What is Rolled Asphalt Concrete?

Another great article from Wikipedia about rolled asphalt concrete.

The largest use of asphalt/bitumen is for making asphalt concrete for road surfaces and accounts for approximately 85% of the asphalt consumed in the United States. Asphalt concrete pavement material is commonly composed of 5% asphalt/bitumen cement and 95% aggregates (stone, sand, and gravel). Due to its highly viscous nature, asphalt/bitumen cement must be heated so it can be mixed with the aggregates at the asphalt mixing plant. There are about 4,000 asphalt concrete mixing plants in the U.S., and a similar number in Europe.

Asphalt concrete road surface is the most widely recycled material in the U.S., both by gross tonnage and by percentage. According to an industry survey conducted by the Federal Highway Administration and the National Asphalt Pavement Association and released in 2011, more than 99% of the asphalt removed each year from road surfaces during widening and resurfacing projects is reused as part of new pavements, roadbeds, shoulders and embankments.

Roofing shingles account for most of the remaining asphalt/bitumen consumption. Other uses include cattle sprays, fence-post treatments, and waterproofing for fabrics.

Asphalt concrete paving is widely used in airports around the world. Due to the sturdiness and ability to be repaired quickly, it is widely used for runways dedicated to aircraft landing and taking off.

Road Readie Paving - Barrie / Simoce County - www.roadreadiepaving.com - Our commitment is to deliver an exceptional product at a competitive cost. Road Readie Paving will take care of all of your paving needs- commercial, industrial or residential. With over 25 years of experience, you can be confident in our expertise and professionally trained staff. We will customize each project to suit your individual needs. With Road Readie Paving, you can trust that we will make your asphalt vision a reality.

What is Asphalt?

I have to thank Wikipedia for proving this excellent definition of Asphalt for us - Lot's more interesting information to follow.

Asphalt ⁱ/ˈæsfɔːlt/ or /ˈæʃfɔːlt/ or /ˈæsʃfɛlt/, also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product; it is a substance classed as a pitch. Until the 20th century, the term asphaltum was also used.^[1]

The primary use of asphalt/bitumen is in road construction, where it is used as the glue or binder mixed with aggregate particles to create asphalt concrete. Its other main uses are for bituminous waterproofing products, including production of roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs.
The terms asphalt and bitumen are often used interchangeably to mean both natural and manufactured forms of the substance. In American English, asphalt (or asphalt cement) is the carefully refined residue from the distillation process of selected crude oils. Outside the United States, the product is often called bitumen. Geological terminology often prefers the term bitumen. Common usage often refers to various forms of asphalt/bitumen as "tar", such as at the La Brea Tar Pits. Another term, mostly archaic, refers to asphalt/bitumen as "pitch". The pitch used in this mixture is sometimes found in natural deposits but usually made by the distillation of crude oil.

Naturally occurring asphalt/bitumen is sometimes specified by the term "crude bitumen". Its viscosity is similar to that of cold molasses^[2][3] while the material obtained from the fractional distillation of crude oil [boiling at 525 °C (977 °F)] is sometimes referred to as "refined bitumen".

Road Readie Paving - Barrie / Simoce County - www.roadreadiepaving.com - Our commitment is to deliver an exceptional product at a competitive cost. Road Readie Paving will take care of all of your paving needs- commercial, industrial or residential. With over 25 years of experience, you can be confident in our expertise and professionally trained staff. We will customize each project to suit your individual needs. With Road Readie Paving, you can trust that we will make your asphalt vision a reality.