Cold mix asphalt: features and scope

Asphalt mixes have been used for quite some time, and they have already established themselves as one of the most practical materials for creating pavement. It is worth noting that there are a lot of different types of these products with different qualities and individual characteristics. At the same time, especially among all this diversity, a cold asphalt-concrete mix stands out, which is sometimes even used in construction.

Application area

It is usually assumed that the area of ​​use of asphalt is quite narrow and limited to the banal manufacture of roads. However, it is this type of material that is distinguished by high functionality, since it has a low stacking temperature.

Sidewalks and lanes

Most often, cold asphalt is used to create pedestrian areas or small sidewalks.

• It should be noted that there is asphalt, which is most suitable for these tasks, but for its installation a skating rink is needed, which cannot always pass to the necessary part. This material does not require special equipment and can be laid manually.
• It is necessary to say that as a result, the tracks will have excellent elasticity, but will get a short period of use, although this will not be very noticeable when used by pedestrians.

Tip! It must be remembered that the cold composition has no subspecies and is produced as a separate product. Therefore, do not confuse it with fine-grained compositions having a low temperature.

Repair work

Usually cold asphalt mixes are used to repair the roadway very rarely and only under certain conditions. The fact is that such a composition is not suitable for a full replacement of the coating and it has to be used only for patching.

In this case, patches are usually obtained temporary and require replacement for the next season.

• In areas with a cold climate, this composition is widely used. The fact is that at low temperatures this material is best used, since it does not cool quickly, and its working environment may have negative environmental values.
• It is worth noting that in cold weather, this composition is delivered using special equipment.which is often used to transport hot asphalt.

Tip! It is not customary to patch asphalt during the cold season, but in some regions of the country this is a necessity, on the basis of which relevant technical processes have been developed, allowing even to create entire roads.

Application in construction

To date, cold regeneration of asphalt is practically not used in modern construction. The fact is that there is a mass of other materials that are more practical and do not require additional actions during installation. However, in some regions, such compositions are still in use.

They are used to create a roof. In this case, the roof is usually flat or has one slope. Otherwise, there is a need to use standard coatings.

It should be noted that this type of installation is combined with the use of roofing felt or other rolled materials. It is desirable that they have a bitumen base.

Tip! In the cold regions of the country, this solution may be one of the most optimal. In addition to good waterproofing, you can get additional insulation.

Characteristics and features

In order to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of this material, it is worth considering the process of its manufacture or the components that make up the mixture. It is also necessary to understand the features of the installation and its technical characteristics.

Manufacturing process and composition

First of all, it should be said that this type of asphalt is made exclusively from fine-grained aggregates or sand mixtures with fractions of no more than 10-15 mm. Therefore, subsequently, you can not use diamond drilling holes in the concrete to install additional equipment.

It is also important to mention the various additives that are used in the manufacture. Their task is to create a kind of film that will cover the bitumen, preventing it from freezing quickly. Previously, they could use diesel fuel or gasoline, which, in combination with tar, gave fuel oil, but more modern substances have recently appeared.

In fact, the entire production process consists of mixing the components until a homogeneous mass is obtained. However, it also uses heat to 100 degrees to speed up the reaction and allow all substances to mix.

Tip! You should not make this material yourself, because it is much easier to buy it in stores. It can be sold even in special banks, put up by weight.

Virtues

Considering such cold concrete it is necessary to remember that all its advantages and disadvantages can be interchanged if it is used for other purposes.

Therefore, the easiest way to proceed from the fact that such asphalt going to lay on the road.

• This material does not require for its installation of special equipment in the form of rollers. At the same time, he does not need constant heating, which greatly reduces the cost of all work.
• For the repair of the roadway in the winter season there are practically no alternatives capable of coping with the task. The fact is that it can be used even at sub-zero temperatures. (See also the article Concrete at negative temperatures: how to concrete.)

• In some regions of the country, this material is the only technical solution that allows maintaining the quality of roads, since summer is short there and the use of hot asphalt is almost impossible.
• The ease of installation with the use of this substance makes it possible to set up the necessary zones or trails even in those areas where there is no access to conventional equipment or it is not used there.

• The finished product has a rather high shelf life and allows for packaging. This makes it possible to sell such asphalt in stores, and not only from special enterprises. Also, the storage instructions allow transportation over long distances even in the open.

Tip! Even taking into account all the advantages of this substance, one should not forget that it has a narrow specialization and it is sometimes much easier to lay concrete slabs on the road than to use it.

disadvantages

• One of the main drawbacks is the rather high manufacturing price. However, if you take into account the savings on installation, then such costs are fully justified.
• In hot weather, this material is very unstable and can not withstand heavy loads. This is especially evident when there is a small error in the proportions at the manufacturing stage, which is very difficult to verify upon purchase.
• It has a fairly narrow scope, but it is not suitable for full road coverage. Hot cast mixture is much more durable and stronger.

Tip! When purchasing such products, you must ask the seller for a quality certificate. It must be supplied by the manufacturer and the data in it are usually based on factory tests.

Installation

If such asphalt is used for repair, then you must first cut the problem area, completely removing lagging or delaminated areas. This may require cutting the reinforced concrete with diamond wheels or working with a jackhammer.

At the next stage, the surface is completely cleaned, for which the compressor with compressed air and the injector are most often used.

If moisture is detected at the site, it should be dried. Professional masters for this use a blowtorch or burner. It is worth noting that specialists produce this operation regardless of the detection of visible moisture, since it may be present in the pores.

In the next step, priming is performed. To do this, use special liquid formulations based on tar or bitumen. This is necessary to increase the level of adhesion and create the foundation.

After that, the asphalt is heated to its operating temperature using a blowtorch or special equipment. It should be remembered that it will depend only on the type of additive used in the manufacture, which means that this parameter should be known in advance. If the work is done by hand, then it is worthwhile to study in detail the instruction manual from a particular manufacturer.

Heated asphalt is laid in a prepared place and begin the process of tamping with hand tools. It is worth noting that it is not aligned with the existing road surface, leaving a small tubercle. Subsequently, he himself flattened under the influence of vehicles.

At the final stage, the docking sites are filled with bitumen, which was used as a primer. This will help smooth out irregularities and create a kind of transition.

Tip! Some masters prefer to make additional heating after laying. However, here you need to be very careful that the liquid substances do not settle down below, allowing you to subsequently beat out the filler during intensive use.

Conclusion

After reading the video in this article, you can get more detailed information about this type of material and its use in modern construction.

Also, taking into account the text above, we can conclude that this type of asphalt has characteristic features that make it possible to use it even in extreme conditions and thanks to this it is possible to maintain roads in working condition even in regions with very cold and long winters.