Asphalt is the most commonly used paving on earth and for good reason. It is quick and easy to lay. It is smooth, silent, and long-lasting and it is reasonably priced. Not everyone is aware that there are two types of asphalt, hot-mix, and cold-mix. The most widely used asphalt is hot-mix. Though cold-mix asphalt does have its uses too.
Hot-mix Asphalt
If you’ve ever watched workers laying a road, you may have noticed the steam coming off the wet asphalt paving. Paving contractors like ATC normally use hot-mix asphalt which consists of a mixture aggregate and asphalt that is heated before use. The asphalt is heated in hoppers at the production facility and then moved to the site where it spread by motorized roller into a smooth finish. The heating of the asphalt ensures fluidity.
Hot-mix asphalt is ideal for large projects like roads, driveways, and commercial parking lots. It has a number of benefits:
The benefits of hot-mix asphalt
There is a reason why asphalt paving is so popular.
- It is strong and durable – hot-mix asphalt is long-lasting and can tolerate temperature extremes
- It is quick and easy to lay – though the asphalt is heated to 300°F, it quickly cools and may be used as soon as it does. This means that a new road surface can open to traffic within a few hours
The disadvantages of hot-mix asphalt
- Hot-mix asphalt can’t be used when temperatures drop below 40°F
Cold-mix Asphalt
Cold-mix asphalt needs no heating before use but it is not as versatile as hot-mix asphalt and has limited use. Cold mix is cheaper and is generally used for small crack repairs and to patch potholes when ambient temperatures are low. Once the outdoor temperatures rise, a hot mix asphalt repair will ensure that the durability of the asphalt paving surface is restored.