What is Long Lasting or Perpetual HMA Pavement?
Perpetual Pavements use multiple layers of highly engineered HMA material to produce a safe, smooth, long-lasting road. The hot-mix asphalt (HMA) design begins with a strong yet flexible bottom layer constructed on a good foundation. The bottom layer resists tensile strain caused by traffic, and thus stops cracks from forming in the bottom of the pavement. A strong intermediate layer completes the permanent structural portion, and a final layer of rut-resistant HMA yields a surface that lasts many years before scheduled restoration. A Perpetual Pavement provides a durable, safe, smooth, long-lasting roadway without expensive, time-consuming and traffic-disrupting reconstruction or major repair. The concept is similar to that of a house that periodically may need to be painted or re-roofed, but that still stands the test of time.
