Asphalt Facts: 8 Things You Didn’t Know
Our Trivia Series continues with a collection of fun facts you may not have known about asphalt.
- It is a thick, black substance comprised of asphaltic cement (AC), aggregate, and fines/fillers.
- Asphalt pavement is utilized in a variety of different applications because of its durability, cost-effectiveness, simplicity of construction, and strength.
- 94% of the paved roads in America are surfaced with asphalt.
- Asphalt is favored over its paving alternative (concrete) for highways because it produces a smoother, quieter ride overall. Studies show that the smoother the pavement, the lower a vehicle’s fuel consumption which makes asphalt the preferred material for both highway engineers and motorists alike.
- The asphalt industry reclaims about 100 million tons of its own product every year, and reuses about 95 million tons, making it America’s number one recycler.
- Rubber from used tires, glass, and asphalt roofing shingles are some of the materials routinely recycled into asphalt pavements.
- Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Millings Restoration Agent, Warm-Mix Asphalt, and High RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement) Content are three eco-friendly alternatives to asphalt. Learn more about green paving solutions here!
- A type of asphalt termed “porous asphalt” provides both cost-effective, attractive pavement as well as a stormwater management system to promote infiltration. Porous asphalt allows water to drain through the pavement surface into a stone recharge bed and infiltrate into the soils below the pavement.