Roads: Warm Asphalt Mix

Photo from University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

Cary, NC – An interesting item came to our attention: the Town of Cary is repaving a portion of Green Level Church Road using Warm Asphalt Mix. Warm? Isn’t Asphalt supposed to be Hot?

Warm Asphalt Mix

Asphalt is a sticky, black material derived from petroleum and used in the surfacing of roads. Asphalt has been in use since the time of the Pharaohs. In the modern era, we use the terms ashalt, tarmac, blacktop and others interchangeably with asphalt.

We’ve all seen roads being paved, the steaming asphalt laid on top of the crushed stone road bed. That asphalt is usually about 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Warm asphalt mix uses a variety of techniques including petroleum solvents to lower the melting point of the mixture. Warm Asphalt Mixes can decrease the melting point by 50-100 degrees.

The Benefit: Warm Asphalt Mix uses a whole lot less energy than the traditional hot mix. That saves our precious natural resources. It can also lowers cost.

ToC Engineering – Leading the Way

The Warm Asphalt Mix being used on Green Level Church Road is just another example of our ongoing municipal effort to try new technologies, save money and leave the planet just a little bit greener.

The repaving project will continue through the rest of the year. You can take a drive on the new Warm Asphalt Mix road in January of 2012.