Everyone appreciates asphalt paving because of its durability, but do you know how asphalt is made? You aren’t going to have a pop quiz on this anytime soon, but it’s good to understand the basics and a few ins and outs of your pavement material. If you’ve ever wondered, “how is asphalt made?” then this blog is for you! Let’s take a look at the world of asphalt, paving and asphalt recycling.
Do you know how asphalt is made?
The Basics of Asphalt Paving
Asphalt starts out with high quality material that is precisely blended into a gradation. The mixture is then dried and heated to the right temperature so that it can be coated with liquid asphalt cement. You may not have known where your asphalt came from or how it was formed, but realized that it is a carefully crafted material that is specifically meant to offer durability and strength for many years.
Asphalt Plants
With asphalt, there are two different types of plants with different responsibilities in the creation of asphalt. Drum mix plants dry the aggregate that is created and blend it with asphalt in a continuous process. The same piece of equipment is used in the blending process. For batch plants, rocks are dried and heated first. Then, the rocks are added to the pugmill and blended with asphalt. This happens one batch at a time.
Asphalt Transportation
After the asphalt is made and ready to be used for your paving project, you may wonder how it gets to your home or business for construction to begin. The asphalt can be loaded onto trucks and taken directly to the job site. It will be placed on the surface using a paver, and the paver will lay the asphalt mix. Rollers will compact it until it has the perfect number of air voids. The mix design or recipe will let your contractor know the right number of air voids that your asphalt pavement should have.
Pavement Services with Testa Paving
If you are in the need of pavement or asphalt services, Testa Paving Inc. is here to help! For over 35 years, Testa Paving Inc. has been a driving force within the industry and has been serving the areas of Maryland and northern Virginia.
Interested in one of the services offered by Testa Paving Inc.? Call us today at 301-663-5861 or visit our contact page.
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