Asphalt Plants Alternative for Pothole Repairs: Solving the Winter Dilemma
No matter where you live, we’ve all hit our share of potholes in the road. Potholes aren’t just a nuisance, they can be dangerous and result in damage to our tires, vehicles, or both. You may have even asked yourself the question, why do potholes go unpatched or fixed halfway during the colder months? While the answer may seem obvious, there is actually more to consider besides cold temperatures and less than desirable working conditions. There are typically two types of asphalt used in road repair; hot mix and cold mix. Hot mix asphalt is produced in asphalt plants using high temperatures to achieve proper mixing and compaction. This process involves heating the asphalt binders to temperatures between 150-180 degrees Celsius (300-350 degrees Fahrenheit), making it extremely challenging to maintain these temperatures inside the plant due to low ambient temperatures outside in the winter. Many asphalt plants experience reduced demand throughout the winter months as well because of adverse weather and freezing cold temperatures. For these reasons, many asphalt plants close over the winter months and conduct repairs and maintenance on their facilities instead. With limited (or no) access to hot mix asphalt during these winter months, road repair crews are left with cold mix as their only option.
Can Asphalt Plants Operate During The Winter?
Hot mix follows a special process in the asphalt plant of heating and drying the aggregates before mixing them with hot liquid asphalt binder, removing moisture and improving workability. This process is what produces the desired compaction, density, and smoothness on the job site, a process that cold mix does not endure. Hot mix is then transported to the job site where it is applied and compacted with heavy-duty, specialized equipment to ensure the patch fully bonds and sets.
The Winter Dilemma
Presenting us with the winter dilemma; when the temperatures drop, asphalt plants shutdown, making cold mix the only option for road repair. Cold mix asphalt has a reputation for its reduced resistance, cracking, and premature deterioration, and is primarily thought of as a temporary repair when hot mix is not readily available. Cold mix typically has a much slower curing time than hot mix and takes longer to harden fully, often leaving messy patches and trails of asphalt from day one. Cold mix asphalt is never heated in an asphalt plant and in most cases it is stored in large piles outside, exposed to extreme weather and susceptible to hardening.
A Natural, Reliable Solution
Fortunately, there is a solution that solves both the hot mix asphalt plant shutdown dilemma and the many limitations cold mix brings to the table. RockAsphalt is a natural, high-quality asphalt that performs better and lasts longer than alternatives. Unlike hot mix, RockAsphalt doesn’t require any specialized equipment for the application process nor is there a wait time for curing and binding. RockAsphalt is uniquely comprised of bitumen impregnated rock, better known as natural asphalt, and its story began over 100 years ago in the state of Texas.
Revolution In Road Repair
Not only has RockAsphalt set a new precedent in the road repair industry, we have streamlined the ordering, delivery, and storage system of our asphalt ensuring fresher product, a longer shelf life, and ease of transportation from site to site. Our innovative delivery system in totes and bags ensures you get exactly the amount of asphalt you need, when and where you need it, without the mess and waste. Keeping bags and totes handy in any pick-up allows road crews to prevent problems before they occur by filling holes early and stopping drain holes. Patching is done on the spot from any vehicle, simply open the bag, fill and drive over the repair. RockAsphalt patches bond instantly and are ready for regular traffic, saving road crews time and money on the frequency and maintenance of road repairs. With RockAsphalt you’ll never have to work around the weather again. Road crews can stop scheduling repairs around cold temperatures and inclement weather, our asphalt can be delivered and applied in all weather conditions, year round, and since RockAsphalt works alone there is never a wait time to schedule for hot mix or a fight with cold mix. Our asphalt can be applied in any weather with the same three year guarantee on repairs no matter what time of year it is.
Our totes and bags are capable of handling any job, large or small, with the same ease and efficiency, and RockAsphalt provides free demos in certain areas so you can see it with your own eyes.
RockAsphalt has revolutionized road repair and solved the winter dilemma for good, freeing us from the limitations of hot and cold mix once and for all.
