It Is Not All the Same

To start, you need to understand that asphalt is not all the same. It is easy to think so if you never had to mix, roll, or lay it yourself. After all, from pavement to parking lot, it usually all looks identical. Asphalt, or bitumen, is a type of petroleum that occurs naturally. In general, asphalt pavement consists of the following:

• Aggregate (rocks)
• Bitumen (a mixture of hydrocarbons)

That’s it. This may cause you to wonder just how you get different types if the main two ingredients are always the same. The answer is in the mixture.

Aggregates can consist of any type of rocky material. In addition, the materials can vary in size, sharpness, roundness, and volume. Different aggregates create different mixes. Some mixes work better for some applications than others.

Asphalt itself is not always the same. Different types come from different regions, so the properties can vary. In addition, some types have things added in factories or labs that can help bring out certain properties over others.

The method of mixing the aggregate with the bitumen can also vary. Altogether, there are a tremendous amount of mixes that these disparate things can create. So no, it is not all the same. Far from it actually. However, there are some types and mixtures that have stood the test of time and shown to work remarkably for their intended usage.

Cold Mix and Hot Mix

The difference between cold and hot mix can often confuse people. Professionals understand when one solution will work better than another, but it’s not always easy considering that different proprietary blends are out there.

Hot mix– These mixes are the most common type. The mix is heated, and rolled on hot. Hot mixes have the most variety as far as types and usage. That is why it’s important to use a hot mix with a good track record for your intended use of it. A good, premium hot mix can give you permanent results rather than temporary ones.

Cold mix– These mixtures involve not heating the aggregate. These mixes work well for patches and repairs. Traditionally, cold mix has often been thought of as consumer grade asphalt. Meaning that it’s often store-bought, good for do-it-yourselfers, but largely not as strong and durable as hot mix.

As previously stated, it’s all in the mix. There are many commercial-grade cold mix solutions that work as well, if not better, than hot mixes, depending on the temperature and intended use. Cold mix patches tend to cost less, and take less time to administer. They are ideal for making repairs during cool, cold, wet, or arid months.

What’s the Right Mix for Your Project?

Choosing the right mix is not easy. It’s also something that no property owner should do without seeking the help of a professional.

You may find that you require a custom mix for your particular project. You may find that you cannot complete your project using the type of mix that you originally wanted. You may not know where to start with the project.

The professionals at Dykes have the knowledge, experience, and mix expertise to help you make the best of your project. Speak to us first about your project.

Temperature fluctuations, snowfall, and plowing are all hard on asphalt paving. Over time these extreme temperature swings coupled with the everyday wear-and-tear from vehicles can cause asphalt to develop fissures or even dangerous potholes.

These potholes are bad enough in their own right, but when left untreated they can create even larger vulnerabilities. So, when are potholes most likely to develop and worsen?

You tend to notice a lot of potholes in the latter part of winter as well as the beginning of the spring season as this is the time of the year in which asphalt is combating the heaviest amounts of excess water and thawing.

Too much water and extreme temperature fluctuations don’t do any favors to asphalt, yet there is something you can do about damage that’s already occurred.

Cold Mix Asphalt for Potholes

Cold mix asphalt is made in pug mills by combining asphalt emulsions with aggregates designed to increase the integrity of your asphalt.

Because cold mix asphalt can be made to provide a coarser, stonier asphalt binder with a very high load factor or be used as a base or leveler, cold mix asphalt makes a great all-purpose material to work with. Cold mix is also extremely ego-friendly.

• Proven track record

For this reason, cold mix asphalt is also ideal for filling in potholes. Cold mix asphalt is actually quite flexible yet, because of how it’s constructed, also extremely durable and resistant to damage from the freeze-thaw cycle that can ravage your property in the late winter and early spring.

Cold mix asphalt already has a long track record of being used for temporary patching, even in the winter time. One of the reasons that many engineers and paving services actually prefer cold mix to hot mix asphalt is that cold mix can be used at lower temperatures and stored for later use if needed.

Whenever hot mix asphalt is hard to come by, or when conditions drop below a certain temperature, cold mix asphalt is the go-to material for maintaining roads and filling in potholes, especially from November to February.

• How it works

Because cold mix asphalt combines bitumen emulsion, cold aggregates designed for tough conditions, and even anti-stripping materials, it can be used in a wider range of weather conditions.

Not only that – cold mix asphalt is seen as easier to work with and more flexible than its hot mix counterpart due to the fact that cold mix asphalt has a longer cure time.

Although cold mix asphalt is already lab designed and tested to provide the best combination of flexibility and durability, different additives can be combined to the mix in order to render cold mix asphalt the perfect solution for your next project.

Cold mix asphalt can even be formulated to provide a long-term solution to improving the integrity of rural roads and parking lots to their original condition. In short, cold mix asphalt is very ease to work with, durable and can even be stored for months until you need another pothole filled.

• Cold mix exceeds expectations

Some people might be wondering about how cold mix asphalt holds up against hot mix asphalt in terms of meeting design guidelines.

Know that cold mix asphalt is resilient to cracking and fatigue and even has the capacity to self-heal. In addition, cold mix asphalt can be formulated to match the high AASHTO standards established for hot mix asphalt.

Make sure to regularly check your parking lot or home driveway for fissures and potholes. Too many potholes can even be a sign that your asphalt needs a sealcoating or routine spring maintenance. Contact us today to make sure your free of potholes and you have a grade A driveway or parking lot.