The Many Types of Asphalt

Your home or business needs the best asphalt Springfield, Illinois pavers have to offer. However, you need to understand that there are many different options from which you can choose. Each of these types has benefits and drawbacks that must be kept in mind before you get any pavement. Thankfully, most are quite simple to understand and shouldn’t take much of your time to install or implement.

Rolled Types – By Far the Most Common Type

Though there are many other types of asphalt available on the market that you may want to use, you’re very likely to end up with a rolled variety. That’s because it takes up about 80 percent of all types on the market today. It is made up out of an aggregate of materials, such as sand, gravel, or old concrete recycled and repurposed to be used as a filler for this new type of paving material.

A binder helps to hold all of these items together and produces a durable and resistant surface that provides one of the longest-lasting and highest-quality paving surfaces on the market. Most of the roads and parking lots you’ve seen made out of this material used rolled elements. You usually don’t see many other types around, though they do have their purposes.

As a result, it is still essential to understand these options to ensure that you know what types to get. For example, you can choose from hot and warm-mix varieties among this type of rolled variety. Understanding these choices should make it easier for you to pick a paving material that is right for your needs and will last for years in the process.

Hot-Mix Types – Helps Resist Moisture

When mixing asphalt, pavers generally have two different temperature options from which they can choose. The most common type that you’ll probably find is hot-mix pavement. This material is mixed at a temperature of 320 degrees Fahrenheit or 160 degrees Celsius. The purpose behind this high temperature is to decrease the viscosity of the pavement and to eliminate as much moisture as possible.

In other words, this method helps to make this material less absorbent of moisture and different types of documents. It also helps to decrease its flexibility and make it more resistant to various kinds of damage. As a result, this type is among the most durable that you can find and is generally used in many types of parking lots, driveways, and other types of similar high-traffic projects.

That’s because this paving option resists pressure damage more successfully and don’t get as easily damaged as other types on the market. In most cases, it should be reasonably straightforward for you to install this type of pavement in your home’s driveway or your business’s parking lot without having to worry about the risk of surface failure or other concerns that may pop up from time to time.

Warm-Mix – An Occasional Alternative

Although hot-mix asphalt is by far the most common variety that you’ll find for your needs, there are a few other options to consider. For example, warm-mix decreases the mixing temperature slightly to produce a somewhat different effect. Typically, this type of pavement is used if people are concerned about the environment or are worried about its impact on workers.

That’s because a warm, but not hot, mix will decrease the number of emulsions and contamination that may occur with hot-mix types. These emulsions may be problematic for the workers because breathing them may be dangerous. As a result, warmer types are often used to decrease these fumes and to keep workers safe. However, there are other reasons that people may choose warm- over the hot-mix pavement.

For example, those decreases in emulsions and fumes also help to decrease the amount of fossil fuel needed to prepare pavement. As a result, you are protecting the environment and ensuring that it doesn’t experience any adverse side effects. Some people may also use cold-mix pavement, but this suffers from a lower surface level protection – as does warm – that makes it harder to utilize.

Other Types You May Find

Although the above-mentioned asphalt types are the most likely types you’ll find, there are a few other options that you may consider. For example, mastic asphalt – also known as sheet pavement – uses a lower amount of bitumen – or fibers – than rolled types. As a result, it flows a little more smoothly and may be easier to install in some areas because of its more comfortable movement style.

You’re likely to see this type of pavement on a few roads and some footpaths. Some people also use this pavement in floors and even on roofs. When altered to use stones, this type of pavement has a natural anti-skid potential. That’s because it has much fewer air pockets than other types of pavement, which helps to keep them safer. However, they are not quite as strong as rolled types.

Note: the term “cut-back” paving is one you may hear some older people discussing. That was because it was widespread in the country before the 1970s but was banned during this time because it causes a lot of air pollution when created. When finished, it isn’t too environmentally unsafe, but should be avoided if you hear any contractors offering it – they are breaking the law if they do.

Don’t Neglect Our Help

As you can see, the best asphalt in Springfield, Illinois can help to provide you with a more durable surface for your paving needs. Therefore, it is essential to consider reaching out to us at The Road Doctor to learn more about this process. Our professionals have years of experience helping people like you and will do what they can to ensure that you are happy and satisfied with the asphalt that they provide.