· Asphalt Generally, when people use the term asphalt, they are referring to the black mixture of tar, sand and stone which is used to build driveways, parking lots and roads (aka blacktop, or bituminous concrete). Technically, asphalt is actually the stick black tar or glue which holds together the sand and stone that make up a driveway or parking lot.
· Base Usually refers to the stone base found underneath asphalt.
· Bituminous concrete The technical term for blacktop or asphalt. Usually found in the engineering specs for roads and parking lots.
· Blacktop The black mixture of tar, sand and stone which is used to build driveways, parking lost and roads. Also known as asphalt or bituminous concrete.
· Compaction To compress asphalt or stone using a roller or compacting plate. Proper compaction of stone and asphalt is a key factor in pavement performance or durability.
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Hot plant mix All asphalt used for driveways, parking lots and roads
come from an asphalt plant at over 300Ί F and are considered hot plant mix.
· Type D The technical name for the most common surface grade asphalt used on driveways, parking lots and roads.
· Overlay To apply a new layer of asphalt (usually 1.5 2) over an existing pavement. Also called resurface.
· Paving The act of installing hot plant mix in a layer (usually 1 3) in order to construct a driveway or parking lot.
· Paving Box The piece of equipment used to lay down asphalt in a uniform layer. A paving box can be self-propelled or a pull-behind.
· Paving Joint The seam that is sometimes visible when two or more adjacent passes are made with a paving box.
· Petromat© A fabric used between the original pavement and an overlay to reduce the reflective cracking that may occur in the new asphalt surface. Used on roads and parking lots.
· Tack Coat The brown sticky liquid which is applies to the existing pavement prior to resurfacing with a new layer of asphalt. Also know as emulsion, tack or fresh oil. The primer is what bonds the new asphalt to the old asphalt. Existing pavement should always be primed prior to resurfacing or surface patching.
· Reflective Cracking Cracks which develop on a driveway, lot or road that was resurfaced. Any larger cracks that were in an existing asphalt surface may reflect through the new layer of asphalt.
· Resurface To installing a new layer of asphalt (usually 1.5 to 2) on top of an existing asphalt driveway, parking lot or road. Also called overlay, retop or recap.
· Roller The piece of equipment used to roll, compact and smooth hot asphalt.