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Primarily used for paving and road construction, asphalt has a
variety of applications in roofing, sealing, coatings, adhesives and
batteries.
Also known as blacktop, macadam, or tarmac, asphalt is comprised of
two basic ingredients: aggregates – crushed stone, gravel, and sand
which make up about 95% of the asphalt mix; and asphalt cement – the
black viscous liquid that is heated and acts as binder to hold the
aggregates together. Asphalt cement is obtained during the last stages
of petroleum refining. It literally comes from the bottom of the barrel
and is one of the heaviest, most viscous parts of petroleum.
Advantages of asphalt:
Asphalting your driveways and parking lots increases curb appeal. It is
also a good investment that will add value to your property. Compared
to concrete, asphalt is smoother, exceptionally durable, environmentally
friendly, recyclable, and more cost-effective to construct and
maintain. Asphalt significantly reduces road noise caused by contact of
tires on the pavement. Asphalt paving is ready for use once it has
been compacted and cooled, unlike concrete with its lengthy curing
time. Maintenance of asphalt is also quick, cost-effective, and less
disruptive than with concrete paving.
Care and maintenance:
Ideally, asphalt should remain visco-elastic in all weather conditions.
However, some conditions may affect the sturdiness and performance of
asphalt, among them are the composition of the asphalt mix and the crude
oil source, the type and amount of aggregate used, the presence of
moisture, the method of road construction, temperature, and the volume
of traffic.
Many asphalt surfaces soften in summer, leading to ruts or permanent
deformation. Asphalt also loses its plasticity and can therefore harden
and crack or crumble with age. Moisture from rain and other sources
can invade and damage old asphalt. At low temperatures, asphalt becomes
brittle and cracks under the stress of heavy traffic loads. This is
known as thermal and fatigue cracking.
But the good news is that asphalt is easily repaired and 100%
recyclable. Old asphalt can be reclaimed or incorporated into new
asphalt cement. This reactivates the old asphalt, which becomes part of
the glue that holds the new asphalt mix together.
For more answers to your questions regarding asphalt, contact Freedom Restoration at 410-451-7110 or click here.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt
http://asphaltroads.org/why-asphalt/why-asphalt.html
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/7747scit6.html
http://www.asphaltpavement.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=489