Why is asphalt used to make roads




















Virtually all of the reclaimed asphalt pavement RAP that is removed from existing streets and highways is recycled into new HMA. Because this recycling of HMA is economical, it occurs without the need for government mandates or subsidies. HMA also has been shown to consume less energy than other materials and systems. A study done by the Asphalt Institute indicated that a comparably-designed HMA pavement required only about half the total energy to construct as a comparable Portland cement concrete pavement.

Improvements in technology have been steadily reducing the airborne emissions from the production and placement of HMA. Dust from the drying of aggregates is the major emission and is now almost totally captured and recycled.

Other emissions are primarily combustion products from the burning of fuel to heat the aggregates and fumes from hot asphalt itself. Fuel burners are now much more efficient, resulting in very complete combustion. Studies to date by the government and industry have shown emissions levels to be very low and have not identified any health hazard associated with exposure to asphalt fumes. Nevertheless, the industry continues to develop improved technology for reducing emissions and minimizing exposure.

Benefit 1: perpetual pavement Asphalt pavements are perpetual and have the ability to last forever when designed properly.

Benefit 2: smoothness Asphalt pavement provides a smoother surface. Benefit 3: faster project completions Paving with asphalt cuts construction project time significantly. Benefit 5: economical and adaptable Asphalt is a low-cost building material. Benefit 7: sustainability Asphalt is a recycled material, it can be used over and over, and its life cycle never ends. FAQ Q: What materials are used to produce asphalt pavement? Q: Are all asphalt mixtures the same? Q: What is Perpetual Pavement?

Q: What is this Superpave I keep hearing about? Q: What product is recycled the most in the United States? Asphalt pavement is unquestionably the nation's most widely recycled product. Q: What impact does the production and use of HMA have on the environment?

Why Asphalt. Choose an Asphalt Career. Asphalt ultimately speeds construction, is environmentally friendly, provides a smooth, quiet ride and more.

Check out these reasons to use Asphalt. Asphalt is quicker and easier to maintain. An entire road can literally be removed and replaced while you sleep and you are able to travel to work the next day with all lanes open, riding on new pavement. Asphalt pavements are THE most recycled material in the world. Every year nearly million tons of RAP is recycled back into new asphalt pavement in the U. All the asphalt binder and aggregate are recycled back into the mix as asphalt binder and aggregate.

Asphalt is the choice for versatility. Asphalt is resistant to extreme weather conditions. Also, spalling, flaking or cracking are not the issues with asphalt roads. It can be used over and over, and its life-cycle never ends. Asphalt roads can be dug up and then reused again. Post-consumer waste such as used tires and shingles can also be reused in new asphalt pavement. This means that asphalt roads are highly eco-friendly too.

Smooth asphalt reduces the friction between tires and roads, which means better fuel economy and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Special warm mix asphalt roads can be constructed at lower temperatures, further reducing the energy required to heat asphalt materials for road paving. Lastly, asphalt provides comfort during extreme winters and snowfall.

Combined with various amounts and types of rocks and other substances, it eventually becomes the mixture we drive on. The road is really an asphalt mixture or better termed "asphalt pavement.

All the talk of oil refining may make asphalt sound like a relatively modern invention, but the first recorded use of asphalt in a road was in Babylon in B. The Romans used it to seal structures like baths and aqueducts. Using it as a binder in roads became more common in the s. John Loudon McAdam, who built the Scottish turnpike, added hot tar to reduce dust and maintenance on roads.

This method also improved driving conditions. In the United States, bituminous mixtures asphalt concrete first appeared in the s, and the first "true asphalt pavement" was laid in Newark in by Edmund J. It was modeled after a natural pavement highway in France.

DeSmedt then paved Washington, D. Enterprising chemists and inventors soon filed patents for different blends of asphalt mixtures, which appeared under a variety of names.

As the industry grew, cities began requiring warranties on workmanship and materials. Until the early s, nearly all asphalt came from natural sources, but with the launch of the first modern asphalt facility in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, in and the increase in automobiles, requests for better roads invigorated the asphalt industry. By , natural asphalt production was overtaken by refined petroleum asphalt.

Finally, the Federal-Aid Highway Act helped transform the roads in the United States still made of packed dirt and created the 48,mile 78,kilometer Interstate System in the U.

Although it's most often associated with roads, asphalt is used for many purposes, though roads account for its most extensive use. Of the more than 2. Interestingly, though, all of that includes a mixture of about 95 percent stone, sand and gravel, and just 5 percent asphalt cement. Asphalt also is used for parking lots, airport runways and racetracks.



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