The quality of asphalt is very important and can be effective in its durability and longevity. The characteristics of good asphalt are actually derived from the quality of bitumen, type of asphalt, environmental conditions, etc.
Checking the characteristics of good asphalt
In fact, asphalt is a kind of mixed black material that is produced from different materials such as bitumen, sand and gravel. This material has many uses, the most important of which is in the road construction industry and covering roads, streets, alleys, etc.
In the past, refinery bitumen was used to produce asphalt, but today this material is modified by natural bitumen known as Gilsonite, which makes it more durable and stronger. Asphalts are generally divided into several categories as follows:
Hot asphalts
In this type of asphalt, materials and materials are hot mixed together and then used. Warm asphalt includes 5 different types of asphalt:
- The top asphalt, which is the last layer of asphalt and is in contact with external factors, must be resistant to weather changes and withstand external loads.
- Asphalt liner that is placed between the bitumen layer and the top layer or the asphalt sand layer and the top layer.
- The bitumen base, which is the first layer of asphalt pavement, has coarse graining and a small amount of bitumen.
- Asphalt sand is a mixture of natural sand and bitumen.
- Porous asphalt that is produced from a mixture of stone materials and pure bitumen.
Protective asphalts
These types of asphalts have different types and can cover from a simple bitumen coating to surface and multi-layer asphalt. Each type of protective asphalt has unique characteristics.
- Single-layer surface asphalt for maintenance of different surfaces
- Multi-layer surface asphalt which is a multiple combination of different materials such as bitumen and stone materials.
- Protective thin asphalt for the maintenance of city streets, highways, etc.
- Waterproof coatings to improve the condition of dry pavements and create a uniform coating
- Bituminous slurry or bituminous asphalt mixture for maintaining streets and airports
Cold asphalts
The third type of asphalt, which is produced by mixing bitumen and stone materials at ambient temperature, is cold asphalt. Of course, it is possible that bitumen needs to be heated to make this model of asphalt, but the materials do not need heat and it is necessary that the aggregates are dry. This asphalt has high durability and can be suitable for filling and repairing damaged areas.
Features of quality asphalt
As mentioned, asphalts play a very special role in the road construction industry, and their quality can have a great impact on the transportation industry. In general, it can be said that a high-quality asphalt is an asphalt that does not have problems such as settlement, cracking, sliding, potholes, flooding, wave removal, bitumen flow, aggregate separation, bitumen wear, rough asphalt, roughening of road surfaces, etc.
Among the most important characteristics of good asphalt, the following can be mentioned:
High bitumen quality
Bitumen is known as the main material for the production of asphalts, and if it is not of good quality, it can definitely cause various problems. Nowadays, refinery bitumen is used all over the world to produce asphalts, but its quality can be increased by adding bitumen to asphalt materials.
Suitable granulation of sand and gravel
One of the most important factors in determining the quality of asphalts is the correct granulation of its sand. In general, different aggregates can be used in the production of asphalts, including sand and gravel found in mines, round stones obtained from river beds, and artificial stone materials that are the waste of iron smelting factories.
Proper granulation makes the adhesion of the bitumen higher and the materials fit together well and prevent water from penetrating into the asphalt.
Suitable asphalt infrastructure
Another one of the most important and main features of good asphalt is having a suitable infrastructure. It is necessary to pay attention to various factors in asphalt sub-construction operations, the most important of which include the amount of moisture, the amount of bonding power with bitumen and strength, the amount of resistance to impact, the amount of resistance to wear and polishing, etc.
In general, the steps of asphalt underlaying should be done carefully and well to have high quality. Excavation and excavation, removal of elevations and depressions, underlayment in suitable weather conditions, bitumen of the asphalt surface to increase the adhesion of asphalt to the ground, etc. are among the steps that must be done in the asphalt underlayment.
Having a long life and good compressive strength
A quality asphalt is said to have a good lifespan. Of course, the lifespan of asphalts can be affected by various factors such as the amount of traffic, the quality of bitumen, the amount of humidity and weather conditions, etc.
Also, asphalt must be able to withstand the pressure it receives from external factors well, and for this reason, Gilsonite is used in the production of asphalt because it is effective in increasing the compressive strength of asphalt.
Having a smooth and smooth surface
Another characteristic of good asphalt is having a smooth and smooth surface. In fact, good asphalt will have less friction with the vehicle's tire surface and this will cause less wear and tear of this equipment.
In fact, a quality asphalt should have a good tensile strength, and for this reason, today natural bitumen is used to increase this capability in asphalts. This bitumen makes the asphalt resistant to changes in appearance and shape, while it has good flexibility and malleability.
Resistance to cracking
Another feature of good asphalt is high resistance to cracking, and this feature becomes possible when the bitumen used in asphalt production has a high viscosity, which usually mineral and natural bitumens have this ability more than refinery bitumen.
The final conclusion
Asphalt is known as the main material in the road construction industry, which is a mixture of sand, gravel and bitumen and can have various uses. Among the most important characteristics of good asphalt, we can mention high pressure resistance, resistance to cracking, proper infrastructure, proper sand and gravel granulation, high bitumen quality, etc., and the best type of asphalt is asphalt made using natural bitumen or gilsonite, Produced or modified.
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