Implementing Pavement Management Programs For Your Storage Facility & How To Choose A Qualified Contractor
By: Steven Brahney

We are all aware of the volatility of the crude-oil market over the last 12 months. So, you may ask yourself, how is this affecting your parking lots, and more importantly your budget?.

Asphalt is processed from crude oil into different grades of asphalt cement, AC. AC is the binder holding aggregate (Stone) and Sand together in a mix design producing hot mix asphalt, HMA. In addition, most blacktop plants operate off of fuel oil to run the plant and mixing drum. The drum is used to dry the aggregate and sand prior to mixing with AC creating the finished product. Add a few loaders, dump trucks and support equipment and an average asphalt plant could see fuel costs in excess of $500,000.00 per month. These costs are passed down from the asphalt producer to the end user who is purchasing the asphalt, meaning the contractor.

The price of AC is dictated by refineries and published once a month. This is referred to as the Asphalt Index. The asphalt index is measured in tons for the AC. You use a multiplier for the percentage of AC in the finished asphalt mix design to derive your total cost of asphalt mix per ton. When the asphalt index rises at the beginning of the month, the increase is broken down into a percentage and then added to the cost of asphalt per ton. In 2006, this increase ranged from $2.00 - $10.00 per ton. Any reputable paving contractor cannot absorb this increase and has to pass it on to the customer, usually by furnishing notice of the price increase prior to starting the project. Reputable contractors have an addendum in their contract which relates to the cost increase of asphalt and explains this cost will be “in addition” to the contract price in the event the asphalt index rises during the month the project is scheduled.

It is not uncommon for a project to be bid in January, a customer waits until August to award the project and by September the cost of asphalt has raised $8.00 per ton. On a 1,500 ton paving project, this equates to a change order of $12,000.00.

Start a Maintenance Plan to Delay the Overlay

If budgets are tight and safety or aesthetics are an issue, start a corrective maintenance plan. Hot-Rubberized Crack Sealing is the best money spent if you cannot afford to overlay your parking lots. Crack sealing can extend the pavement life up to 7 years and usually costs as little as $0.05 sq ft (Depending on quantity and severity of cracks) A properly installed hot-poured crack sealer expands and contracts with your parking lot and prevents water infiltration to the sub-base. Additional processes such as routing and heat lancing can be performed to extend the life of crack sealer and improve its performance.

Saw-cut and removal of failed asphalt in pot holes and alligator cracked pavements will not only solve your immediate need, they will also strengthen the asphalt overlay at a later date when it is completed. Far too many times, problem areas are just paved over without the proper corrective maintenance being performed. This leads to the damage “reflecting” back through the pavement a year or so later. If the current base is showing areas of compromise, just overlaying the area with 2” of asphalt isn’t going to solve the problem.

By allowing your parking lot to deteoriate, you are only increasing the amount of money needed for future parking lot repairs. The average cost to rebuild a parking lot today is over $45.00 per square yard.

Specific Obstacles Relating To Self Storage Facilities

Most self storage facilities are built as what we label “drainage sensitive”. The minimum slope to properly drain a parking lot is 2 %. In addition, cross slopes and numerous right angles can create a “drainage nightmare”.

Most self storage facilities I have reviewed allow enough elevation in the isles for one asphalt overlay, and sometimes not even. If your facility falls into this category, it’s in your best interest to start a preventative maintenance program sooner rather than later. If the asphalt deteriorates to a level where an asphalt overlay is needed, your only alternative for an engineered overlay may be an expensive asphalt milling or complete pulverization allowing for the 2” overlay.

This picture displays how the elevations on this self storage property would not accommodate a 2” overlay at the sill. In a situation such as this property, it would be necessary to mill the entire parking lot down 2” which can increase the cost of an asphalt overlay by $2.70 sq yd.

This self storage facility is an excellent candidate for a 2” geotextile fabric reinforced asphalt overlay.

Choosing a “Qualified” Contractor

There are several criteria you should use when selecting a contractor to maintain your sites. The obvious is are they licensed and insured. Let’s take it one step further. Here are some important things to consider:

• Does the contractor understand the self storage business, more importantly; does the contractor know how to get in / out of a project with the least amount of impact to your sites operations?
• Can the contractor provide a thorough detailed site analysis complete with pictures, recommendations, future budget projects and a proposal which explains, in detail, what they propose to do with the costs to simplify your job in reviewing the scope of work?
• Is the contractor able to “value engineer” a project if your have a restrictive budget to insure the most critical work is performed and your money is invested wisely? This is very important. If a contractor only offers “one type” of solution than you are going to be wasting your budget. If a parking lot is in need of paving, but your contractor only performs seal coating, they may recommend this service so they don’t lose the business, however, in the end you will not receive any value from the job. If you feel that you have developed a level of trust with your contractor, you will want to share your budget numbers with them so they can propose a system that will best fit your situation and the dollars you have allocated. Ie: If the contractor is flying blind and does not know what your budget or expectations are then this will make it difficult to make your proposal work. If the property needs $80,000.00 of asphalt resurfacing and seal coating is not an option, if you only have $30,000.00, a reputable contractor will show you how to best invest that money in immediate repairs and then wait until the following year when you have allocated the needed funds to perform the work properly.
• Is the contractor able to service your entire portfolio over a large geographic area, simplifying your job as a facility / site / district manager, versus making you have to find a different contractor for each geographic area you have properties?
• Is the contractor a “Full Service- One Stop Shop” or will you have to find several different contractors to service your work? (Seal Coating Contractor, Paving Contractor, Concrete Contractor, Striping Contractor)
• Will the contractor allow you to view their “Work In Progress” to allow you to see the workmanship and standard operating procedure first hand?

As you can see from the list above, before awarding your contract, thoroughly review your bids and the company you are working with. The “Low-Bid” is not necessarily always the best deal. Sometimes a hardcore bargain hunter actually outfoxes themselves and becomes the loser.

Too many times, money is tight and a customer winds up hiring a sub standard contractor to complete the work.


Steven Brahney is the CEO / Managing Director of Brahney Pavement Solutions. Brahney Pavement Solutions is a National Pavement Maintenance And Management Firm located in Hillsborough NJ. If you have any questions, he can be reached by telephone (732) 489-1857 or via email: steve@fixasphalt.com