Over two decades, Rainier Asphalt & Concrete became Puget Sound’s most trusted and reputable asphalt paving and concrete experts. We have been installing long-lasting, quality asphalt parking lots, roadways, and commercial pavement in Tukwila WA since 2000. We have the capabilities to perform all paving services, including concrete drainage and pavement repair.
WHY CHOOSE US
Why Choose Rainier Asphalt & Concrete
- We have a standard of maintenance that goes above and beyond, enabling us to expand our equipment and processes to better serve our Puget Sound area clients.
- Our paving contractors maintain professional licensing to ensure they are legally certified in performing all paving work in the area.
- We value our quality of work and train each of our paving professional to uphold the highest professional standard to ensure customer satisfaction with every job.
Enjoy Tukwila WA
A lovely suburban city in King County, Washington, located south of Seattle, had an estimated 20,347 people live in Tukwila as of 2019. The town is located on the Black and Duwamish rivers, and the name is a Chinook Jargon word for “nut” or “hazelnut”, due to the hazelnut trees that grew in the area. The first European settler was Joseph Foster in 1853, and his industry led eventually to the city’s incorporation in 1908. Throughout the twentieth century, the town grew and diversified until it is a town with many different kinds of people in it today flocking to the area for jobs and opportunities. It is located near the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, which provides many jobs.
From the Great American Casino to indoor sky-diving, Tukwila has an assortment of fun activities for the entire family. The Family Fun Center & Bullwinkle’s Restaurant is one of these great places, as well as multiple other entertainment centers and bowling alleys. For outdoor entertainment, there are multiple full parks with miles of bike trails and footpaths, as well as full golf courses. The local archery range and the local craft store round out the hands-out activities that Tukwila has to offer. No matter what you come for, you’ll certainly find something for everyone!
Asphalt is the most recycled material in the world, measured by weight — approximately 75 million tons per year (or about twice as much as paper, glass, aluminum, and plastics combined.)
Despite this, there is a tremendous oversupply of recycled asphalt that is removed from roads, parking lots, and driveways when it’s repaired or replaced. Current technology allows a maximum of about 20% recycled asphalt to go back into new hot asphalt mix (pilot projects are trying to push it to 40%). So what happens with the other 80%?
We have been working with our suppliers to think of some creative ideas, both from a functional perspective and from an environmentally-conscious perspective, of how we can find end-of-life uses for this material that are not currently commonplace.
The potential applications for recycled asphalt to add value are vast. Any area that’s currently dirt or gravel that’s either a mud pit or full of potholes is a candidate for recycled asphalt — dirt parking lots, private roads or driveways, alleys, or pathways. It also greatly reduces the consumption of scarce resources such as fuel, equipment, hauling, and labor when compared with producing virgin materials for the same end-use applications.
There are sometimes misconceptions about what exactly recycled asphalt is. It’s appropriate to think of it more like gravel than like traditional asphalt. It’s a soft surface, not a hard surface. The excavated materials are ground up and reprocessed so there’s an appropriate mixture of large aggregates and small aggregates (or fines). This helps the material to bind together better. The presence of liquid asphalt from the old pavement (usually about 4-6%) also provides an element of cohesiveness that gravel is not going to have, especially when it’s applied in the hotter months and the oils can soften up a little, and then re-harden.
Fortunately, recycled asphalt can be applied using the same trucks, tools, equipment, and employees as traditional asphalt, so large quantities can be placed efficiently. Moreover, the material is much cheaper than virgin aggregates, so the end user can get a nice product very inexpensively.
An interesting side note is that placing recycled asphalt over large surface areas actually allows nature to continue running it’s course. Over time, tiny microbes will begin to eat away at the liquid asphalt materials and return it naturally back into the environment.
According to the Asphalt Institute, “the results of leachability tests show very low levels of leachable compounds, well below any current Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.” In fact, Washington and Oregon have more than 35 fish hatcheries with ponds that contain asphalt linings — an asphalt surface, plus an asphalt emulsion sealer. What’s more, many of the world’s water reservoirs built in the last century contain asphalt surfaces or linings.
The possibilities of recycled asphalt are also good for our company and our employees. We’re not bashful to announce that. As a seasonal business, we’re always looking for ways to extend our season as long as possible. This material can be placed in almost any kind of weather, as long as it’s not snowing. Our employees and their families certainly appreciate how this allows them to get solid paychecks throughout the winter.
Rainier Asphalt & Concrete strives to be an industry leader in trying to find creative ways to manage this product at the end of it’s life.
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WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
“The job was completed on time and on budget. The entire crew was professional and very helpful.”
