Asphalt Facts: 8 Things You Didn’t Know…

Our Trivia Series continues with a collection of fun facts you may not have known about asphalt.

  • It is a thick, black substance comprised of asphaltic cement (AC), aggregate, and fines/fillers.
  • Asphalt pavement is utilized in a variety of different applications because of its durability, cost-effectiveness, simplicity of construction, and strength.
  • 94% of the paved roads in America are surfaced with asphalt.
  • Asphalt is favored over its paving alternative (concrete) for highways because it produces a smoother, quieter ride overall.  Studies show that the smoother the pavement, the lower a vehicle’s fuel consumption which makes asphalt the preferred material for both highway engineers and motorists alike.
  • The asphalt industry reclaims about 100 million tons of its own product every year, and reuses about 95 million tons, making it America’s number one recycler.
  • Rubber from used tires, glass, and asphalt roofing shingles are some of the materials routinely recycled into asphalt pavements.
  • Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Millings Restoration Agent, Warm-Mix Asphalt, and High RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement) Content are three eco-friendly alternatives to asphalt.  Learn more about them on our website!
  • A type of asphalt termed “porous asphalt” provides both cost-effective, attractive pavement as well as a stormwater management system to promote infiltration.  Porous asphalt allows water to drain through the pavement surface into a stone recharge bed and infiltrate into the soils below the pavement.

 

Source: http://asphaltroads.org/

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