It is important to understand that asphalt requires a significant period of time to fully cure (harden).
Newly constructed asphalt parking lots may occasionally exhibit superficial tire marks and minor indentation particularly when opened to initial or early traffic. The occurrence of these marks will be more often during periods of hot weather.
Some other causes of scuffing and tire marking are:
- Front wheel drive cars that tend to have higher loading on the front wheels which can cause higher contact pressures.
- Lower profile tires frequently have higher tire pressures resulting in increased stress.
- Tires fresh from periods of summertime highway driving are hot and can mark an already hot pavement.
Scuffs and tire marks are typically a minor aesthetic problem that will not affect the long-term performance of the asphalt pavement. Most marking will disappear in time under normal traffic conditions.
Tire scuffing is not a sign of poor workmanship or improper materials. A well-constructed parking lot that shows signs of scuffing and marking will still meet the specified designed life expectancy.