Hurricane season is tough on Houston pavement as intense rainfall, temperature swings, potential flooding and heavy traffic all place additional stress on concrete and asphalt. It is best for commercial property owners to be proactive because by the time a hurricane is tracking through the Gulf, it is too late to prepare the pavement.
Schedule an inspection and have any needed maintenance performed ahead of time to ensure the pavement is fortified against the weather.
What Should Houston Property Owners Do to Protect Their Pavement?
Houston property owners can take several steps to ensure their commercial pavement is ready for hurricane season. Those steps include:
Scheduling an expert inspection
The first step is getting the pavement assessed. Consult with a trusted pavement contractor and have them take a look at the asphalt or concrete. The paving crew will note any maintenance or repairs that the pavement needs.
Cleaning the pavement
Sediment and debris are potential threats to pavement during heavy rains. When hurricane season is ongoing, schedule regular sweeping and cleaning services to minimize any debris-related risks.
Addressing any overgrown vegetation or root systems
Any overgrown vegetation and root systems can destabilize pavement as they intrude into the pavement’s structure. During hurricane season, heavy rains can further damage these destabilized areas, so consider removing any excessive vegetation on a regular basis to protect the pavement.
Repairing minor cracks and other forms of surface damage
Checking and clearing out any drainage structures
The pavement’s drainage is critical during a heavy storm. Catch basins, gutter systems and retention/detention ponds must be free of any debris to ensure efficient drainage, and that means inspecting those structures and cleaning them out.
Sealcoating any asphalt
If commercial asphalt is in otherwise good shape, consider a round of sealcoat to boost its wear and water resistance. Asphalt sealcoat forms a protective layer over the asphalt’s surface, strengthening the binders and preventing wear from loosening aggregate.
Hurricane preparedness in Houston involves many of the same maintenance processes that are leveraged any other time of the year. The key is up-to-date maintenance for commercial pavement, as this is the only way to protect the pavement against wear and weather.
Why is it Important for Houston Property Owners to Protect Their Commercial Pavement During Hurricane Season?
Houston’s hurricane season always has destructive potential throughout the region, and no part of the city is safe if a major storm passes through the area. Commercial property owners are at significant risk, as flooding and traffic can force expensive repairs, or even shut down operations for a time. If a commercial property’s pavement is not protected, hurricane season may result in the following:
Cause your pavement to rapidly deteriorate and fail early
During heavy rainfall and flooding, water will penetrate through your pavement’s surface if there are any cracks, potholes or other surface flaws. Once water intrudes into the pavement’s deeper layers, it will rapidly eat away at the binders holding the pavement together. This will cause the pavement to disintegrate from the inside out, eventually causing collapse and subsidence. When this happens, the only fix is often total pavement replacement.
Cause extensive warping or surface aggregate loss
Runoff and heavy traffic will wear away at the pavement’s surface, carrying away loose aggregate and dislodging aggregate that is not well-integrated into the pavement. Heavy rains can also exploit weaknesses in the asphalt, and if that is combined with commercial traffic, the result may be warping, which is another issue that can only be resolved with full replacement.
Render the pavement unusable for a time
If the pavement is badly damaged during hurricane season, it may interfere with the business’s operations, especially if it relies on constant commercial traffic. If Houston floods or otherwise sustains heavy damage during a hurricane, there will likely be significant delays in getting the property back to normal.
Overwhelm drainage structures
Heavy rains wash debris and sediment into drainage structures, and this can clog them up if they have not been cleared out. If a properperty’s drainage structures are overwhelmed by sheer runoff volume, water will back up onto the property and cause problems elsewhere. For example, heavily saturated soils can cause the area around foundations to destabilize and place additional stress on those foundations.
Rapidly exhaust a maintenance budget
If commercial pavement is destroyed because it is not protected from hurricane season, property owners may be facing full pavement replacement, which is much more expensive than preventative, protective maintenance.
Research authored by state departments of transportation shows that commercial property owners save money by keeping their pavement in good condition, rather than trying to restore it after it deteriorates. This is especially true during hurricane season, when one heavy storm can be enough to ruin pavement if it is not protected.
Prepare Commercial Pavement for Hurricane Season by Partnering with a Proven Pavement Contractor
Hurricane season poses significant risks to commercial property owners every year in Houston. Some of those risks are pavement related, as heavy rainfall and flooding are punishing to unprotected pavement. If a business is behind on their concrete or asphalt maintenance, now is the time to schedule an expert inspection and any needed maintenance. Do not wait until a hurricane emerges and targets the Houston area.
Houston Hurricane Season and Commercial Pavement: FAQs
When should Houston property owners prepare their pavement for hurricane season?
Before a storm is tracking through the Gulf. Once a hurricane is on the forecast cone it is too late to schedule an inspection and complete repairs, so preparation belongs on the maintenance calendar ahead of the season.
What does hurricane preparation for commercial pavement actually involve?
An expert inspection first, then sweeping and cleaning, removal of overgrown vegetation and root systems, crack and pothole repair, clearing catch basins, gutter systems and retention or detention ponds, and sealcoating asphalt that is still in good shape.
Why does standing water damage asphalt and concrete so quickly?
Water enters through cracks, potholes and other surface flaws and reaches the pavement’s deeper layers, where it eats away at the binders holding the pavement together. The surface then disintegrates from the inside out, which can end in collapse and subsidence.
Do clogged drainage structures affect anything besides the pavement?
Yes. When drainage structures are overwhelmed, water backs up onto the property and saturates the surrounding soils, which can destabilize the area around foundations and place additional stress on them.
Is preventative maintenance cheaper than repairing storm damage?
Research authored by state departments of transportation shows commercial property owners save money by keeping pavement in good condition rather than restoring it after it deteriorates. Full replacement after a storm costs far more than protective maintenance.
Does sealcoating help against hurricane rainfall?
Sealcoat forms a protective layer over the asphalt’s surface that strengthens the binders and improves water resistance. It is worth considering when the asphalt is otherwise in good shape, though it does not replace crack and pothole repair.
