Education
Asphalt pavement is the most environmentally friendly, cost effective and conveniently used pavement in the United States, accounting for over 95% of the pavement installed every year. The reason is simple: asphalt pavement offers a smooth ride, safety and durability at a low cost.
As a 100% recyclable product, asphalt pavement is the most recycled construction product in the United States. Through the development of advanced systems Hot-Mix Asphalt pavement has evolved from its oil-on-gravel heritage into technically sophisticated engineering solutions suitable for the most demanding projects being constructed today and tomorrow.
Fast Facts About Asphalt Pavement
- Recent developments have improved the performance of HMA pavements, in particular by extending pavement surface life and eliminating rutting.
- Emissions from HMA facilities are very low and well controlled, leading the EPA to declare that no single facility has the potential to be a major source of hazardous air pollutants.
- Every year, more than 73 million tons of asphalt pavement removed from the nation’s roads are reused, which makes it America’s most recycled product by an impressive margin.
- The lower cost of HMA pavement translates into better value, too. In almost every case, it is less expensive to build and rehabilitate pavements with HMA.
- Asphalt has a wide variety of uses, including busy interstate highways, local roads, parking lots, public jogging trails, and bicycle paths. In addition, water reservoirs and fish hatchery ponds are often lined with asphalt.
- Perpetual Pavements are right for both low and high-traffic roads and airports because they offer long life under any traffic, infrequent maintenance, a smooth ride, 100% recyclability, and reduced noise levels.
- The surface of an asphalt pavement is generally much smoother than concrete. Smooth pavements save fuel, reduce fatigue and produce less noise.
- Production of HMA is known to be environmentally friendly. Although production has more than doubled over the last 50 years, emissions from asphalt plants have been reduced by 97%.
- You can drive on a new asphalt pavement the same day it has been placed. Concrete, on the other hand, generally takes much more time to cure before you can allow any amount of automobile or truck traffic on it.
- A recent study of pavement rehabilitation projects documented that the cost to rehabilitate concrete pavement was two to three times more expensive than for asphalt pavement.
- HMA pavements can be built and maintained fast, thereby minimizing traffic delays and long-term lane closures. HMA pavements can also be built and maintained at night and opened again in time for rush hour the next morning.
*Sourced by GAPA (GA Asphalt Pavement Association)
Engineered to Last
Asphalt mixtures can be specifically engineered for particular applications – and not just for roads. Asphalt has been used to line reservoirs for drinking water, fish hatcheries, water pipes, and industrial retention ponds. It has also been used for horse tracks, bike and hiking and jogging trails. And as for roads – even those conditions can vary widely. Asphalt pavements are used on all types of roads from NASCAR race tracks to interstates to low volume county roads to parking lots. In fact, approximately 96% of the roads in the nation are paved with asphalt. And asphalt can be engineered for an optimal design – long-lasting, economical, sustainable, smooth, safe, and quiet. That is why asphalt is the pavement of choice – it’s a win-win!
Use the following links provided by the GA Asphalt Pavement Association to learn more about the engineering that goes into asphalt pavements – including perpetual pavements, layer coefficients, rubblization, and the Georgia Department of Transportation’s specifications for asphalt mixtures.
