The state of roads depends on the technology of laying asphalt

About what is asphalt, mankind has known for a long time. Natural asphalt (a mountain tar containing a mixture of bitumens with mineral materials) was used by the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians as a binder in the construction of buildings and ships. Indians of South America used asphalt to impregnate their boats. Asphalt was used by the Egyptians for mummification, and in the East it was considered a remedy. In addition, natural asphalt, extracted from the bottom of the Dead Sea, was used (and now is used) to create varnishes and paints.

The use of artificial asphalt (a compact mixture of bitumen, crushed stone, sand and mineral powder) as a material for paving began at the end of the XIX century in European countries and in the USA. Then they began to use asphalt in Russia.

Of course, since the technology of laying asphalt, and its production have undergone great changes, but the basic principles have remained the same.

Modern road construction

The most important condition for normal vehicular traffic is the process of imparting solid properties to the road surface. Without normal asphalt roads, modern freight turnover is virtually impossible, and therefore the construction of highways is a priority for any country.

Compliance with the technology of asphalt paving and its efficiency are directly related to the production and quality control of the material used to create asphalt pavements. Failure to comply with these requirements leads to premature destruction of the roadway.

The achievements of modern science make it possible to continuously improve both the component composition of asphalt and the entire technological process of producing road works.

If we talk about the technology of laying asphalt, it is performed in four stages:

• Preparation of the foundation;
• Heating of the asphalt before it is softened;
• Laying of asphalt on the base;
• Asphalt rolling as a compactor for compacting and leveling.

At the end of these stages, asphalt needs some time to complete curing and obtaining design strength.

This technology implies strict limitations on the order of actions, compliance with climatic and meteorological constraints. Failure to comply with these requirements (for example, breaking the sequence or laying in low temperature, in the rain) leads to the fact that the road surface will serve less than expected.

But even strict compliance with the entire technology of paving the asphalt is not a guarantee that the road surface will not need further maintenance and timely repairs.

Application of cold asphalt in the repair of roads

This material has appeared relatively recently in our country. It is made from ordinary polymer-modified asphalt with the addition of frost-resistant and plasticizing additives. The technology of laying cold asphalt greatly simplifies the process of repairing the roadway, because it allows you to perform work in a wide range of temperatures. It can be stacked at low temperatures (up to -15 ° C). In addition, road works can be performed in rainy weather. For laying cold asphalt, preliminary preparation and priming of the repaired coating is not required. But the most important advantage that cold asphalt has - the technology of laying this material does not require the use of special equipment. It is enough to pour it into a pothole or pit and shave it with a shovel, after which the polymerization process begins, and the asphalt quickly hardens. As for the price, if you compare it with the cost of periodic road repairs using conventional asphalt, it turns out that the use of cold asphalt will be even cheaper.