have an opportunity to remedy the problem(s) and make the necessary changes before the material is used for the final surface. 
The plant will have this opportunity if, for example, the asphalt binder content is incorrect, there is an excessive amount of dust in the mix, or there is a discrepancy in the air voids. One of the most essential aspects in determining the durability of high-quality asphalt pavement is its density. A surface mix's density can vary greatly depending on a variety of circumstances. Two of the most important factors are laying a solid foundation and having a consistent approach to the level of depth. As previously stated, when properly constructed, the leveling course can help in all of these areas. The final benefit of the leveling method is the increased lifespan of the pavement. Reflective cracking in the overlying existing pavement can be reduced, if not eliminated, thanks to the additional layer of asphalt that was applied. As a result of the leveling course, there is more pavement for the crack to work through, and there is also a split in the lifts that can act as a halting point for the crack, or at the very least postpone its migration up the surface. Both of these elements are directly related to the leveling course. If the leveling course is used in conjunction with a pavement interlayer fabric and a surface course that is installed at the proper thickness, reflective cracking can be slowed or even stopped entirely. Finally, a leveling course is simply defined as a variable thickness asphalt layer incorporated within a pavement design; yet, it has considerably more applications and benefits than that description implies. 
It not only helps to simplify some of the unexpected items that may arise as a result of an overlay, but it also informs the owner and contractor of how these unforeseen goods will be paid for. This is because it helps to simplify some of the unexpected elements that can arise as a result of an overlay. It aids in the leveling of the paved area, the production of proper ADA slopes, drainage help, and the creation of a nicer and smoother final surface. If the factory conducts the appropriate testing, it will be able to improve the mix consistency, resulting in an increase in the final density of the surface mat, as well as halt the deterioration caused by the existing pavements beneath. When considering the scope and breadth of numerous paving projects, the addition of a single low-cost leveling course item can provide a plethora of benefits that will raise the value of your asphalt pavement asset. For more information on other pavement materials such as bitumen, feel free to contact us. Our sales executives are ready to guide you and provide you with all the necessary details.
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