
Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.
Use the drop-downs below to find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
Asphalt pavement is a high-quality, thoroughly controlled, engineered material made from aggregate (stone, sand or gravel) using asphalt cement as a binder.
Asphalt pavement is made by heating asphalt cement and mixing it with aggregates and mineral fillers. The asphalt paving mixture is loaded onto trucks for delivery to construction sites or kept in storage silos.
Asphalt cement is a derivative of crude oil refining that is the binder or glue in the asphalt pavement mixture.
Yes! Asphalt pavement is 100% recyclable and can be made to perform better the second or even the third time around. In fact, it is the most recycled product in the United States, both in terms of tonnage (73 million tons, more than any other material) and in terms of percentage (80 percent of reclaimed asphalt pavement is recycled, a higher percentage than any other substance). That compares to significantly lower percentages of aluminum cans, newsprint, plastic and glass beverage containers, and magazines.
Asphalt roads are removed, recrushed, mixed with additional aggregate and fresh asphalt cement, remixed and placed back on the road. The hot mix industry also uses the following recycled materials: slag from the steel making process, roofing shingles, sand from metal casting foundries, and rubber from old tires. Recycling roads not only conserves natural resources and decreases construction time; it saves American taxpayers more than $300 million each year.
Asphalt plants must meet rigorous standards established by the EPA, Massachusetts DEP and other agencies, but often the individual plants set their own standards that are even more demanding. Recent improvements in asphalt production have made the industry even more environmentally friendly. In fact, after a six year study, the EPA announced in 2002 that asphalt plants are no longer on its list of industries considered major sources of hazardous air pollutants.
Asphalt pavement material begins to cool as soon as it is mixed. In order to maintain workability at the paving site, and for the highest quality of the finished pavement, the mixing facility (asphalt plant) must be near the paving site.
No. Asphalt has a variety of uses, including:
In addition to its recyclability, which conserves precious natural resources, asphalt provides long life solutions for pavement construction. Some asphalt pavements reduce noise pollution and alleviate other environmental concerns. And while production of asphalt paving materials has increase by more than 250 percent over the past 40 years, emissions from asphalt plants have dropped by 97 percent or more. Some additional points to consider:
If you are interested in joining the association, or have any questions, click below to get in touch with MAAPA today.
Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.