what is the main ingredient in a binder course asphalt

by Alfred Balistreri 7 min read

There are actually two basic ingredients in asphalt. The first are aggregates; this is a mix of crushed stone, gravel, and sand. Aggregates make up about 95% of hot mix asphalt pavement.

Full Answer

What is a binder in asphalt?

Jul 10, 2012 · About 5% of a typical asphalt pavement is made of asphalt cement, which acts as a binder to hold the aggregate together.

What are the ingredients of asphalt?

Feb 12, 2018 · For a deeper understanding of asphalt's ingredients, the elemental components of asphalt include carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and trace amounts of iron, nickel, and vanadium. There are actually several different types of asphalt, and they are categorized by the process used to bind aggregate with the bitumen.

What is bitumen made of?

The other main ingredient in both asphalt and concrete is binder. Binder is a type of glue that holds everything together. In asphalt, binder is petroleum-based. It is made from refined oil, and it composes about 5% of the total body of the asphalt. In concrete, the binder is 10-15% cement, 15-20% water, and 65-75% aggregates.

What are aggregates used for asphalt mixtures?

Sep 10, 2016 · Due to the introduction of a new component in the mixture, RVB (%) have to be calculated again taking into account each rejuvenator ratio following Equation : (2) RVB (%) = 100 · RA in the mixture · DOB · RAb content · (1 + REJ ratio) binder content in the mixture where, RA in the mixture is the total RA percentage to add in the mixture by weight, DOB is the assumed …

What is asphalt binder made of?

In its most common form, asphalt binder is simply the residue from petroleum refining. To achieve the necessary properties for paving purposes, binder must be produced from a carefully chosen crude oil blend, and processed to an appropriate grade.

What is the binder in asphalt?

The asphalt binder functions as an inexpensive (typically, $0.05/pound), waterproof, thermoplastic adhesive. In other words, it acts as the glue that holds the road together. In its most common form, asphalt binder is simply the residue from petroleum refining.

What is binder course paving?

binder course, binding course In asphaltic concrete paving, an intermediate course between the course base and the surfacing material; consists of intermediate-size aggregate bound by bituminous material. 2. A row of masonry units laid between, and used to bind, an inner and an outer wall.

What is HMA binder?

Definition of HMA. In simple terms…: A mixture of asphalt binder and. graded mineral aggregate, mixed at. an elevated temperature and.

What is binder course?

Definition of binder course : a coarse aggregate bound with bitumen between the foundation and the wearing course of an asphalt pavement.

What is binder content?

Binder content is one of the most important factors affecting the performance of a bituminous mix. A precise and valid determination of binder content ensures a precise and valid monitoring of the production. Two methods are mainly used for the determination of binder content: the extraction and the ignition method.May 11, 2018

What is polymer modified asphalt?

Polymer modified asphalts are made to resist regular wear and tear that cause cracking and deformation. In fact, many of our modified asphalts last up to 10 years longer. We've developed a wide range of polymer-modified specialty products to better serve the variety of needs and uses of pavement for our customers.

What is base course material?

The base course or basecourse in pavements is a layer of material in an asphalt roadway, race track, riding arena, or sporting field. It is located under the surface layer consisting of the wearing course and sometimes an extra binder course.

Is asphalt and bitumen same?

Bitumen is actually the liquid binder that holds asphalt together. The term bitumen is often mistakenly used to describe asphalt. A bitumen-sealed road has a layer of bitumen sprayed and then covered with an aggregate. This is then repeated to give a two-coat seal.

What is HL3 asphalt?

HL3A – This driveway grade asphalt results in a smoother finish, perfect to define the look of your entire home or business. HL3 – This commercial grade asphalt is used in situations where a more durable surface is needed. HL8 – Base asphalt is used for multi layered applications.

What is SM 9.5 a asphalt?

SM-9.5A This mix is a 'fine' to 'medium' (3/8 inch (9.5 mm) nominal maximum aggregate size) surface mix generally placed at 1 ½ inches (40 mm) in thickness. The 'A' designation corresponds to the Performance Graded (PG) asphalt binder of PG 64S-22 required in the mix.

What is Type 7 blacktop?

Type 7 asphalt contains fine stone and dust which has a very smooth finish. Type 6 asphalt contains slightly larger stone, so it provides more strength but is not quite as smooth as Type 7. Once Sealcoated it is difficult to distinguish the difference in the textures.

What are the ingredients in asphalt?

There are actually two basic ingredients in asphalt. The first are aggregates; this is a mix of crushed stone, gravel, and sand. Aggregates make up about 95% of hot mix asphalt pavement. The other 5% is bitumen. Bitumen is the black or dark viscous material that holds the aggregates together, and is composed of polycyclic hydrocarbons ...

What is asphalt made of?

Asphalt is a composite material made up of mineral aggregates and bitumen commonly used for roads, parking lots and airports. Asphalt is also known as blacktop. Posted by Judson Burdon on February 12.

Why sealcoat asphalt?

Over time, asphalt ingredients can begin to erode and decay from heavy traffic, exposure to the elements, and expansion and contraction. Because of this, the use of a sealcoat is absolutely essential to the proper maintenance of any asphalt-paved surface.

How often should I seal my driveway?

Because of the nature of asphalt ingredients, driveways should be sealed every two to three years to prevent oxidation, loss of flexibility, cracking, and crumbling.

Why use coal tar sealer?

While there are a number of sealing products on the market, we only recommend the use of coal tar asphalt sealer because of its ability to create an effective buffer against traffic, water, oil salt, and other staining agents.

Can asphalt be patched?

Because asphalt can hold the weight of vehicles, it is the material of choice for roads, parking lots, and driveways. It can be applied rapidly and can be patched easily by pressing it directly into cracks and potholes.

What is bitumen made of?

Bitumen is the black or dark viscous material that holds the aggregates together, and is composed of polycyclic hydrocarbons (a petroleum byproduct). For a deeper understanding of asphalt's ingredients, the elemental components of asphalt include carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and trace amounts of iron, nickel, and vanadium.

Asphalt is already sustainable

The asphalt industry, fortunately, stood to benefit from requirements on efficiency and cleaner production. As of now, asphalt is surprisingly green.

Systems and technologies that are making asphalt cheaper and better

New machining systems help produce larger quantities of recycled asphalt faster. Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), is what makes up the majority of new asphalt. Amann, an industrial technology company, has a new machine, the RSS 120-M RAP, which processes large amounts of RAP more efficiently.

Pave your way to a cleaner future

If you want a paving contractor with efficient and sustainable practices, then look no further than Reliable Paving. We have 35 years of experience paving in and around the Fort Worth area in Texas. Not only do we do new paving with asphalt and concrete, we use reycled material.

Asphalt restoration can be a costly and time-consuming process. Knowing when to repair, resurface, or completely replace asphalt is key to saving time and money

When your asphalt is damaged, you should do something about it. Damaged asphalt will only get worse. Once cracks, rutting, and holes appear, it’s easier for water to get in. Water is the main culprit of asphalt damage, causing destruction beneath the surface as it expands and contracts as the temperature changes.

Resealing

Resealing is also known as Sealcoating. This is a very useful technique for improving your paving’s longevity. It is done by applying a thin layer or layers of asphalt to the surface of existing blacktop. These special layers, also called sealant, do exactly what they sound like.

Resurfacing

This process is a little more in-depth than resealing. During resurfacing, the top few inches of your pavement is removed. Then, a completely new layer is applied to the top. This basically creates a new top layer of your asphalt. Resurfacing can only be done if your asphalt was installed correctly to begin with though.

Repairing

Resurfacing and resealing are forms of repair, in fact, just about every method listed in this article is a type of asphalt repair. However, repairs can go deeper than the first few inches. There are numerous ways to repair, each being effective at differing depths. Some methods can be done by a single worker with hand tools.

What is the target binder for RA-LTA?

Target binder for the RA-LTA mixtures was a 50/70 penetration grade bitumen (same than VB-LTA). Comparing the results of the blend design between RAb-LTA and VB-LTA from Table 4 and the target binder, it can be said that:#N#•#N#Penetration values are not within the range 50–70 dmm in any of the RA-LTA percentages or blending assumptions considered but lower.#N#•#N#Blend softening point is higher than 54 °C for all the RA-LTA and blending percentages considered. In this sense, none of the blends can be considered a 50/70 penetration grade bitumen.#N#•#N#High critical temperature of the blends is higher than VB-LTA one which could be seen as an advantage.#N#•#N#Low and intermediate critical temperatures of the blends are higher than the VB-IT ones which could lead to a lower fatigue and thermal cracking resistance.

Can RA be reused?

Reclaimed Asphalt (RA) has shown great potential to be reused in new asphalt mixtures, however its incorporation in top asphalt pavement layers is still very limited (10–30%). In fact, despite the advantages that its use implies, RA content in road pavement surface courses is still restricted in most countries due to mainly legislation limitations, but also some technical issues. This paper aims at being a step further to improve the latter by providing a methodology that allows producing fundamental inputs for confidently performing mix design of asphalt mixtures incorporating up to 100% RA. The methodology consists in an advanced preliminary binder's blend design that can be used with any type of RA and also in presence of rejuvenators. This procedure includes in the production of blending charts and laws that considers the uncertainties on accounting the extent of final binder content, Degree of Blending and Replaced Virgin Binder. The description of the methodology is accompanied with results of two extreme case studies consisting in the preliminary design of binders for asphalt mixtures with high content of two types of RA corresponding to extreme cases: the short-term aged RA (STA-RA), having a very soft residual binder (Pen > 20 dmm) and the long-term aged RA, having a much harder residual binder (Pen < 10 dmm). As a result, the proposed methodology allowed assessing the feasibility of using up to 90% of RA and determining whether the use of rejuvenating agents was needed.

Why is higher traction better for asphalt?

Higher traction leads to better skid resistance and vehicle handling for asphalt than concrete. This makes everything safer for everyone: cyclists, drivers, pedestrians, wild animals, and anyone else on the road.

How to make cement with sand and cement?

Mix your Portland cement, vinyl, and sand. Use as little water in the mix as possible. Blend 1 part Portland cement to 3 parts sand. A ready-mix will have the Portland cement and sand already combined. Mix 1 part water to 3 or 4 parts mix. Make sure the mortar mix is not too thick and not too runny. Stir for 5-10 minutes and let it rest 10 minutes before stirring again. The process should take at least 2 hours.

What is concrete used for?

This uses concrete to form a stiffer foundation. It has high flexural strength (think force divided by area). It is great for parking lots that are indoors. Cracks or damage often can not be repaired, and become permanent. Additionally, the hardness of it means that it can not absorb sound. You may have even heard your own car engine or breaks echoing in a concrete indoor parking lot.

How can I keep water out of concrete?

One of the best ways to ensure your concrete doesn’t get water in it is the use of deicing chemicals. These chemicals work by lowering the temperature needed by water to freeze. When these chemicals, like sodium chloride (you know, salt), are placed on the concrete surface, they mix with water that falls on that surface. When the water does penetrate the concrete, it is unable to freeze and will (mostly) harmlessly drain out. If you live in a place that gets snow, then keeping all moisture out of your concrete is a lost cause, and you need to adapt to what does get in. Here’s a great list of other deicing mixtures.

Why does concrete get spalled?

It is a problem that gets worse over time, because when the surface breaks off, the aggregate beneath is exposed. The concrete below the surface is not usually sealed against water, so once it is exposed, expect the damage to come in even faster. Spalling can even reveal the rebar/structure at the core of the concrete. If this happens, you may need a replacement if the concrete is structural.

What is the cause of erosion?

But one of the fastest and most efficient ways to break stone, rock, asphalt, brick, and concrete, is the freeze-thaw cycle. In fact, water penetration/expansion is the primary cause of concrete and asphalt degradation.

Is quiet pavement better than concrete?

California and Washington have both been doing extensive research on it. These studies have pointed to asphalt’s ability to absorb sound much better than other paved surfaces, namely concrete.

What is refined coal tar?

Refined Coal Tar (RTS) is the thick black liquid that is a byproduct of the distillation of bituminous coal. This type of binder is composed of thousands of chemicals and has a different molecular structure than asphalt.

What is AE seal coating?

The main ingredient of Asphalt Emulsion Based Sealcoating (AE) is asphalt cement which is derived from the same oils and materials used in producing asphalt. AE is known to lack resistance to petrochemicals such as gasoline and oil due to being a petroleum derivative and having a natural tendency to be dissolved with them. However, it has gained popularity due to its superiority in maintaining surface integrity to asphalt pavement, preventing cracks from occurring. Since its inception, AE’s overall performance has been improved by adding chemicals and specialty rubber polymers.

What is the purpose of water in sealcoat?

Water is the medium in which all the other ingredients stay dispersed. It satisfies the “water demand” of the fillers/aggregate such as sand. It’s also responsible for the sealcoat’s fluidity resulting in easy application, storage, and handling.

When to use hot mix asphalt?

This hot mix asphalt, or HMA is used in climates that are warm enough to keep the viscosity of the asphalt high so it is easy to work with. Summer months are best to pave with HMA, because the daytime keeps the asphalt usable, whereas the night time cools down enough to firm up the pavement into it’s final production.

What is asphalt used for?

Asphalt is a sustainable material used for constructing pavements, roads, parking lots, driveways, and walkways. We’ve had plenty of time to master the usage and installation of asphalt to provide a smoother surface for our cars and other transportation.

What are the problems with asphalt?

The most common troublesome effects of winter’s aftermath, are alligator cracks, pot-holes, and edge crumbling. Cracking is the most typical of repair cases, first, before pot-holes.

When was asphalt invented?

The first recorded indications and inventions of roadways date all the way back to 4,000 BC, and were made of stone or timber. As time rolled on, our inventors and designers became more and more creative with the use of the elements we have at hand. This advancement in “technology” began taking place around the 1800’s. After stone had run it’s course, gravel and sand was introduced as a good top layer, with water being used as the first binder (holding its form together).

Who was the first road builder?

A man by the name of John Metcalfe, was one of the first recognizable road builders of the 1800’s and built lasting roads stretching 180 miles long in the England. His creations were made of three important layers, a first layer of stones and rocks, a second layer of recycled dirt, and a third topcoat of gravel.

When were roads first paved?

The earliest discovered paved road was assumed dated back to circa 2400 in ancient Egypt. The main material used in roadways at that time was brick. The engineers had grown in knowledge and used a component that wouldn’t wither away as quickly like the wood roads did. By using brick or stone, the streets were able to last a much longer period, and hold their structures integrity typically indefinitely.

Who was the first person to use tar as a road surface?

John Loudon McAdam was the first man to use tar as a road surface, and modernize the structure of the road as we know it today. He was the engineer who introduced gradient sloping, alignment, and different thickness into the paving world. Again, after some years of using tar as streets base, mankind had found a new element to produce and utilize known as asphalt. The first recorded asphalt road was built in 1824. Little did we know at the time, how essential asphalt would become to us.