Concrete to Fill Holes in Asphalt

You could do it, but be aware that at some later date you will have independent concrete rocks seeking their own level. ( Saskatoon, home of the Mother of all Potholes ).

Are you a gambler?

This is not an endorsement:

Repair a Driveway Pothole - Lowe's
I'd say concrete will last two years instead of just one. The amount of cost and effort is about the same in either case.

Where's the subbase for the concrete? Being that concrete is not flexible it has a tendency to crack with freeze thaw cycles. Plus its also affected by a number of deicing materials ie rock salt.

http://www.wrmeadows.com/safe-seal-3405-joint-sealer/ keep the water out or you'll get a repeat performance

Another product that will remove the flexibility of your asphalt and cause potholes. One of the companies I worked for used to sell similar products by the hundreds of buckets full. They then kept track of the buyers because with in five years we were selling hot asphalt mix to them to replace their driveways. That's why when I installed my driveway I put 6" of crushed asphalt down compacted with a 20 ton vibratory roller then I had them put down 5" of HD highway binder mix. After 10 years of hard winters and hot summers not a crack while all my neighbors who put driveway mix on and used this crap were replacing theirs after 8 years.

Best is to cut the damaged area out then fix the subbase then apply the out mix and hit it with a roller The skid plate in the picture will not work. It wouldn't give enough compaction and you would be repair that area again in about a year or two.

Most important thing is the base the asphalt is laid on. A poor base results in poor asphalt job and potholes, cracks, etc. in time. Most, if not all, companies doing driveways and the like do not pay proper attention to what the asphalt is laid on as there is no real "specification" used like those on roads and highways, only "make it pretty" and most customers don't know any better.

Buyer beware!!

Yep I think the op figured out since myself and half the other commentors have said that about the subbase compaction. Also there are many good companies out there that know what they are going it's best to go with someone that has highway work experience. Also many municipalities do have specs to follow. There are also asphalt mix designs specifically for driveways. Its up to the owner to become educated and not be lazy and hire some fly by night company or gypsy blacktop paving company.

But,,, who is going to educate them, and/or, do they want to be educated. Most will answer the door or the phone to the fly-by nights or see flier "we are in the area and...." well, the sale is made.

I have done many a driveway in my time(putting myself through university) and we always used the same "specs" as we did when paving city streets. Guess just maybe I worked for one of the "good" ones out there. And the kept saying to me "just get out there and do the work since you didn't go to school", but they ate their own words in the end.

Anyone with half a brain is going to educate themselves. There are many ways to educate yourself. Good start is the BBB. Web search on government website to see who is approved to do that kind of work. Ask your neighbor or relative that works for a company that does highway work. There are any number of ways. I've worked in the field for almost 20 yrs I've done everything from run plants design mixes QA/QC worked on paving trains. Only the lazy people out there get caught up in these flyer scams. Must of them get run out of town also and sued. Only scum own and work for these kind of companies.

Thanks for all your comments.

Concrete won't work your sticking a no flexible material into a fexiable material. It will led to cracks in the surrounding asphalt. The freeze thraw cycles in you area which has already done a number on your asphalt will be compounded by filling with concrete it will smple pop out next cycle or two. Cold patch did not work because its a temporary asphalt mix made with kerosene which over time will also break down your asphalt.

Generally speaking, it is preferable to repair asphalt with asphalt, gravel with gravel, and concrete with concrete, so there will be the least amount of difference between the (hole to be repaired) and the (repair), especially due to the freeze-thaw cycles that Canada has to ''offer''...

Most likely the culprit of your potholes is a combination of factors: poor subgrade soils containing clay and/or silt, inadequate gravel subbase material and depth (if even present), and poor subsurface water drainage. Also, the actual existing asphalt concrete pavement may be the problem and a contributing factor. Chances are that it's only a Top Course pavement laid down on the in-situ soils (Contractor special) and very thin. Chances are that no asphalt concrete Binder Course (contains large aggregates) was installed under it, like what you would see on a highway project.

Take a pic or two of the problem area and immediate areas and post them here. Do you have "alligator" cracking in the pavement in the immediate failure area, or other types of pavement cracks? A pic or two would be essential to nailing down the failure mode and thus determining the best way to fix those problems.

No, concrete in the pothole will at best last you possibly one or two winters at best, especially in the harsh Great White North....the frost heave will push that concrete up out of the asphalt pavement like good sized rocks.

An alternative to hot-mix asphalt and cold patch is what is referred to as epoxy-blended asphalt cold patch. You may be able to get 4-5 years life out of it, as compared to regular cold patch, which I consider a waste of time and money. You need to properly prepared the pothole by blowing out all water + properly compact it with a vibratory roller. Note: it's expensive.

Yes you can try concrete but be aware of its nature of spreading and dis-mental. It usually moves a bit from its original place. You should measure patch width and implement the concrete with the same ratio may be bit more than that. Ask your engineer for implementing concrete foundation repair method to fill the patch. They easily know how to fit the patch with concrete. Cold patch is not the long lasting method.