How to make asphalt with your own hands

What is asphalt and how is it produced on an industrial scale?

The word “asphaltos”, which came to us from the ancient Greek language, means “mountain resin”. This name helps to understand what modern asphalt is made of. It can be natural and artificial. The first is a mixture of petroleum products and rocks.

People have noticed how nature, by passing oil through the ground, creates a substance that can become liquid and soft when heated, and hard and durable when it cools. They began to cover roads with this material, and humanity invented its synthetic analogue.

Artificial material is now actively used for road construction all over the world. It consists of the following components:

Sand . Acts as a filler. It is also used to increase the strength of the road.
Crushed stone. This is a reinforcing substance, thanks to which the finished frozen layers do not crack.
Bitumen resin. It is a kind of glue that binds all components of the coating.

In asphalt plants, the base components are first mixed and brought to a boil. Mineral materials are prepared separately, cleaned and dried. Bitumen is mixed with these components at a temperature of about 140 degrees. The mixture is delivered hot to the installation site.

Sales of products

Main consumers of asphalt:

Organizations that monitor the condition of roads and repair them;
Businessmen who are responsible for the condition of sidewalks, parking lots and other things.

Beginning entrepreneurs can start paving squares or sidewalks. To find more clients, you can go around nearby areas and post advertisements. When making personal contacts, hand people your business card.

Another effective way to promote products is advertising in the media. The most important thing is to establish contacts and conclude contracts for the supply of asphalt. If you can find enough clients, you can expand your business over time to make more profit.

How and from what can you make asphalt yourself?

Using a similar technology, you can make material for garden paths with your own hands. At home, it will not be possible to create asphalt that can become a surface for heavily loaded roads. However, such material is quite capable of strengthening garden paths or the entrance to the site. For it you need to find the following ingredients:

sand;
crushed stone or gravel;
bitumen resin in solid form.

In addition, you will need tools to produce homemade asphalt. You need to stock up on a wide container for mixing the components, a metal barrel, a bucket, a mesh for sifting sand, and a shovel.

Components and production of hot asphalt

The ingredients described above are suitable for hot asphalt. It is recommended to add polymeric materials to the mixture.

To create asphalt at your dacha, you will need the appropriate equipment: a hearth with a fire, a container for mixing components, tools for mixing asphalt. A metal barrel of machine oil or diesel fuel is suitable as an asphalt mixer. The asphalt cooking process can be seen in the video below. It consists of the following steps:

What is cold asphalt and how to make it?

A cold analogue of a homemade mixture for covering garden paths is a material that appeared in our country quite recently. Its main advantage is the ability to lay asphalt even in winter: it is suitable for work at 20 degrees below zero.

The composition contains special bitumen with a high degree of viscosity. In addition, the mixture contains high-quality plasticizers and modifiers that work on the “cold welding” principle. This material allows you to create paths in the country or near the house with a long service life.

It is impossible to make a cold mixture for paths with your own hands. This process requires the use of high technology. However, every summer resident has the opportunity to buy a ready-made mixture for cold asphalt paving.

New asphalt from old

With the right approach, new asphalt can be welded from old. Road workers throw out such material near areas being repaired. There is no need to pay for it, so making new asphalt from used asphalt is one of the most economical options.

To create a hot mixture you will need 100 kg of old coating, 10 kg of bitumen, and the same amount of resin. The process consists of the following steps:

Asphalt grinding. The mixture particles should not be larger than 40 mm. The crushed material is poured into a homemade hot “asphalt mixer”. 70 liters of boiling water and sand are added there.
Cooking new material. The contents of the barrel are heated to a boil and cooked for several hours.
Production of the binding component. Resin and bitumen, taken 10 kg each, are boiled in a metal bucket. The hot mixture is poured into an “asphalt mixer” and mixed. The finished asphalt can be immediately laid on the prepared area.

Asphalt laying technology

Simply spreading a hot resinous mixture on the ground will not work. The area for asphalting should be prepared in advance. It is necessary to carefully consider where the paths will be located. It should be borne in mind that it is undesirable to plan them next to a vegetable garden or flower bed: the asphalt surface evaporates substances harmful to health. Crops will accumulate these fumes.

The asphalt is laid on a flat, compacted surface. Without the right foundation, you won’t be able to build a path.

Designing a site to be covered with asphalt

Considering the odors that asphalt emits, I recommend making an asphalt covering at the entrance to the house for a car. Similar paths can be laid between the buildings on the site: from the mansion to the summer kitchen, change house, garage, bathhouse, toilet, etc.

Before excavation work begins, markings are made and the thickness of the crushed stone that will serve as the base of the path is determined. For pedestrian paths, a layer of asphalt of 7 cm is suitable. The road for a car needs to be made more solid, at least 15 cm thick. The crushed stone base for such a road should have a height of about 40 cm.

Excavation work: soil removal, leveling and compaction

How to lay asphalt correctly?

Asphalt concrete, or asphalt, is a multi-component mixture of bitumen, sand, gravel or crushed stone. To improve its technical characteristics or to reduce cost, its composition may include additional fillers such as cement, crumb rubber, mineral and polymer additives.

The volumetric content of components in asphalt concrete and their names can vary over a wide range, but bitumen, as the main binder, is always present in this mixture.

The reliability of asphalt pavement depends on the use of high-quality components in the mixture, their uniform mixing, and maintaining temperature conditions during production and storage. In addition, the planned location for laying the asphalt pavement should be as close as possible to the place of its production, so that the time for transporting the material is as minimal as possible.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

The main advantages of laying asphalt are:

affordable cost, especially in the case of small-scale applications;
possibility of fast preparation in factory conditions;
durability of the coating, subject to compliance with the manufacturing and installation technology;
the relative simplicity of laying asphalt in the presence of special equipment.

The disadvantages of asphalt and concrete are:

a sharp decrease in technical characteristics when heated under the influence of sunlight;
evaporation of bitumen when heated and the release of harmful fumes;
the need to maintain the required temperature until the asphalt pavement is laid.

At the same time, despite the presence of serious shortcomings, a price alternative to asphalt concrete has not yet been found. A path made from paving slabs will be noticeably more expensive.

Work to improve the quality and versatility of the material is being carried out as part of the selection of more effective mixtures. Good performance is achieved by adding polymer mixtures and reducing the volume fraction of bitumen.

Staff workers

Many specialists will have to be involved in the production and sale of asphalt. Some companies also offer material laying. In this case, you should hire a team of workers who will deal with this matter.

In addition, you will need:

Operators for equipment maintenance;
General workers;
Loaders;
Drivers.

A department should also be created to manage the asphalt production process. Accounting and equipment maintenance can be outsourced to companies.

Purpose of the constituent components

The first asphalt was made from natural bitumen. Then they began to use bitumen, obtained as a result of oil distillation, when heating liquid hydrocarbons. Today it is the most common binder for the production of asphalt concrete mixtures.

Sand, gravel or crushed stone in asphalt play the role of the main working fillers. Sand is necessary to more evenly distribute pressure within the asphalt layer and fill voids between individual stones. Together with bitumen, it binds larger fractions of stone, holds them and does not allow them to go up beyond the layer.

Fractions of gravel and crushed stone determine the group of asphalt concrete and its area of application. All asphalt pavements are conventionally divided into three groups according to density, depending on the size of the stones used:

dense, with a gravel fraction of 5-10 mm, for paving courtyards, sidewalks, paths and other surfaces with low load;
porous, with a stone size of 10-20 mm, for laying lower layers in multi-layer coatings;
highly porous, with a crushed stone fraction of 20-40 mm, for use on critical sections of highways.

This porosity distribution determines the ability of asphalt to transmit moisture and drain it into the drainage layer for further discharge into the ground. Therefore, highly porous material is more difficult to install, but its service life is much longer.

Finely ground chalk, limestone or sandstone are added as mineral fillers. They fill the last remaining voids and make the asphalt path more uniform. Moreover, the best mineral filler is made from sandstone, as a chemically neutral substance.

By adding crumbled rubber, crushed to sizes of 1.0-1.5 mm, ductility and hydraulic stability increase. Therefore, asphalt with it is often used to cover the roofing of workshops of industrial enterprises. Asphalt concrete with rubber crumbs is less likely to crack and has spring properties.

Polymer additives in the form of reinforcing plastic fibers significantly increase the strength of the material. This cooking technology is used only for the most critical areas. The strength of an asphalt path can also be increased by adding cement to it, but in this case you cannot use limestone as a fine filler.

Do-it-yourself asphalt production

Self-made asphalt does not allow it to be used for laying highways and city streets. However, such material can be effectively used for arranging garden paths or areas with low weight load during operation. To make your own asphalt you will need:

ordinary, even unwashed sand;
fine gravel or crushed stone;
solid bitumen resin with a melting point of no more than 120°C;
wide bucket or concrete mixer;
metal barrel and bucket;
shovel;
wide sieve or metal mesh for sifting sand.

Prepare a dry mixture of sand and gravel in a bucket or concrete mixer in a ratio of 1:2 by volume. Place the barrel on the stand and light a fire under it. Pour a bucket of water inside.

At the same time, place a bucket filled one-third with water on another fire. When the water in the bucket begins to boil, put bitumen in it to heat and melt. Pour the crushed stone-sand mixture into the barrel. Boiling water in a bucket and barrel will ensure that the temperature is maintained at 100°C.

Pour the crushed stone-sand mixture into the barrel and wait until the water boils. Boil the bitumen in water until the bitumen melts and the water gradually boils away. Then pour the molten bitumen into a barrel with a crushed stone-sand mixture and begin to actively mix. It is recommended to use a metal pipe or other durable object for mixing. At the time of pouring, there must be boiling water in the barrel; hot bitumen cannot be poured into cold water.

The ratio of the volume of bitumen to the volume of crushed stone-sand mixture is approximately 1:15. More accurately, the density of asphalt can only be determined visually.

In order to improve the plasticity of the asphalt mass, simplify mixing and facilitate subsequent laying, you can use special plasticizers or liquid detergent. The plasticizer is added in accordance with the instructions, liquid detergent at the rate of 1 glass per 40-50 liters of asphalt.

As soon as the water has boiled away, the homemade asphalt is ready and can be laid on the path. If by this time you have not completed the preparatory work, then add water to the barrel again. Please note that you can only add boiling water; cold water falling on a hot surface can instantly boil and lead to burns.

Business plan

Since a mini-plant will require a significant investment of funds at the initial stage, serious preparatory work is required. The business plan being developed should contain several main sections.

Business plan for asphalt production

Marketing justification, including analysis of the consumption market and establishment of basic sources of raw materials.
Analytical review of mini-plants offered by different companies, aimed at organizing small mobile production of a specific type of asphalt.
Study of the competitive environment.
Technical planning aimed at justifying the choice of a specific installation based on financial capabilities.

Laying asphalt pavement

Do-it-yourself installation work begins with making planning decisions and markings. At this stage of work it is necessary to clearly define:

with the location of the track;
its width and height above ground level;
with the type of curb and its installation height;
with places for laying drainage systems.

When determining the location of the path, you should take into account the presence of possible underground utilities, the location of garden trees and the direction of slopes for rainwater drainage. After making decisions, you need to drive pegs around the perimeter of the future asphalt pavement, defining its exact contours.

Along the marked contour, it is necessary to dig a so-called “trough” or trench, 15 cm deep. Lay a layer of geotextile non-woven fabric on its bottom, which will prevent the germination of weeds and allow moisture to freely drain into the lower layer of soil.

Asphalt laying scheme.

Install and secure the curb and fill the “trough” to the top with crushed stone. The surface must be thoroughly compacted. The durability of the asphalt pavement depends on the quality of the compaction.

Next, you should buy asphalt or prepare it yourself and lay it on top of crushed stone in a layer 4-5 cm thick at a time. Pre-leveling can be done with an inverted rake or a wooden mop.

During the leveling process, it is necessary to check for slopes using a building level. The best way to compact the asphalt concrete layer on a garden path is to use a vibrating rammer.

It should be noted that the process of laying asphalt with your own hands depends on weather conditions. These works should not be carried out at sub-zero temperatures or in damp rainy weather.

Stages of paving

For laying asphalt, it is recommended to choose dry weather with a positive temperature of ≥ 10 degrees.

The step-by-step procedure includes the following work:

On a sheet of graph paper, a diagram of the location of the house, outbuildings, paths to them, the area around the house and the passage for the car is drawn to scale. The roots of growing trees can deform the covering, so it is desirable that the trees are located at a distance of ≥ 2 m from the intended contours.
Calculation of material requirements. It is recommended to cover the entire area with geotextiles with an overlap on the walls and cover it with a layer of sand 10 cm thick, crushed stone for the paths will be needed 5 cm thick, for the platform 15 cm, and directly for the driveway 25 cm, the number of enclosing elements is calculated according to the length of the contours, subject to asphalting. Asphalt will be required in the amount of 1 t per 10 m2 with a layer thickness of 5 cm; on driveways it is recommended to lay asphalt in two layers (5 plus 3 cm). The order is made for hot, fine-grained mixtures; sandy ones can be laid on the paths, but they are also hot.
Prepare the following tools:
durable cord;
mop-mop made of a meter-wide board with a handle 2.5 m long;
a manual rammer, which is a piece of timber or round log with a square metal plate (20 cm side) fixed at the base and a handle in the form of a longitudinal wooden plank nailed on top;
manual roller weighing ≥ 100 kg.

To periodically lubricate the tool to prevent hot asphalt concrete from sticking to it, you will need a small amount of diesel fuel.

Transferring the outlined contours to the terrain with wooden pegs.
Excavation of soil to the depth of the listed layers with removal of roots of weeds, bushes and trees. The asphalt surface should be level with the surrounding surface of the earth or rise up to 5 cm (it all depends on the terrain and your desire). Base seal.
Installation of curbs at the same level as the future asphalt concrete or 2...3 cm higher. First, curbs are installed along the edges of the path or area, leveled in height, a cord is pulled along which intermediate elements are laid out. Fixation of curbs is carried out using cement mortar and filling with compacted soil.
Backfilling with sand, for effective compaction, wetting the sand cushion with water is used, laying geotextiles to reduce the pressing of crushed stone into the sand.
Laying crushed stone with careful rolling with a roller. Larger fractions are placed downwards, and decluttering is carried out on top with smaller fractions. Compacted crushed stone is poured with bitumen mastic.
The delivered asphalt is unloaded in separate piles. To prevent it from cooling down, the layout must be done quickly with the assistance of several assistants. Leveling is done using a motor mop. One person begins rolling the surface with a hand roller; to achieve greater effect, a person with a solid build can stand on the roller. With the provided transverse slopes, rolling is carried out from the bottom up. The movement of the roller should be smooth, without jerking. It is important to maintain the same number of passes on all lanes. It is unacceptable to stop the roller on areas that have not frozen to avoid sticking to the coating. In hard-to-reach places, the asphalt is compacted using hand compactors. We must not forget about the need to periodically wet the instruments with diesel fuel. If possible, it is recommended to roll most of the surface with large rollers or vibrating plates, available in specialized organizations. This will significantly increase the strength and quality of the laid coating.
Finally, you can paint the entire asphalt area with special asphalt paints to obtain the required shades.

At this point the work can be considered completed.

Technology for recycling asphalt pavements

The need to save money when repairing and building new asphalt roads led to the development of an effective recycling system (reuse of materials). In this case, the asphalt removed from the road surface is processed, both in stationary factory conditions and in mobile equipment at the work site.

Using this technology, the asphalt concrete coating is removed using a special mechanism with a mechanical cutter - a remixer. Next, the removed material is crushed into a crushed stone fraction and can be used to prepare dry mixtures for the construction of road bases and fills for suburban highways and roads.

Asphalt base.

According to the second technology, the collected and crushed material is placed in a furnace and heated without fire to 170°C with the addition of the required amount of fresh bitumen and additives. This processing method is widely used when repairing city streets and courtyards, since the price, production and laying of asphalt in this case is much lower.

Recycling asphalt at home

An old road surface made from an asphalt mixture allows a home craftsman to arrange comfortable and neat asphalt pedestrian paths on his or her plot, which can easily replace paving slabs. This DIY asphalt can also be used, for example, to cover the floor in a garage or in front of it.

Only the top bitumen layer needs to be removed. The removed material must be broken into pieces as small as possible. The maximum fraction should not exceed 40 mm.

Next, prepare bitumen for mixing with the removed material in a ratio of 1:10 by weight as described above.

Productivity 5-15 tons/hour

Purpose: Production of asphalt concrete mixtures in small batches, in a limited area.

Composition: power supply unit, drying and mixing unit, bitumen production, pneumatic system.

Principle of operation

►The power unit hoppers are filled with inert materials.

The sector gate opens on the first bunker. The material enters the weighing conveyor. Thanks to the precise reloading function, the first fraction is weighed out. Then the remaining bunkers are activated in the same mode.

►A portion of inert materials weighed on a conveyor is poured into an elevator or skip hoist.

►Through the loading box, the material enters the reversible drum, which rotates in drying mode. After the material reaches a temperature of 1800, the drum stops and begins to rotate in the opposite direction. The material is discharged into the mixer.

►Simultaneously with the unloading of the inert, bitumen and mineral powder are fed into the mixer.

►During the drying process of materials, a new portion of inerts is dosed.

Methodology for checking the quality of asphalt road surfaces

Each manufacturer of building materials is required to issue the buyer of asphalt a certificate of product quality compliance with state standards. To do this, the plant must have a certified laboratory that can conduct the necessary set of tests. In addition, in all major cities there are independent laboratories for checking the quality of construction and manufacturing of materials.

At a construction site, testing occurs by drilling a core of a given diameter from the road surface and then restoring the road surface. Externally, the quality of the delivered asphalt can be determined by its temperature and the presence of a black, greasy film on the surface.

Registration

Before opening a mini asphalt production facility, you must register as an individual entrepreneur. If you plan to produce large volumes of products and enter into contracts for their supply with legal entities, it is better to open a limited liability company.

This type of activity is not licensed, just like the production of charcoal, so you do not have to obtain any permits or licenses. Since such products do not have to meet government standards, you can choose the asphalt production technology yourself. It is worth noting that municipal companies, which are the main consumers of such products, prefer to work with standard material.

Hot asphalt and step-by-step instructions for its production

The main components of this material are crushed stone, ordinary river sand, bitumen resin, as well as polymer materials for laying on the surface. The last component is not always used, as it is expensive; it is used mainly in the construction of highways and highways. Despite the fact that all the components can be found in the shed, making a road surface at the dacha will be a little difficult. You should seriously prepare for this process

We need a container for mixing the “ingredients”, a fire (can be a fire) for 6-8 hours continuously, about 100 liters of water to cool the suspension, as well as one of the pastes to keep everything together. Its role can be played by resin or bitumen (preferred). Let's look at the manufacturing instructions step by step.

The first step is to make a prototype of a concrete mixer, since it would be irrational to “kill” an expensive and useful item. For our purposes, a metal barrel of oil or diesel fuel, in which a branded product is sold, is suitable. If you don’t have one, you can buy it for pennies (or borrow it for free) from any farmer or from the company itself that bottles oil into retail containers. They are often thrown into scrap metal as industrial waste. Close the lid and drill holes in the bottom center with an electric drill. We thread a metal rod (pipe, angle, square, etc.) and scald it using inverter welding so that there are no leaks anywhere. We weld an L-shaped twig to one of the edges, creating a “skewer”.

We pour crushed stone into our “concrete mixer”, add a little sand (2:1) and mix everything thoroughly. You cannot pick up wet building materials - they will immediately stick together, and it will be very difficult to pick them out from the metal walls.

In a separate container (it is best to take a 15-liter bucket), we need to heat the bitumen to a boil; for better elasticity, you can add shampoo to it. It will burn out later, but it will be much more convenient to stir. We also add polymers and plasticizers there.

You don’t need a lot of imagination here, just take and add boiling bitumen to a preheated barrel with crushed stone and sand. Important: do not mix if the barrel and all components are not warmed up - the bitumen will quickly cool down and mixing will be impossible. For convenience, you can first add 50 liters of water to a barrel and bring to a boil. After this, pour in bitumen and stir until the water evaporates.

The boiling point of water is 100 degrees, exactly what we need for bitumen to make it fluid and sticky. Remember not to overheat this material - it ignites at a temperature of 170 degrees, so watch the water. Just finished - pour it out!

The area in which you will pour asphalt must be thoroughly cleaned, preferably blown out with a compressor. After you pour in the hot mixture, you need to take a roller or any other tool (tamper) and compact the material. Be sure to wet the metal of the tool with water so that it does not stick to the bitumen during compaction.

If you follow the instructions, making asphalt at home will be safe, fast and even very interesting!

What is cold asphalt and what is its feature?

Quite recently, a rather interesting product came to the territory of Russia - polymer asphalt. Its peculiarity is that it can be laid at absolutely any temperature. Tests have shown excellent viscosity and adhesiveness even at -20C, which makes it possible to repair roads or make an entrance to a dacha even in winter.

It consists of fluid bitumen grade SG or MG 70/130, characterized by increased viscosity. It also contains special plasticizers and modifiers that act similarly to “cold welding”. Due to this, you can get excellent results even at subzero temperatures. The paths will have increased strength and will last much longer than regular asphalt. The technology has been implemented for more than 5 years in Russia, and now anyone can buy such material.

There is no point in looking for a method on how to make asphalt with your own hands, since cold technology implies a high-tech manufacturing process under pressure and is not available at home. Its cost is much higher than conventional road surfaces, so it is rarely used in industry. But every summer resident can buy the required quantity to make paths in the garden or a small driveway for a car. You can buy it in a regular store. Installation does not require special knowledge: you simply pour the mixture into the desired place and compact it in any convenient way, even with car tires.

How to make new asphalt from old road surface

Another very popular method of improving a site without much capital investment is to use old road surfaces as the main raw material for making a new one. To do this, we need about 100 kg of old coating, which is thrown away during highway repairs, fresh bitumen, 10 kg of resin for elasticity and a concrete hardener. Let's look at what needs to be done step by step.

We make a concrete mixer using an electric drill, an oil barrel and a twig as described in the first section of the article.

Use a hammer to break up all the large pieces remaining from the old road. Check that the fraction of all components is fine, up to 40 mm. Add a little sand there and mix everything. We begin to heat the barrel with old asphalt and sand placed in it, fill it with 60-70 liters of water, bring it to a boil and “cook the soup.”

Now is the time to take care of the liquid part. Since the old road surface already contains some bitumen, we will need 50% less of it. That is, we take about 10 kg of bitumen and 10 kg of resin per 100 kg of material, heat it to a boil. Then we pour it all into a heated barrel with other components, mix thoroughly with a metal rod.

Homemade asphalt from free components is ready. Now all that remains is to pour it into pre-cleaned holes or onto a site prepared for laying. Such material will serve you for many years and will be no worse than “branded” material.

What is asphalt

Asphalt, or more precisely asphalt concrete, is a multicomponent material that includes the following ingredients:

Sand. It is necessary as a binder, and in some cases (when adding cement) it can increase the mechanical strength of the road surface.
Crushed stone. It is a reinforcing component and does not allow finished layers to crack under the influence of significant loads.
Bitumen resin. Acts as a paste for connecting all components, and also provides additional waterproofing of the canvas.

Sometimes polymer additives are introduced into asphalt concrete, which can ensure its high performance characteristics, but due to their high cost, they are used extremely rarely.

Assortment of crumb rubber in Leroy Merlin with prices

Rubber crumbs in the hypermarket are offered as “soft asphalt”. There are several color options for the material: brown-black, starry sky, green-black, gray-black, blue-black, red-black. The cost of the material is 1,502 rubles per package (weight 8.6 kg). The only exception in cost is crumb rubber in the “starry sky” shade - you need to pay 1,340 rubles for the packaging. The material is produced in Russia.

Crumb rubber, which is offered by Leroy Merlin, can be used for self-laying paths. The coating is durable and resistant. Does not fade under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and does not change its qualities with sudden changes in temperature. Since the coating is laid without seams and has anti-slip properties, its use will be relevant near the pool, on steps, sports or children's playgrounds. Also suitable for paths near a house, cottage or country cottage, for a park or square.

The coating is hard to damage mechanically, puddles do not accumulate on it after rain, and the surface does not wear out. The crumb rubber surface does not require special care. Can be installed in any climate zone. Rubber crumbs can be laid on any base surface. The material is considered safe for the environment and human health. In addition to the material itself, each package comes with instructions for its use.

Preparatory part

In order for asphalt made by yourself to fully perform its assigned functions, it is very important to follow the technology for manufacturing the material and adhere to installation recommendations. The first step in this direction, of course, is preparation.

So, what we need is to prepare all the necessary components (sand, crushed stone, bitumen resin); to ensure the possibility of “cooking” the composition: you will need a large metal container and a heat source (usually a fire is used). And also stock up on a large volume of water as a means of protection (to limit combustion).

Now let's talk about everything in order.

The first thing you should take care of is to make a container for mixing the components, because using a traditional concrete mixer to produce asphalt is an unjustified luxury.

It is quite justified to use a metal barrel (150 - 200 liters) as a container, to the bottom of which it is necessary to weld an L-shaped handle and ensure the ability to rotate the device around its own axis. By the way, you can read about how to make a concrete mixer yourself here.

Next, you should pour the dry ingredients into a metal container (2 parts of sand + 1 part of crushed stone) and mix them thoroughly.

In parallel with this, construction bitumen should be melted in a separate container (usually a large bucket is used). When performing this work, you need to be very scrupulous and take into account the possibility of ignition of the resin (sand and water should be nearby if extinguishing is necessary).

Some experts recommend adding regular shampoo to the bitumen. It will facilitate the mixing process and will evaporate immediately after the resin boils.

The next step is mixing bitumen with sand and crushed stone, for which the heated resin is simply poured into a barrel with bulk substances and mixed thoroughly (by turning). However, when performing this part of the work, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the barrel and the components in it must be well heated. Otherwise, the material will quickly cool down, and high-quality mixing will not be possible.

Water is a good indicator of the readiness of the solution. After all, if you pour hot water into a barrel with bitumen, sand and crushed stone, and then heat the whole substance, you can achieve good results. Well, the readiness of the asphalt will be indicated by the complete evaporation of the liquid from the barrel.

Location of the enterprise

If you want to open a stationary enterprise for the production of asphalt, you need to find a large premises. Particular attention should be paid to access roads and communications. In addition, do not forget that the business will develop, so the enterprise may have to expand. To accommodate mobile equipment for asphalt production, a considerable area will also be required. In addition, you will have to use special vehicles to transport it.

It is better to locate an asphalt plant in a populated area. If a highway is planned to be built nearby, most likely you will receive an offer to enter into a contract for the supply of products. Some manufacturers find customers who pick up all products immediately after they are produced. In this case, the location of the enterprise does not matter much.

Material laying process

Of course, pouring homemade asphalt concrete onto an unprepared base is not justified. Therefore, before laying the material, it is advisable to clear the work site of debris, dust, or even blow it with air.

After that, the heated asphalt is poured onto the required area and compacted using a hand roller or tamper. It should be noted that in order to minimize the adhesion of the material to the tool, it is advisable to moisten the latter with water.

After hardening, the asphalt is suitable for use.

Features of laying cold asphalt

Recently, more and more often, owners of suburban real estate are using cold-type asphalt to equip their home areas. This product is sold in ready-to-use form and is a mixture of flowing bitumen, polymer fillers and modifiers (ensure the hardening process). Moreover, this particular product can easily be laid at subzero temperatures, which cannot be done with traditional material. While the performance characteristics and price parameters of this material are very higher than those of conventional asphalt.

The method of laying cold asphalt is practically no different from the option described above and boils down to the fact that the finished material is poured out in the required place and compacted using tampers or car wheels.

New asphalt from old

Recently, more and more often, after repairing the road surface by specialized services, old (cut) asphalt concrete is left behind. It turns out that you can also use it to make high-quality road surfaces. And all that is necessary for this is to break the pieces of old asphalt into small fractions and lay them in the required place in a layer of about 10 cm. Finally, the rocky base should be rolled with a road roller. It should be noted that these works should be carried out in warm weather so that the resin present in the cut asphalt melts a little and fills all the voids.

And in the end we offer the corresponding video:

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