How to Sweep a Porous Asphalt Pavement Construction Site

With a 1.5 yard hopper capacity, Algonquin Sweeping was filling the hopper with fine materials such as dust and soil that had a talcum powder consistency, which was ground into the surface. To help manage the dust, Algonquin Sweepers utilized roughly 45 gallons of water applied as a mist.

Preparing for sweeping porous pavement

Working with the general contractor is essential during porous pavement construction sweeping projects, and such projects often require a detailed plan. “We developed a plan and decided on a schedule for it,” Lichtenstein says. “I suggest that contractors sit down with the project manager to go over the specifications and determine why the work needs to be done. In our case, we were sweeping new pavement, and our purpose was to keep the pavement clean.”

For this project, Algonquin Sweeping found efficiency with sweeping the pavement in cross sections. “Sweeping off the top area at a lower RPM and increasing it with each additional pass will help extract material from the lower depths,” Lichtenstein says.

He also encourages contractors to use newer equipment that has had the proper maintenance applied. “Don’t think you can go in with a machine that is 10 years old and has never had maintenance work. It won’t cut it for this type of sweeping,” he says.

While completing unfamiliar work can be daunting to contractors, Lichtenstein encourages them to be open to expanding their credentials. “These are different types of opportunities, and they are a good opportunity to get familiar with and utilize your equipment more,” Lichtenstein says. “Don’t be afraid of it.”