Have you ever wondered what materials were used to construct the road you are on, whether you are travelling or commuting to work?
Knowing the materials used in road construction is vital, primarily if you work in the construction industry. You may prepare your paving machine, but without the necessary information about road materials and surfaces, your construction project may not succeed.
However, there is no need to panic because here is a detail you must understand about the materials used for road construction.
Soil
Soil is the main component of the foundation, subgrade, or even the pavement. On the other hand, soil is the primary embankment material utilized while building highways on a barrier at the desired level.
Moreover, because all constructions must eventually rest on and transfer their weight to ‘mother earth,’ soil and rock are used as basic materials.
Soil is typically used post-stabilization treatment to enhance road performance, including compaction and strengthening with appropriate admixtures. Mineral aggregates from rocks are critical for all highway pavement sub-bases and bases.
Soils are natural materials with many properties that must be considered before constructing a road. For example, soils with a high proportion of clay and silt particles are more vulnerable to erosion and contraction when visible to water. To prevent performance degradation, these kinds of soils need specific maintenance.
Asphalt and Bitumen
There is a common misconception that asphalt and bitumen are the same thing. However, asphalt, a blend of aggregates, binder, and filler, is used as asphalt paving for road construction, while bitumen is a semi-solid binder to bind asphalt.
Bitumen, or mineral tar, is attained through partial distillation of crude petroleum. It is composed of 2% oxygen, 11% hydrogen, and 87% carbon.
On the other hand, asphalt is made in a factory by heating, drying, and mixing aggregate, bitumen, and gravel into a composite mixture. Depending on the kind of project, the material is then applied on the spot using a paving machine at a selected or essential thickness.
Asphalt is a composite material known as asphalt concrete for road building. Asphalt makes up 70% of this material, while aggregate makes up 30%. Asphalt is 100% recyclable and is one of the most widely used materials for constructing roadways.
Concrete
Concrete is another essential construction element for roads and buildings. Its simplicity and flexibility are the reasons for that. Concrete, composed of 60-75% cement, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, and water, is a versatile building material, with the remainder derived from chemical admixtures.
Concrete is flexible so that it can be moulded into any shape. It is the perfect material because concrete is incredibly durable. For this reason, concrete can consistently maintain the structural integrity of buildings and other constructs through years of wear and tear.
Road construction is primarily utilized due to its low maintenance cost and extended structure service life. Concrete also reduces construction costs because it can improve the bearing capacity of already-made pavement layers. For example, it is used for repairs to increase the longevity and bearing capacity of asphalt surfaces.
Block Paving
Stone sets have been used for ages in block or cobble pavement. The method is still standard in cities and urban areas, though expensive. The beginning of manufactured concrete blocks has lowered the price of block paving. This surfacing material’s variety of colours and textures has made it popular for residential developments and lower-speed roads in urban areas.
Paving services company has also proven that block paving suits heavy-duty pavements in airports and container handling facilities. Large paved areas like parking lots favouring permeable block paving solutions.