“ASPHALT”

In the field of construction, there are lot of many things that need to familiarized. As an
engineering students particularly in the field of structural engineers play so much importance in
the construction world.
Asphalt is a mixture of aggregates, binder and filler, used for constructing and maintaining all
kind of roads, parking areas but also play- and sport areas. Aggregates used for asphalt
mixtures could be crushed rock, sand, gravel or slags. In order to bind the aggregates into a
cohesive mixture a binder is used. Most commonly, bitumen is used as a binder. An average
asphalt pavement consists of the road structure above the formation level which includes
unbound and bituminous-bound materials. This gives the pavement the ability to distribute the
loads of the traffic before it arrives at the formation level. Normally, pavements are made of
different layers: subgrade, formation, asphalt layers, un-bound road base, un-bound sub base.
Asphalt can be produced in a fixed plant or even in a mobile mixing plant. It is possible to
produce up to 800 tons per hour. The average production temperature of hot mix asphalt is
between 150 and 190°C, which depends however on the mixture produced (see below). To be
able to provide the best performance to different sectors, a large variety of asphalt mixes can be
offered. Due to the different requirements e.g. a road needs to fulfill (high traffic, tough weather
conditions etc) the respective mix used needs to have an sufficient stiffness and resistance to
deformation in order to cope with the applied pressure from vehicle wheels on the one hand, yet
on the other hand, the need to have an adequate flexural strength to resist cracking caused by
the varying pressures exerted on them. Moreover, good workability during application is
essential in order to ensure that they can be fully compacted to achieve optimum durability.
Asphalt is sometimes referred to as a flexible pavement. This is due to its ability to largely resist
the stress imposed by slight settlements of the subgrade without cracking. Most of the
petroleum asphalt produced today is used for highway surfacing. Asphalt paving material is a
dull black mixture of asphalt cement, sand, and crushed rock. After being heated, it is dumped
out steaming hot onto the roadbed, raked level, and then compacted by a heavy steamroller.
Asphalt is also used for expansion joints and patches on concrete roads. Airport runways, tennis
courts, playgrounds, and floors in buildings all use asphalt as well. Light forms of petroleum
asphalt called road oils are sprayed on roadways to settle dust and bind gravel. Another major
use of asphalt is in asphalt shingles and roll roofing, which usually consists of felt saturated with
asphalt. The asphalt helps to preserve and waterproof the roofing material. Other applications
for asphalt include the following: waterproofing tunnels, bridges, dams and reservoirs;
rustproofing and sound-proofing metal pipes and automotive under-bodies; and soundproofing
walls and ceilings. When more than just simple asphalt crack repair is needed, however, the
solution still requires less time and money if one chooses asphalt paving over cement paving.
Unlike concrete, which needs to be removed and replaced when significant cracks appear,
asphalt can be resurfaced in much less time, and at a fraction of the cost.
Asphalt resurfacing simply involves applying new asphalt over the old. Damaged areas are filled
with fresh asphalt, and a steamroller goes over the entire surface to yield smooth, even
pavement.
Complete asphalt resurfacing is fast and extremely cost effective. Even better, asphalt
resurfacing, while returning the asphalt to its original smoothness, also adds structural integrity
so that it can continue to provide a durable, pleasant driving surface under higher traffic
volumes and increased vehicle weights.
From new construction to all types of repairs, asphalt paving beats concrete or cement paving
every time. Count on asphalt for attractive, long-lasting performance and a substantial savings
of both time and money.