Anyone who has ever seen asphalt will never forget how it looks. It is a thick liquid that is either a brown to black color. Asphalt is a byproduct of crude oil, where we also get gasoline and vinyl from. This thick liquid will settle at the very bottom of a container when all other products have been processed. The color of asphalt is derived from its high carbon content. Asphalt is also high in the element known as sulphur. This element is used to produce a variety of things such as shampoos or medicines. Asphalt has many uses but it is most commonly used to cover an airport runways, roadways, parking lots and driveways. It is not difficult to form asphalt. It is a mixture of aggregate and tar. This forms a durable, black product that can quickly bind to a surface it is placed on. This is due to the properties of the tar sticking to the aggregate, which is usually gravel or sand. When this mixture is heated, it can be spread onto another surface and press down to achieve a smooth surface. An asphalt company will use a large steam roller to smooth down the asphalt. After this mixture has cooled, it is very durable and can withstand the weight and pressure of an automobile driving over it. The asphalt can become very hard over time. However, it is the ideal material for roadways because it is quite flexible, and will bend with changes in the road. Asphalt is not only used for roadways. It can be used to cover a roof. This material is also heated to a high temperature. After heating it is placed on the roof and spread over the surface to cover it. This will make a hard barrier that will protect the components of the roof and prevent the house from leaking. When the roof begins to leak because of the lost of aggregate, the roof can be sealed again using this material. Why Use Asphalt? One great reason for using asphalt is for its resistance to different types of weather. This material will not breakdown when it encounters summer or winter conditions. It is fairly water insoluble so rain is not able to quickly break it down. This material is also versatile. It can be used either as a mixture that is hot or cold for Minneapolis roadway repair. This material is also easy to obtain and does not cost a lot of money to buy or use it. Another great reason why someone would use it for roadway repair is because this material can be recycled. Asphalt is ideal in the construction and building industry because it never spoils and can be used in future projects. The Methods of Roadway Repair An asphalt paving specialist will advise on the choices available for repair such as just filling in a hole or completely repaving the whole road. The most common method is the patch method in which hot material is used. In this form of Minneapolis roadway repair, asphalt is used to fill holes in roads and driveways. A small steam roller is used to flatten it down. Sometimes, roadway repairs can involve using cold material. This is unheated but will have the same properties that make it beneficial for repairing a road or driveway. It is also possible to have a sealant placed on a road to repair it. This is completed using a slurry seal. However, this type of Minneapolis roadway repair is only completed on low traffic roadways or parking lots. The slurry will fill in the grooves and fissures in your roadway to produce a smooth surface.
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