The Basics of Asphalt Concrete Mixing

There are many different types of concrete that can be created either manually or through a machine. Asphalt concrete is the most common type of concrete that is used in public railroads, parking lots, airports, and in many other public places. Asphalt is a very durable type of concrete which is why it is utilized the most. It also makes very less roadway noise which makes it best for the construction of public highways. Asphalt concrete is also known for being recyclable because of the fact that only very few asphalt is disposed in landfills.

 

Mix design methods of asphalt should be an essential part of its mixture. In order to achieve a consistent and durable asphalt concrete, the mixture must be well-designed. There are guidelines to follow when mixing asphalt concrete. It is not only mixing the concrete mix with water but so much more. There should be stability in the mixture to avoid rutting under loads. A highly stable concrete mixture will make the pavement durable. For public highways, a think concrete solution is needed to avoid road cracks due to heavy vehicles. Durability is a must for public roads so it is just necessary to make the perfect mixture when creating asphalt concrete for these purposes.

 

Asphalt concrete – proper mixing holds the key

 

Asphalt mixture produced should be such that it should be capable of being easily placed and compacted. Mixtures containing a high percentage of coarse aggregate have a tendency to segregate during handling and also may be difficult to compact. A gummy mixture is also difficult to compact. An ideal mix should provide for gradual settlements and movements in the sub-grade without cracking. An open-graded mix with high binder content is generally more flexible than a dense-graded, low binder content mix. View the full article at http://ift.tt/2tdCEv0.

 

In most tropical countries, mixing concrete is not decided by season. However, there are places where mixing concrete can only be done during hot weather seasons. A moderate weather is still the best time to mix concrete to create the best results. The air temperature would usually affect the quality of the concrete mixture. Even the wind speed and humidity level should be taken into consideration if you want to create high quality concrete.

 

Placing Concrete in Hot or Cold Weather

 

If the air temperature is above 90° F you need to be careful. Of course what you are doing with the concrete also makes a difference. We will address that later. In addition if the wind is blowing hard and the humidity is low, even 90° might be a problem. The issue with hot weather isn’t really the heat. Neither the cement nor the aggregates have a problem with temperature. This isn’t like a chocolate bar on the front seat of the car in July. The issue is that the top layer of concrete will dry much faster than the bottom layer. As concrete dries it shrinks. This means that the top will be shrinking while the bottom is stationary. At this point you get your own north/south civil war breaking out inside the slab. There will be casualties. Go the main site to read the entire article.

 

Most of the problems associated with concrete come from the improper mixing by those who are not knowledgeable about the basics of concrete mixing. There are specific amounts that should be mixed with the other ingredients of the concrete to create a good result. The produced mixture should be easily placed and compacted at almost any surface.

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