Laygo, Mark

Asphalt Concrete
Asphalt Concrete is a composite material
commonly used in construction of roads,
highways, airports, parking lots, and many
other types of pavement. It is commonly
called simply asphalt or blacktop. The terms
“asphalt concrete”, “bituminous asphalt
concrete” and the abbreviation “AC” are
typically used only in engineering and
construction documents.

Asphalt Technology Disciplines

Asphalt Technology is the study of asphalt Fig.1 Asphalt

mixes, properties and performance and can
be divided into three primary disciplines;

Dense Graded Asphalt Technology –

Dense-graded mixes are produced with well
or continuously graded aggregate and
intended for general use.

Open Graded Asphalt Technology – mixes

with relatively uniform-sized aggregate
typified by an absence of intermediate-sized
particles. Mixes typical of this structure are
the permeable friction course, generally
called “Open Graded Friction Course”
(OGFC) and asphalt-treated permeable Fig.2 Road Paved with Asphalt
bases.

Gap Graded Asphalt Technology – Gap-

graded mixes use an aggregate gradation
with particles ranging from coarse to fine
with some intermediate sizes missing or
present in small amounts.

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Different Types of Asphalt
Porous Asphalt

Often used to pave parking lots because it

reduces standing water after a heavy
rainstorm.

When storm water pools on an asphalt

surface, it can cause defects, such as
potholes, which are dangerous for vehicles
and pedestrians. Porous asphalt combats
pot holes and other defects by giving
standing water a place to go.

A layer of permeable asphalt is placed over

a reservoir of open-graded stone. Storm Fig. 3 Porous Asphalt
water travels through the pavement, into
the stone bed and eventually infiltrates the
soil. When properly maintained, porous
asphalt can last 20 years or more.

Quiet Pavement

A type of asphalt that reduces traffic noise.

Paving a noisy road with a stone-matrix
asphalt or open-grade friction has shown to
reduce noise levels by up to seven decibels.
Reducing noise levels by even just three
decibels is equivalent to doubling the
distance between a sound source and your
ears.

Open-graded and porous asphalts are

common quiet pavement mixtures because Fig. 4 Quiet Pavement
they dissipate the sound energy created by
the tire contacting the asphalt surface.
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Perpetual Pavement

Perpetual pavement uses multiple durable

layers to provide drivers with a long-lasting,
smooth and safe surface. This asphalt
paving style starts with the application of a
base layer that’s strong, flexible and
resistant to base cracks caused by traffic
tension. The mid-layer provides structure
and the top layer is a rut-resistant surface
that gives the asphalt its durability. With
consistent maintenance and restorative
care, perpetual pavement can last at least
Fig. 5 Perpetual Pavement
50 years.

Hot Mix Asphalt

Hot mix asphalt refers to the application

method rather than the type of asphalt. It’s
one of the most commonly used mixes in
the industry because it’s durable and easy
to apply. Hot mix is processed at scorching
temperatures of 270 to 325 degrees
Fahrenheit so it remains malleable enough
to spread across the grade. When the
mixture dries, it becomes hard as rock. Fig. 6 Hot-mix Asphalt
Types of HMA:

Dense-Graded – Less permeable due to

high density

Stone Matrix – More durable due to

increased asphalt content, binder and fibers

Open-Graded – More permeable, used to

create porous mixtures
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types-asphalt-pavement/
Warm Mix Asphalt

Warm mix asphalt is manufactured, mixed

and applied at temperatures 50 to 100
degrees cooler than hot mix asphalt. This
reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse
gases during the manufacturing and mixing
process. Other benefits include an extended
paving season, increased production, the
ability to incorporate reclaimed asphalt
pavement (RAP) and improved long-term
durability.
Fig. 7 Warm Mix Asphalt
Cold Mix Asphalt

Cold mix asphalt is commonly reserved for

smaller projects, such as repairing potholes,
utility cuts and patches on rural roads. The
mix isn’t permanent, so it’s not
recommended for high-use surfaces. A cold
mix that’s been applied correctly and is
properly maintained should last up to a
year.7
Fig. 8 Cold Mix Asphalt
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Latasa, Darwin V.

Preparation of Hot-Mix Asphalt

Asphalt cement and aggregate are
combined in a mixing facility where they are
heated, proportioned, and mixed to
produce the desired paving mixture. Hot-
mix facilities may be permanently located
(also called "stationary" facilities), or it may
be portable and moved from job to job.
Hot-mix facilities may be classified as either
a batch facility or a drum-mix facility, both
can be either stationary or portable. Batch-
type hot-mixing facilities use different size Fig. 9 Preparation of HMA
fractions of hot aggregate which are drawn
in proportional amounts from storage bins
to make up one batch for mixing. The
combination of aggregates is dumped into a
mixing chamber called a pugmill. The
asphalt, which has also been weighed, is
then thoroughly mixed with the aggregate
in the pugmill. After mixing, the material is
then emptied from the pugmill into trucks,
storage silos, or surge bins. The drum-
mixing process heats and blends the
aggregate with asphalt all at the same time
in the drum mixer.

Fig. 10 Temperature Difference

 The initial or break down rolling is done by 8
to 12 tonnes roller and the intermediate
rolling is done with a fixed wheel pneumatic
roller of 15 to 30 tonnes having a tyre

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Installation of Hot-Mix Asphalt
1. Preparation of the existing base course
layer

The existing surface is prepared by

removing the pot holes or rust if any. The
irregularities are filled in with premix
chippings at least a week before laying
surface course

2. Application of Tuck Coat

Fig. 11 Tuck Coat Application
It is desirable to lay AC layer over a
bituminous base or binder course. A tack
coat of bitumen is applied at 6.0 to 7.5 kg
per 10 sq.m area, this quantity may be
increased to 7.5 to 10 kg for non-
bituminous base.

3. Preparation and placing of Premix

The premix is prepared in a hot mix plant of

a required capacity with the desired quality
control. The bitumen may be heated up to Fig. 12 Placing
150 – 177 deg C and the aggregate
temperature should not differ by over 14
deg C from the binder temperature.

4. Rolling

A mix after it is placed on the base course is

thoroughly compacted by rolling at a speed
not more than 5km per hour.
 d) Temperature of paving mix during mixing
and compaction.

6. Finished surface

Road Construction - Finishing

The AC surface should be checked by a 3.0

m straight edge. The longitudinal
undulations should not exceed 8.0 mm and
the number of undulations higher than 6.0
Fig. 13 Rolling
mm should not exceed 10 in a length of 300
m. The cross-traffic profile should not have
undulations exceeding 4.0mm.

pressure of 7kg per sq.cm. the wheels of the https://theconstructor.org/transportation/proce

roller are kept damp with water. sses-in-bituminous-road-construction/5316/

The number of passes required depends on

the thickness of the layer. In warm weather
rolling on the next day, helps to increase the
density if the initial rolling was not
adequate. The final rolling or finishing is
done by 8 to 10 tonne tandem roller.

5. Quality control of bituminous concrete

construction

The routine checks are carried out at site to

ensure the quality of the resulting
pavement mixture and the pavement
surface.
Fig. 14 Quality Control
Periodical checks are made for

a) Aggregate grading

b) Grade of bitumen

c) Temperature of aggregate
 excellent waterproofing agent for flat roofs
and underground tank storage.

Emulsion Asphalt

Asphalt is typically mixed with its

aggregates at a high temperature so that
they melt into each other before becoming
the viscous fluid you’ve seen construction
users work with. Asphalt emulsion allows
the mixture to be mixed together at a lower
Fig. 15. End Surface temperature.

Asphalt can also be used to make lacquer,

such as Japan black, which is used on steel
and iron beams. It can be used as a type of
paint, ink and graffiti to help such color stick
to a surface weatherproofing and
waterproofing it. Batteries can also be made
out of crude forms of asphalt.

3 of the Most Common Uses https://www.enrightasphalt.com/us

es-asphalt/
of Asphalt
Rolled Asphalt

Rolled asphalt concrete is the most

common type of asphalt. It makes up more
than 85% of the roads you drive on in the
modern world. It’s often an asphalt/
concrete hybrid, with 5% asphalt and 95%
aggregates mixed together. There are more
than 4,000 asphalt plants in America alone.

Mastic Asphalt

Mastic asphalt is denser then rolled asphalt Fig. 16 Rolled Asphalt

concrete. It has a higher asphalt base, about
10%. This type of asphalt is primarily used in
building and for waterproofing. It’s an
 Safe: Asphalt paving road will have a
smooth finishing feature. It provides drivers
with skid resistance, and better visual
distinction between road markings.

3. Durable: Asphalt is a flexible pavement,

enabling it to withstand occasional
overloading of the pavement.

4. Fast to Construct: It is possible to

complete asphalt construction projects
faster than alternative pavements.
Fig.17 Mastic Asphalt
5. 100% Recyclable: Asphalt is a recyclable
material that can be used over and over
again and never ends its life cycle. Asphalt
roads can be cleared and reused.

Fig. 18 Emulsion Asphalt

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Itliong, Mark Eleazar

Advantages of Asphalt
1. Smooth: This construction method
provides the smooth, quiet ride that the
public enjoys and increases fuel efficiency,
helps to reduce vehicle wear and tear, and
contributes to a longer life on the
pavement.

2. Cost-efficient: This method has low

initial costs of repairing as compare to
concrete or other mediums.
 2. Breaks: When not properly laid, it tends
to cracks and pitting issues such as uneven
blacktop surfaces, insufficient mixing and
paving over past breaks are all the reasons
why cracks will occur.

3. Construction: It should first be heated to

250 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for
conventional asphalt to be used. At these
temperatures blacktop is liquid and binds to
the surface to which it is connected. It must
Fig. 19 Usable Roads
be secured with sand or aggregate
immediately after asphalt is poured in order
to stick properly.

4. Ecological Issues: Asphalt is petroleum-

based. Hydrocarbons are discharged in this
procedure, which in turn leads to
contamination. The blacktop most
commonly used for roads and parking lots is
known as coal tar. Restrain asphalts are
used to make cements, which can be used
in car parks and driveways as well.

5. Equipment: This construction method

Fig. 20 Recyclable Material
requires heavy equipment to install. To
legally and easily lay blacktop surfaces,
wholesaler trucks, sand spreaders, paving
equipment and graders are all required. This
kind of equipment can be leased for a
driveway project in a small-scale form, but it
is expensive.

Disadvantages of Asphalt
1. Care and Sealing: This construction
method needs proper maintenance than
concrete or other pavements. It must be
resealed within 3-5 years to stop breaking.
Fig. 21 Sealing

Fig. 22 Cracks in Asphalt Concrete

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