Though a vast majority of today’s roads are constructed using asphalt, its use has been traced back hundreds and even thousands of years. This naturally occurring substance is sought after for a number of applications due to its adhesive and waterproofing properties. Though the substance is so common today that it is not usually given a thought, asphalt is all around us in the form of roads, airport runways, roofs, tennis courts, parking lots, batteries, adhesives and more. Over ninety percent of the roads in the United States are constructed using this valuable, binding substance, but how did this come to be?
Asphalt is a dark brown or black substance composed primarily of bitumen. Bitumen is a broad term referring to a natural or manufactured viscous substance comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons. Asphalt, also referred to as Hot Mix Asphalt, blacktop, asphalt concrete, tarmac, bituminous concrete or macadam, can be naturally occurring but today is more commonly produced as a byproduct of the refining process in the petroleum industry. Seepage at the surface of the earth in certain areas gave people throughout history access to bitumen many years before contemporary methods made extracting crude oil from within the earth possible. Around the year 1595, Sir Walter Raleigh discovered a naturally occurring lake of asphalt on the Island of Trinidad, and quickly found use for the substance in caulking his ship.
Years after Raleigh’s discovery, President Ulysses S. Grant had Pennsylvania Avenue paved using asphalt from the bitumen lake in Trinidad. For several years, Lake Trinidad as well as Venezuela’s Bermudez Lake produced almost all of the asphalt imported and used in the United States. By the early 1900s, asphalt production as a byproduct of petroleum refining had become the primary source of the substance. Oil companies developed the ability to produce asphalt superior to that imported from the naturally occurring lakes. Today, crude oil is refined through the process of fractional distillation, which yields bitumen separated from other petroleum components such as gasoline, kerosene, petroleum gas and other products.
In the United States, an increasing need for quality roadways aligned with the proliferation of the thousands of automobiles produced after World War I. Additionally, World War II brought about a need to improve upon runway technology as planes became heavier and more abundant. Continually improving road building technology has led to the over two million miles of bituminous roadways that are central to the lifestyles of Americans today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Asphalt patio
By: cat | 08-08-2008
Can I "score" my 2 inch thick asphalt patio to make it look like individual slabs? Scoring about 1/8" deep by 1/8" wide.
Why do I get a message saying viewing my mail is ...
By: wilc | 14-07-2008
why do I get a message saying viewing my mail is unavailable?
Asphalt, Concrete, Labor
By: John | 25-06-2008
Where can I buy asphalt and concrete in Accra, Ghana. What is the going rate for labor per hour in Accra, Ghana.
What is FLBC?
By: JLBuckley | 31-05-2008
FLBC is used in roadway construction. I know it is a base course but I don't know what the "FL" stands for. Any one know?
I have a daycare center in Mesa, AZ. The center is ...
By: Shirleen Barney | 19-05-2008
I have a daycare center in Mesa, AZ. The center is about 25 years old in a strip mall and the parking lots have been resurfaced several times. The playyard for the daycare,was the original asphalt. The landlord wont let us remove it, but the asphalt is worn out and crumbling. The children fall on it often and when it gets in their abrasions, a doctor must remove it. The surface we need repaired is a walkway about 4 feet by 60 feet. There is an adjoining area that is 20 by 40 but we can probably not afford to do that yet We have that covered with a cheap grass carpet.. I am thinking of putting concrete on top of the crumbling asphalt. I think it would be no more than 1 inch deep. Perhaps if it is really hard to do, it could be done in sections like 8 feet at a time. The process is important only due to understanding how the playyard will be affected. I thought maybe we would have to clean it firstt, but maybe the asphalt is too crumbly for that. My other alternative is to put indoor/outdoor carpet over it but then I would have to find a way to fasten it down and a way to remove it when it wears out. Can you give me advise. please?
We just repaved our driveway and the finished ...
By: jmm | 12-05-2008
We just repaved our driveway and the finished product has what appears to be two problems 1) there are little, shallow (1/4 inch) ripples in the driveway which I assume is from improperly rolling? Any insight. A concern? They are not that obvious from afar, but quite apparent when inspecting up close or when raining, as you can see the water pooling in the ripples. 2) Some of the aggregate/rocks on visible/top layer of the pavement appear quite large (1/2 to 1 inch) and as such the finish is not as smooth in these areas as expected. Other than the esthetics, should I be concerned? Intuitively it appears as though these areas might be more prone to damage. Thoughts? Thanks!
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