How did asphalt come about?

From birth, we see asphalt around us - we walk and run on sidewalks, drive cars and ride bicycles on asphalt roads. Did you know that even ancient people used asphalt. Because of its water-resistant properties, asphalt in ancient Babylon was known as "tar". A little later, it began to be used in the Roman Empire under the name "bitumen". Here it was most often used to coat swimming pools and water tanks in order to eliminate leaks.

See also online calculator - Asphalt Consumption Calculator.

Asphalt is a mineral that has black and brown hues. In the ground, it can be in both solid and liquid state. Asphalt can also be mined from crude oil. It becomes plastic and soft when heated, turning into a liquid, and when cooled, it solidifies again. The main constituents of asphalt are carbon with hydrogen.

There are 2 types of asphalt - oil and natural. Petroleum asphalt is a by-product from crude oil refining. Natural asphalt is found near the surface of the earth. It formed directly from oil that rose up through rocky soil and sand. Bitumen and clean asphalt are trapped in rock formations.

The largest lake of asphalt is on the island of Trinidad. Its area is slightly less than 40 hectares, and the depth in some places exceeds 32 meters. The new American capital, Washington, began to be covered with asphalt from this lake back in 1876.

Nowadays, an asphalt-cement mixture is used to cover roads and pavements. It retains water and also holds sand and stone together. Plasticity is valued in asphalt pavement, since it does not break from heavy weight, but only bends. For the construction of runways, especially durable asphalt is used, since the weight of some types of aircraft can reach 150 tons or more. The same type of asphalt is also used for the construction of highways, where trucks weighing about 50 tons can drive.

The popular asphalt pavement has both pros and cons. One of the main advantages of asphalt is the ability to use machinery for the purpose of paving large areas. Construction concrete, in contrast to the more popular asphalt material, is often laid by hand. This is a more laborious process that takes more time.

The main disadvantage of asphalt is its unpleasant odor. According to the technology, bitumen resins are used in the process of making asphalt mixtures. And bitumen, due to heating in the sun, emit a rather unpleasant odor. This fact can create uncomfortable conditions if the asphalt is paving in a residential area.