It

gives an impermeable surface. It has proved an excellent binding material. It softens when heated.

 They

provide smooth, durable and comfortable road surface for traffic. They grant water proof surface. The surface of bituminous roads is nonslippery. They can effectively resist the adverse effects of rain, changes in temperature and wind.

 Asphalt Bitumen Cutback

Bitumen Bitumen Emulsion Tar Road Oil Primers

The asphalt is a mechanical mixture of inert mineral matter like alumina, lime, silica etc., and the asphaltic bitumen. Following are the two categories of asphalt: Natural Asphalt and Residual Asphalt

This variety of asphalt is obtained from nature. It is further subdivided into two groups namely lake asphalt and rock asphalt.

The lake asphalt is obtained from lakes at Trinidad and Bermuda (South America) at depths varying from 3 to 60 metres. It contains about 40 to 70 percent of pure bitumen. The water content is about 30 percent. The rest part is of impurities.

The rock asphalt is obtained from rocks at Switzerland, France etc., It contains about 10 to 15 percent of pure bitumen. The rest portion consists of calcareous materials. The rocks are put on the road surface after being crushed and heated. The road surface is then formed by rolling.

The bitumen is a complex organic material and it occurs either naturally or may be obtained artificially during the distillation of petroleum. It is chemically a hydro-carbon. It is insoluble in water, but it completely dissolves in carbon bisulphide. It is black or brown in colour and it is obtained in solid or semisolid state. It softens when heated and again solidifies then the temperature is lowered.

When bitumen is mixed with comparatively volatile solvents so as to get a solution which enables the application of bitumen at a considerable lower temperature, it is known as cutback bitumen.

A bitumen emulsion is a liquid product which is formed by mixing together molten bitumen with hot water in presence of an emulsifying agent in such a manner that the bitumen is mechanically broken into fine globules. Thus emulsion is composed of bitumen which is suspended in water in a very divided state.

The term road oil is used to indicate slow curing liquid asphalt and it is described as the petroleum distillate from which volatile and light fractions are largely removed.

A primer may be a road oil, a cutback asphalt or a low viscosity road tar. Its main function is to penetrate into the road surface and to coat the blindage or aggregate thoroughly so that when bitumen is applied, it can stick to the stone aggregates in a better way.

The tar is a brown or black bituminous material with high viscosity and it is obtained by the destructive distillation of coal, petroleum oil, shale, wood or other organic materials.

This variety is also known as artificial asphalt. It is obtained by the fractional distillation of crude petroleum oils with an asphaltic base. Such process leaves a solid substance in the retort. This solid substance is the residual asphalt.

Surface Dressing Prime Coat Tack Coat Seal Coat Grouting Premix

The term surface dressing is used to mean the application of a thin layer of bitumen followed by cover material of stone chippings and then binding the same by rolling. If the surface dressing is done in one coat, it is known an single coat treatment and if it is carried out in two layers it is known as double coat treatment.

When a bituminous wearing surface is to be placed on an existing untreated foundation layer like earth, gravel etc., or on W.B.M. road surface which is an absorbent surface, it becomes necessary to apply in the initial stage a coat of low viscosity cutback bituminous material. Such a coat is known as prime coat.

The term tack coat is used to indicate the application of a small quantity of bituminous material on an existing pavement that is to be overlaid to ensure a thorough bond between the old and the new pavement.

The term seal coat is defined as a very thin surface treatment which is applied as a final coat in the construction of certain bituminous wearing surfaces or over an existing bituminous pavement which has been worn out.

The term grouting is used to indicate the method in which the bitumen is introduced to the road surface after the metal is placed on the road. It is also referred to as grouted or penetration macadam. When the binder enters the entire depth of the road, it is called full grouting and when it enters or penetrates only upto about half the depth, it is called semi-grouting.

As the term implies, the premix is the method of constructing a bituminous road in which the aggregates are coated with binder in special mixers before being placed on the road surface. Thus the premix method makes it possible to coat each and every individual aggregate with uniform thickness of binder film.

Breaking of stones Economical use of binder Increased stability Quality control Speed in Construction.

Bitumen Bound Macadam Bituminous Carpet Bituminous Concrete Sheet Asphalt Mastic Ashalt

Preparation of Existing Layer Application of Tack Coat Preparation of Premix Placing the Mix on Road Surface Rolling

Preparation of the base course Application of tack coat or prime coat Preparation and placing of premix Application of seal coat

Preparation of the existing base course layer Preparation and placing of premix Rolling Finishing

The sheet asphalt is a mixture of well graded sand, bitumen and mineral filler, carefully proportioned and mixed hot to produce a high quality surface or wearing course. This type of surface is usually placed to a depth of 25mm to 37 mm. It gives a dense, smooth, and impervious surface since the material used is sand.

The term mastic asphalt is used to indicate a mixture of bitumen, fine aggregates and filler in suitable proportion to give a voidless and impermeable mass.

 It can absorb vibrations.

It forms voidless hard layer without compaction and hence, rolling is not necessary. It is a suitable surfacing material for bridge deck slabs. It is to be spread at a temperature of about 200 degree celsius to a thickness varying from 25mm to 50mm. It possesses the quality of self healing of cracks without bleeding. When cooled, the mastic asphalt results in a hard, stable and durable layer which can easily withstand heavy traffic.