Bitumen has been used for thousands of years, but now a wide variety of products are available that can be added to it to produce blends with improved properties. According to the Refined Bitumen Association (RBA) bitumen is the oldest known engineering material. Indeed, the organisation says that its versatility as a construction material is unparalleled, and having been used as an adhesive, sealant and waterproofing agent for over 8,000 years, its uses include the construction and maintenance of roads, ai
Guntert & Zimmerman equipment is being used to create a new hard-wearing asphalt surface on a key Interstate highway in the US state of Kansas as Mike Woof reports A busy Interstate highway in the US is now benefiting from a new, long-lasting surface. The road, Interstate 70 in Western Kansas, was in need of resurfacing. The full-depth asphalt roadway, up to 508mm thick in certain sections, had reached the end of its working life.
Asphalt plant builders continue to develop new technologies to meet different demands from clients. Marini says that in addition to developing new and more sophisticated asphalt plants, the firm is also meeting demands from customers looking to upgrade existing asphalt plants with the addition of new systems. These can be used to boost output and material quality, while also delivering new grades of mixes. At the same time, plant upgrades can reduce the environmental profile of a plant, while improving its
