FAQs

Answers to the questions we're asked most about road profiling, asphalt paving and working with Elite Roads.
Can't find what you need? Contact us at info@eliteroads.com.au or call us on 03 8866 1553 to speak to our team.

Road profiling

  • Road profiling means removing an existing asphalt or concrete surface with a milling machine, so the road can be resurfaced or rebuilt. You may also hear it called cold milling or cold planing. A rotating drum fitted with hardened cutting teeth grinds the pavement down to a set depth and level, taking off worn, cracked or rutted layers and correcting the shape of the road. What is left is a clean, even base for new asphalt to bond to, with levels and drainage falls set out to the design.

  • Cutting depth depends on the machine, the material and the pavement design: a profiler can skim a few millimetres off the surface or remove the full depth of the asphalt, in one pass or several. Profiling is usually preferred because the machine works to an exact depth and grade, correcting levels and crossfall as it goes, and leaves the sound pavement below undisturbed. It is also much quicker than breaking out a road with an excavator bucket, and the milled texture gives the new asphalt a good key to grip.

Asphalt and asphalt paving

  • Asphalt is a blend of crushed stone, sand and fine filler held together by bitumen, a sticky binder refined from crude oil. By weight, a typical mix is roughly 95% aggregate and 5% bitumen, though the binder content shifts with each mix design. It is produced at an asphalt plant, where the aggregates are dried and heated, then combined with hot bitumen to a set recipe. Conventional hot mix is typically made above 165°C, while warm mix asphalt is made at least 20°C cooler. The mix is then trucked to site, spread by a paver and compacted with rollers.

  • Asphalt hardens as it cools rather than drying, and a newly paved surface can often take traffic within hours of the crew finishing. The weather and the job decide how quickly it cools. Thicker layers stay warm for longer and hot days keep the surface soft, while sunshine and a light breeze help it set. The binder keeps stiffening for 6 to 12 months, so keep trucks, plant and skip bins off fresh asphalt for a minimum of 14 days, and avoid tight turning on it in the early weeks.

  • For most road construction and resurfacing work, asphalt is the more practical choice, although concrete still suits some heavy-duty uses. Asphalt usually costs less to lay, can carry traffic within hours rather than waiting for concrete to cure, and gives a smooth, quiet ride. Because it is a flexible pavement, damaged sections can be profiled out and replaced without breaking up whole slabs, and old asphalt can be recycled into new mixes. Concrete is a rigid pavement with high strength, which is why it is sometimes chosen for areas carrying very heavy, slow or standing loads.

  • There is no single lifespan for asphalt, because it comes down to how the pavement was designed and built, the traffic it carries and how well it is maintained. A pavement designed for the right traffic loads, laid on a well-prepared, well-drained base and compacted properly will outlast one built to a lower standard. Water getting into the pavement causes much of the damage, so sealing cracks early, keeping drains clear and fixing potholes before they spread all help a surface go further. If you have a site in mind, we can assess it and recommend the right pavement and maintenance approach.

Working with Elite Roads

  • We pave new roads, subdivision roads, industrial and commercial estates and car parks across Victoria, and we resurface and rehabilitate existing roads as part of maintenance programmes. Our crews also lay specialist and technical surfaces, including sports courts, athletics tracks and motorsport circuits, and pave within live tram corridors. Alongside paving, we offer road profiling, surveying with machine control, and transport for asphalt, plant and profiled material. Each project has a dedicated project manager who looks after the programme, safety and traffic arrangements.

  • Yes, we work with all three. Councils engage us for road maintenance, resurfacing and rehabilitation, scheduled to keep the impact on residents and businesses low. Head contractors bring us in as a paving and profiling subcontractor on major road, rail and tunnel infrastructure, and developers use us for subdivision roads, estates and car parks. We are based in Altona, hold ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 certification, and have been building and maintaining roads for more than 15 years.

  • The level of disruption depends on the site and the scope of works, so we plan for it before work starts. We agree the timing with you, which can mean night or off-peak shifts on busy roads. Traffic management is set up so vehicles, pedestrians and property access are controlled safely, and larger jobs can be staged so residents and businesses keep access where possible.

  • Start dates depend on the size of the job, site access, any permits or traffic management approvals and our crew schedule, so the fastest way to get a firm date is to send us your project details. After an initial conversation, we inspect the site to confirm the scope, then come back with a proposed approach and timing. Smaller maintenance and patching works can generally be programmed sooner than large staged projects. Call us on 03 8866 1553 or use our contact form and we'll be in touch.

sustainability

  • Yes. We have worked with local councils to develop and trial asphalt mixes that contain recycled materials such as plastic, glass, crumb rubber from old tyres and steel mill slag. We have also trialled warm mix asphalt, which is produced at lower temperatures than conventional hot mix and so takes less energy to make. More broadly, old asphalt removed from roads can be processed and blended back into new asphalt, and Victorian road specifications allow reclaimed asphalt in many mix types, so a worn road can become part of a new one.

  • Profiling reduces waste by taking off only the layers that have failed, rather than digging out the whole pavement. Because the cut stops at a set depth, there is less spoil to load and haul away, which means fewer truck movements to and from site. The milled material comes off in small, even pieces and goes up a conveyor straight into the waiting truck while the machine works, leaving far less loose debris around the work zone than breaking up a road with an excavator.