Asphalt Thickness

Our reference pull testing uses 3” of asphalt over compacted road base. Asphalt thickness means the thickness of the bonded asphalt pavement, excluding the gravel or soil beneath it.

All our anchor models can be installed in 3” asphalt using their specified drill depth and diameter. The drilled hole extends through the asphalt into the supporting base; drill depth and asphalt thickness are different measurements. See the installation specifications.

Thicker asphalt gives an anchor more material to hold onto, and field experience shows higher pull resistance in thicker pavement. We have not yet pull-tested in asphalt thicker than our 3” reference, so we cannot give a reliable thickness adjustment. In 3” asphalt the asphalt and the anchor are close to balanced; in thicker asphalt the anchor itself is more likely to become the limit, so resistance will not keep increasing in proportion to thickness.

Our guide loads assume 3” asphalt. Thicker asphalt does not establish a higher site-specific allowable load or a fixed safety margin. Pavement condition, temperature, installation, and load duration still matter. Contact us before relying on a thickness increase to meet a required application load.

We discourage using our anchors in asphalt thinner than 3”.