We are often asked, “How should I install loops in a hot asphalt pour?”

Many installers are tasked with putting in new loops when asphalt is resurfaced. There are 2 simple guidelines to follow for installing loops in this type of application:

After the asphalt has been ground down:

If the sub base is soft – dig a trench and use a direct burial loop, encase the loop in sand to prevent the loop from coming in contact with the hot asphalt. Follow our direct burial installation instructions for loops under asphalt.

If the sub base is hard – saw-cut in a loop and seal it before the new layer of asphalt is poured.  Follow our saw-cut loop installation instructions.
The goal here in both cases is to keep the loop from coming into direct contact with the hot asphalt.

What about Hot Asphalt Loops?

There are products on the market that have an outer jacket rated to take the initial heat shock of a hot asphalt pour. This is a product we wanted to offer and spent a lot of time in research and development. During our research we discovered that putting anything into a hot asphalt pour is unadvisable. Loop wire does not have the same consistency of asphalt, this means the asphalt will compress in the area of the loop and cause reflective cracking. When asphalt begins cracking it is only a matter of time before it needs to be resurfaced again. This is why (with the advice of asphalt experts) we advise installing loops into the sub base of an asphalt pour.

Another issue to consider with putting a loop into a hot asphalt pour is that a water channel will be created around the wire. This can speed up cracks being formed in areas that experience freezing temperatures. Water stuck in the water channel will expand when frozen and contribute to the surface cracking.