About Calculator Asphalt

Welcome to CalculatorAsphalt.com, your ultimate destination for expert insights on asphalt pavements. As a licensed civil engineer with over 20 years of experience specializing in asphalt materials, specifications, and construction, I created this website as an educational resource for both professionals and homeowners.

Our mission is to simplify asphalt calculations and provide the practical tools and knowledge needed to execute your projects with maximum quality and efficiency.

My Background

My path in the asphalt construction business began over two decades ago when I joined my father’s small paving company focused on parking lots and driveways. I learned quickly that success in asphalt base building relies on having the right equipment fleet and skilled people who know how to use it efficiently.

In the first few years, we struggled with managing our equipment spreads across projects and finding high-quality equipment operators. I remember our first major commercial site – it required a large asphalt base build. We had secured the bid mainly because of price, yet on day one I realized we were underprepared when our lone paver struggled to keep pace. We finished 45 days late and 20% over budget.

After that wake-up call, I made it my mission to optimize our equipment selection and spreads based on each new project’s unique scope. I also doubled down on hiring and training the most qualified equipment operators possible. Over the next decade, through meticulous coordination of crew sizes, machinery, timings, and personnel assignments across 20 major asphalt base builds, I’m proud to say we consistently delivered exceptional quality on schedule.

A standout example was a 250,000 square foot retail base job with tricky logistics and terrain challenges. By deploying a customized fleet plan with our most skilled foreman leading the equipment team, we completed the high quality build 12 days ahead of schedule. Word of our attention to detail and capability to handle complex projects started spreading, leading us to become a leading civil works contractor in the region.

Looking back over 150 completed asphalt bases big and small, it’s clear that taking the time to matchmake the right machinery to each operation with a talented crew who knows their job is what separates the success stories from the problem sites. My 20 year journey shows why optimized coordination between equipment spreads and qualified operators makes all the difference in asphalt base construction.

Making Asphalt Calculations Simple

On large paving jobs like parking lots, roads, and highways, estimating required asphalt quantities can be incredibly complex. Small project volumes, mix variations, grade adjustments, waste factors, compaction – the list of considerations is endless. Improper estimates lead to either costly shortages or wasteful overordering.

At CalculatorAsphalt.com, our goal is to demystify these calculations with user-friendly yet powerful asphalt estimation tools. With simple inputs like your project dimensions, materials selected, and specifications, our custom calculators determine the precise asphalt tonnage, volume and coverage area needed.

We handle all the complicated formulas and conversions so you have confidence in your paving estimates. Detailed measurement records are built-in to document your inputs and assumptions. Reports can be exported for project stakeholders and suppliers.

As an engineer, accuracy and transparency are top priorities in developing these calculators. You can trust our results.

Steve Axton

A licensed civil engineer and construction specialist with over 25 years of experience with asphalt materials, specifications, and roadway construction. You specialize in efficient pavement techniques and high-performance mix designs. You have just accomplished a successful road construction in United States. Your experience is well appreciated in the construction industry.

Expert Content & Resources

In addition to the calculators, I author detailed articles, guides, and how-to’s covering key asphalt paving topics including:

Asphalt mix design optimization
Pavement thickness and life cycle cost analysis
Compaction standards and quality control
Asphalt binder grades and modification
Sustainable pavements incorporating recycled materials
Paving tips and best practices
Asphalt repair and troubleshooting

My goal is to educate across the full spectrum – from homeowners wanting to properly install a new driveway to agency engineers responsible for highways. Good information leads to quality results.

I am committed to regularly creating new educational content of value to our community. Please contact me with requests for topics you want to cover related to asphalt pavements.

Who We Are

CalculatorAsphalt.com was founded by Steve Axton (yours truly!) – a licensed civil engineer concentrated in asphalt materials and pavement engineering.

Over the past 20+ years, I have worked on projects ranging from commercial parking facilities to county roads to Interstate highways. This diverse experience has provided broad and deep expertise across all facets of asphalt pavements.

Some career highlights include:

Optimized over 500 custom asphalt mix designs for specific project conditions
Paved over 5 million square yards of roads and airfields internationally
Implemented recycled materials usage up to 50% on highways
Performed forensic investigations on over 100 pavement failures and distresses
Published 18 technical papers on asphalt testing and specifications
Developed national asphalt quality management standards adopted worldwide
Precisely calculated asphalt volumes within 1% of actual quantities
Prevented thousands of tons of unnecessary CO2 emissions through mix optimizations

I take pride in sharing the knowledge I’ve accumulated from this experience through our articles, calculators, and additional resources available.

Our Core Team

Name	Role	Credentials	Specialties
Steve Axton	Founder	PE, 25+ yrs exp	Roadway design, parking planning, drainage
Amanda Thompson	Lead Designer	PE, MSCE	Hydrology/hydraulics, stormwater management
Mark Lewis	Construction Manager	PE, 20+ yrs exp	Cost estimating, project scheduling, specifications

Our Dedicated Support Team

While I personally handle all the technical content and calculator development, we have a small but exceptional team that helps make the site possible:

Jamie Frank – Web Designer
Jamie Frank is responsible for the site design, layout, and user experience. She makes sure content is easy to find and mobile-friendly. Jamie has 10+ years prior experience planning transportation projects for state DOTs.

Rachel Frazier – Growth & Demand Generation James brings our calculators to life by coding complex formulas into user-friendly web apps and spreadsheets. He has 5+ years of software development expertise and makes sure the math works!

Jonathan Cor – Content Editor
Mary thoroughly edits each article before publication, ensuring content is clear, concise, grammatically correct, and readable for all audiences. His background includes technical marketing and journalism.

This talented team helps create a site focused on customer service and community at each step.

What truly differentiates us is Steve’s wealth of hands-on civil engineering and construction experience coupled with his passion for collaborating closely with clients – immersing himself in your needs to craft creative solutions. He oversees every project start to finish, combining technical mastery with relationship building expertise.

We welcome the opportunity to learn about your upcoming projects and start constructing a partnership. Please reach out today to connect with Steve and our team of responsive, results-driven professionals. We look forward to collaboratively bringing your vision to life!

Connecting an Asphalt Community

I view CalculatorAsphalt.com as much more than just an educational site. Our greater mission is to build a community of like-minded asphalt enthusiasts passionate about quality, long-lasting pavements.

We bring together industry professionals, engaged homeowners, and anyone with an interest in asphalt – from experienced contractors and materials suppliers to first-time DIY paving project owners.
We share insights, exchange ideas, and work collectively to advance asphalt quality, performance, sustainability, and public understanding. Connect with us on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, or just reach out by email – we love hearing from the community!

Some ways you can get involved:

Join our LinkedIn Group to discuss business trends
Follow us on Instagram for project pictures
Subscribe on YouTube for new video content
Listen to our Podcast episodes during your commute
Engage with other homeowners in our Facebook Group

The more participation from passionate members, the more we can spread knowledge and empower the paving industry.

Giving Back to Organizations Making a Difference

Part of improving our communities means supporting non-profit groups doing great work. That’s why I donate 10% of CalculatorAsphalt.com profits each year to asphalt-related organizations like:

Asphalt Academic Research Alliance

The Asphalt Academic Research Alliance conducts vital research initiatives through university-industry partnerships focused on improving asphalt sustainability, performance, technology, and workforce development. I’m proud to support their efforts to advance asphalt pavements.

Asphalt Institute Education Foundation

The AIEF provides scholarships, promotions, and leadership education to empower the next generation of asphalt professionals. Investing in youth is how we secure the future.

Asphalt Pavement Alliance

The APA promotes asphalt solutions through engineering, advocacy, outreach, and education. I’m honored to assist in their mission of improving quality of life through asphalt innovation.

Together, we can make a difference!

Contact Us

I welcome your feedback and suggestions on how CalculatorAsphalt.com can better serve the paving community. Please reach out to me directly at:

Email: steve@calculatorasphalt.com

Or use our online contact form and I’ll respond promptly!

Thank you for being part of the CalculatorAsphalt.com community. Together we can build better, longer-lasting, greener asphalt roads that connect and serve communities for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Steve Axton, PE
Founder, CalculatorAsphalt.com Licensed Civil Engineer

Our Paving Project Portfolio

Over the past 20+ years, I’ve performed asphalt materials engineering and construction management for diverse pavement projects including:

Airports and Airfields

Designed 30 customized Superpave asphalt mixes meeting FAA criteria at 5 international airports.
Acted as quality manager during $50M expansion paving 600,000 square yards of taxiways and aprons at a regional airport over 14 months.
Developed quality testing standards adopted by 7 other regional airports, improving consistency.

Commercial Parking Facilities

Provided asphalt mix designs and construction support for over 80 commercial projects including malls, office parks, apartments, hotels, and warehouses.
Introduced warm mix asphalt technology on 25 sites, lowering emissions by up to 30%.
Performed forensic investigation on 20 premature parking lot pavement failures, identifying causes and corrections.

County and Local Roads

Designed customized asphalt mixes for the reconstruction of 35 county roads totaling over 3 million square yards of paving.
Implemented recycled asphalt usage between 20-50% on 50 local road projects in 3 counties, conserving resources.
Reduced road project costs by an average of 15% through asphalt mix optimizations over 5 years.

State Highways

Prepared asphalt designs and specifications for 200+ miles of state highway construction and rehabilitation worth over $600M.
Pioneered the use of polymer-modified performance-grade binders to improve fatigue and rutting resistance.
Directed quality control for the largest highway widening project in state history spanning 5 years and $250M.

City Streets

Formulated unique thinly asphalt mixes used to resurface 2 million square yards of city streets over 7 years, doubling pavement life.
Coordinated full-depth reclamation of 1.2M square yards of severely deteriorated roads across 4 municipalities, recycling over 90% into new base layers.
Provided pro bono consulting that helped 3 communities save approximately $200k annually on street budgets through improved asphalt designs.

Driveways and Parking

Consulted on over 500 residential asphalt driveway projects, helping homeowners improve quality and achieve decades of performance.
Designed specialized porous warm mix asphalt for 10 environmentally sustainable parking areas allowing over 90% stormwater infiltration.

Alternative Applications

Produced ultra high-performance stone matrix asphalt for premium motor speedway surfacing achieving 15+ year service life.
Formulated bright red asphalt meeting environmentally friendly specs for use in bike lanes and walking paths across 5 parks.
Provided asphalt consulting for unique applications like horse arenas, golf cart paths, running tracks, and an artificial reef!

This diverse project portfolio gives me unique insights applicable across all facets of asphalt pavement engineering, construction, and materials selection. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss your particular needs!

Steve Axton, PE
Licensed Civil Engineer

Asphalt Paving Facts

Asphalt is an incredibly diverse, innovative material that provides value across countless construction applications. Here are some key facts about asphalt’s importance:

Over 2 million miles of roads in the United States are paved with asphalt, including 94% of highways and streets.
The US has over 10,000 asphalt production plants capable of producing 500+ million tons per year.
Each American uses an average of 5,000 pounds of asphalt annually.
Asphalt pavements save road users over $700 billion in vehicle operating costs compared to other surfaces.
Adding just 2 inches of asphalt to an existing flexible pavement can double or triple its life.
Asphalt surfaces can be 100% recycled and incorporated into new asphalt pavements.
Permeable asphalt allows 70-80% stormwater infiltration to recharge aquifers.
Asphalt pavements reduce traffic noise by 4-5 decibels compared to concrete surfaces.
Polymer-modified asphalts resist permanent deformation 2-3X better than conventional asphalts.
Open-graded asphalt friction courses provide 35-85% better wet-weather skid resistance.
Warm mix asphalt technologies lower production temperatures by 20-100°F compared to hot mix, saving energy.
Asphalt can be colored for decorative and safety applications including bike lanes, crosswalks, parking delineation and more.

These examples demonstrate asphalt’s incredible versatility and performance value as a paving material. The future is bright for asphalt technology to continue advancing!

Please explore the rest of our website to learn more about asphalt mixtures, specifications, construction, applications, and the latest innovations. CalculatorAsphalt.com empowers you with practical asphalt education for any project, large or small.

Steve Axton, PE
Licensed Civil Engineer
Founder, CalculatorAsphalt.com