How Asphalt Can Be Reused

Asphalt is one of the most popular materials for driveways and parking lots because it’s easy to recycle. According to the National Asphalt Paving Association, over 90% of parking areas are surfaced with asphalt pavement. This shows how important asphalt is. Here’s how asphalt is recycled and used again to rebuild roads.

Collecting Asphalt Chunks

When a road is badly damaged and needs to be redone, the asphalt that’s collected during the demolition process can be saved for reuse. Even damaged parts of an asphalt road can be broken up and combined with other materials to create usable asphalt for driveways and parking lots. It doesn’t need to go to waste.

Mixing Asphalt With Additives

Once the asphalt has been collected from old sources, it can be combined with certain additives as well as water to create the mixture that’s used by asphalt companies. This material is especially good for asphalt repair. It can help save money when you need a parking lot or driveway fixed.

Understanding Hot and Cold Mix

One thing to keep in mind is that there are two different recycling processes when it comes to asphalt: hot recycling and cold recycling. Hot mix asphalt uses a little more energy since heat is required to heat up the asphalt mixture before use. Cold mix asphalt tends to be used for small repairs such as potholes.

Including the “Glue”

Asphalt cement is essentially what holds the little chunks of asphalt together. It’s one of the key ingredients in asphalt roads. Surprisingly, this cement keeps its adhesive properties in a lot of cases, which means it can still be used with the recycled asphalt mixture.

Reusing Excess Products

In addition to the actual asphalt and cement, there are other parts of the asphalt manufacturing process where recycling plays a role. The fine minerals that are a byproduct of asphalt production are reusable as well, which means there’s even less of a strain on natural resources. These environmental benefits are one of the driving factors in the popularity of asphalt, and they help save customers on asphalt repair.

Of all construction materials, asphalt is one of the best when it comes to recycling and reusing. As long as you do it right, a significant portion of the asphalt used in your driveway or parking lot can be reused. If you’re in need of asphalt repair, call Ford Asphalt Company to learn more!