There are many different names for asphalt concrete, including bitumen macadam, blacktop, pavement, tarmac, and rolled asphalt. It’s a composite construction material that is commonly used for embankment dams, parking lots, road surfaces, sports courts, and airport runways. The formulation of the material can be altered to achieve different characteristics by using different additives, aggregates, or manufacturing processes. Examples of some mixes manufactured are hot mix, sheet bitumen, cut back, and cold mix.
By investing in the right configuration for an asphalt plant from United Arab Emirates, making different asphalt concrete mixes is very easy as the proportions of raw materials are easy to alter. One good thing is that many leading global bitumen batching plant manufacturers export plants to customers across the globe, including those in UAE, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, India, South Korea, and China. Asphalt plant prices from overseas suppliers also tend to be more competitive than those from domestic suppliers for customers in Western countries.
Asphalt Concrete For Roads
When it comes to manufacturing asphalt concrete for roads, it’s important to consider the performance characteristics and properties required. Different aggregates and additives can alter performance characteristics like tire wear, braking efficiency, road noise, and surface durability. To manufacture the correct asphalt concrete mixture for modern road construction, terrain conditions, expected traffic volumes, average expected vehicle sizes all need to be taken into consideration. Asphalt concrete that offers excellent friction performance is the best option for most road construction projects.
Asphalt Concrete Deterioration
As time advances asphalt concrete surfaces can start to suffer from crocodile cracking, potholes, stripping, upheaval, grade depressions, rutting, bleeding, and unraveling. Surfaces in cold environments are likely to experience more cracking damage due to frost. Filling in cracks with bitumen mixes can only provide a short term repair solution. To prevent excessive cracking, asphalt surfaces need adequate drainage and sufficient compaction.
Factors that can accelerate the rate of asphalt concrete surface deterioration include extreme environmental conditions, excess traffic loads, and poor quality initial construction. For longer-lasting road surfaces, a high-grade asphalt concrete formula from a quality bitumen batch plant is required.
As previously mentioned, cracking rates can be higher in cold climates, however, hot climate conditions can also result in accelerated damage to asphalt road surfaces. Extreme heat causes the binding agent in the mixture to become soft, leading to deformations on the road when heavy vehicles drive across. In addition, the sun’s UV rays can cause asphalt surfaces to oxidize and become brittle.
Asphalt Concrete Manufacturing Plants
In spite of some of the potential issues with asphalt concrete, the composite construction material remains the go-to choice for mass-scale road building. And, there is always going to be a demand for high-quality mixes from the best asphalt manufacturing plants.
Those thinking about buying an asphalt plant in UAE need to ensure they choose the right configuration for their bitumen manufacturing facility. Different models have varying technical specifications that need to be investigated. For example, there are mini mobile bitumen plants and stationary asphalt plants for sale, and each is better suited to a different use-case.