Different Types of Asphalt Used for Making Pavements Worldwide

Whenever you see a pavement in any part of the US, chances are that it is made of asphalt. In fact, nearly 95% of the paved roads in the country are made of asphalt, as it is the most versatile material available for the task. 

Different localities need different types of roads, such as hard roads, snow-resistant roads, drainage roads etc. The versatility of asphalt and its many types make it easy for asphalt paving contractors to customize a road surface based on the primary needs of the area. Some of the commonly used asphalt variants are:

Thin Asphalt:

This is basically a thin asphalt overlay on the top of solid, hardened asphalt. This is usually done in cities with moderate traffic load, for the thin overlay can wear out easily if used in heavy load. The main aim of this pavement is to reduce maintenance and repair costs, as thinner overlays are easier to replace as compared to full sized asphalt layers.

Porous Asphalt: 

This is used for easier drainage of water from rain and storm. The asphalt used is highly porous due to presence of open spaces, allowing collected water to drain off to underground pipes and drains faster than non-porous pavements. They are quite inexpensive to make and last long. They are usually installed in areas with heavy rainfall and in areas close to the sea coast.

Warm-Mix Asphalt:

Warm mix asphalt is a special type of asphalt commonly employed for freeways and long-distance pavements. The asphalt used in the mix is usually many degrees hotter than regular asphalt, meaning the surface is much smoother, and vehicles running on these pavements use considerably lesser fuel as compared to regular asphalt roads. 

Multi-Layer Asphalt:

These involve laying multiple layers pf asphalt on one another to create a strong, hard and durable surface. They last very long and can bear extremely heavy loads such as trucks and heavy transportation vehicles. These all advantages come at a slight cost, as the maintenance costs are starkly higher as compared to other types of pavements due to their multiple layers.