Asphalt Paving in Hanford, CA

Asphalt paving in Hanford comes down to two things: getting water off ground that is almost dead flat, and building pavement that can take a San Joaquin Valley summer. Hanford sits at about 249 feet, its July days average around 98 degrees, and it has hit 116. Winters are cool and damp, with tule fog that can sit over the valley for days. Rain is light, about 8 inches a year, but it comes in the winter, when pavement dries slowly. As paving contractors serving Hanford and the rest of Kings County, we plan every job around those conditions.

Drainage on flat land

Hanford grew up on the north side of what was once Tulare Lake, historically the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi before irrigation diverted its rivers and dried it out. The land is flat, and in many spots there is not enough natural fall to carry water away. A driveway or yard that is paved level will hold puddles after every storm, and standing water softens the base and starts potholes. So we survey the grade, then build in a crown or a cross-slope that sends water to a ditch, a landscaped area or the street. On large lots, that sometimes means adding a swale or a drain.

Heat and heavy loads

Asphalt binder softens in heat. When a loaded feed truck, a trailer or a tractor sits or turns on hot asphalt, it can leave ruts and scuffs that never go away. HomeGuide describes a normal residential driveway as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of gravel base, and 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches for heavier vehicles. In farm country, plenty of driveways fall in the heavier group. We ask what will use the surface and set the section to match.

Valley soils

Soils around Hanford range from river-fan loams near the Kings River to fine, poorly drained lake-margin soils to the south. Some hold water; some are soft when wet. We probe and dig before quoting, remove soft or organic material, and compact a crushed-rock base. That base is what keeps the surface from settling.

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The right season

Paving needs a dry base and warm enough weather to compact the mix. Spring and fall are ideal here. Summer works with early starts, since fresh asphalt in 100-degree heat stays soft for a while. In winter, cold, foggy mornings slow everything down, and we schedule around the forecast. Sealcoat needs dry weather between about 50 and 95 degrees, so it is a spring and fall job.

Air district rules

Kings County is in the San Joaquin Valley air district. Its Rule 4641 bans rapid-cure cutback asphalt, allows medium-cure cutback only when the forecast high is under 50 degrees, and caps volatile content in asphalt emulsions. Larger sites also fall under the district's dust rules, with a dust control plan required for non-residential projects disturbing 5 acres or more. We use compliant materials and keep dust down on every job.

A typical job

• Measure, check the grade and decide where water will go
• Remove old asphalt, concrete or gravel as needed
• Replace soft soil and compact a crushed-rock base
• Pave with hot-mix asphalt to the thickness in the quote
• Finish edges, transitions and drainage features
• Give you timing for traffic and the first sealcoat

Hanford is our base. In Kings County we also work in Lemoore, Armona, Home Garden, Corcoran, Stratford, Kettleman City and Avenal. East and north, we cover Visalia, Tulare, Goshen, Exeter and Farmersville in Tulare County, and Kingsburg, Selma, Fowler, Laton, Riverdale, Caruthers, Reedley and Dinuba in Fresno and Tulare counties. Conditions shift across the area: lake-bed soils and subsidence near Corcoran and Stratford, river-fan ground near Lemoore and Kingsburg, oil-country hills around Avenal, and orchard and vineyard roads near Selma and Reedley. Each city and the county have their own rules for work at the road. The town pages cover the details.