It's hard to imagine a modern metropolis without good smooth asph alt. After all, high-quality roads are one of the main indicators of a high standard of living and development of the city. Every day, hundreds of thousands of pairs of legs and even more automobile wheels walk and drive along boulevards, avenues, roads, driveways, not noticing what is under them. And asph alt, by the way, is one of the most popular road surfaces.
Therefore, it would be fair to understand what asph alt is. What is it like and how is it laid?
What is asph alt
Asph alt is a building material obtained by mixing various bitumen and mineral components. Their ratio may vary depending on the standards used in the production of a particular type of mixture.
It's most common to see how asph alt is used in road construction, but it has other uses as well. For example, it is included in all kinds of varnishes, adhesives and putties.
Types of asph alt
According to the type of origin, asph alt is natural andartificial.
Natural asph alt is made up of hydrocarbons. It has a high level of bitumen content. They are usually at least 60%. They learned how to extract and use this material in the economy in ancient times.
The most famous natural deposit of this material is Peach Lake on the island of Trinidad. It consists entirely of pure liquid asph alt.
The "colleague" of Peach Lake is the Dead Sea. Layers of asph alt periodically surfaced on its surface. However, no such cases have been recorded for more than half a century. The last documented fact of raising an asph alt mass weighing about a ton to the surface of the sea dates back to the sixties of the XX century. It is believed that such asph alt, extracted from the Dead Sea, has the best qualities. It was mainly used in the chemical and paint industries.
Artificial asph alt is produced in factories. It is a mixture of crushed stone, sand, mineral powder and bitumen. There are a great many varieties of artificial asph alt: liquid, cast, dry, sandy, soft, rubber and others. In this publication, we will talk more about dry and liquid asph alt.
Liquid asph alt - what is it?
This is a sticky black natural substance with a number of physical properties. It is formed as a result of the processing of crude oil, when all light fractions are separated from it. For example, as a result of the production of gasoline. Liquid asph alt is used as a binderin the production of asph alt mix. It is also known as bitumen.
Based on bitumen, factories also produce some types of liquid asph alt, adding various substances to it. In particular, colored asph alt. It has found wide application in landscape design, it is believed that such asph alt allows you to recreate almost any texture and color of the surface. If a stencil is used when pouring, for example, in the form of paving slabs, then the final coating will also acquire a characteristic relief. Liquid asph alt has increased wear resistance. In addition, when carrying out the necessary preventive work with the help of special tools, you can “update” the coating without replacing it completely.
Manufacturers claim that even a non-professional can pour such asph alt, following simple instructions.
What is dry asph alt made of?
Dry asph alt is often called cold. This is because dry asph alt is a mixture that can be laid at fairly low, even negative, outdoor temperatures. The main thing is that the material itself should not be colder than +10 ° C. Temperature control is one of the main advantages of this type of coating. Dry asph alt consists of filler, bitumen and various additives that give it some properties.
Among the disadvantages are the high cost of this type of coating (about 4 times more expensive than hot) and its "amorphous". That is, even after rolling, after some time it can be deformed,therefore, it is recommended to use it in places where the load on the road is evenly distributed: on sidewalks, highways, when patching holes. But near pedestrian crossings or public transport stops, it will quickly become unusable, as vehicles in these places either stop or pick up speed again.
Paving process
A significant advantage of dry asph alt is that it is sold in bags or plastic buckets ready for use. It can be laid even in wet weather, and this requires a minimum of road equipment.
Typically, dry-type asph alt paving involves six steps:
- Removal of worn coating.
- Cleaning the site from dust and debris.
- Heating the ends (especially when it comes to patching holes) at the installation site.
- Distribution of a layer of sticky bitumen over the surface.
- Laying material, leveling the surface.
- Compacting with a vibrating plate.
