What is Asphalt?

Asphalt is one of the most highly used products in Australia for road, car park and driveway construction. AUS Asphalt uses hot mix asphalt for all our work as it has high durability for vehicle traffic, weather conditions and plant roots.

Asphalt is a mixture of aggregate (stone and sand) and bitumen binder, and when mixed together at a high temperature it forms hot mix asphalt. This is the type of asphalt that we choose to use on all our asphalt projects including car parks, hardstands and large driveways.

Benefits of Asphalt

Asphalt not only offers superior resilience to ants, weeds and water, compared to other paving and construction materials, it’s also one of the most cost-effective solutions for both commercial and residential projects.

Compared to paving materials like bricks, slabs or pavers, asphalt has more flexibility to shape to curves and corners, allowing for a tight seal with and kerbing and reducing the gaps where water and debris can penetrate. Bricks, slabs and pavers are also venerable to movement and shifting causing separation between each piece.

Benefits of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)

As mentioned previously, hot mix asphalt is a type of asphalt that is mixed when the bitumen binder is heated to high temperature, usually around 150-175 degrees Celsius. Hot mix asphalt is combined at this heat to increase its viscosity and flexibility, making it easier to pour and spread, as well as forcing any moisture in the mixture to evaporate. This improves hot mix asphalt’s durability and resistance to water, improving the lifetime of the asphalt.

The flexibility of hot mix asphalt comes from its temperature but as soon as the asphalt begins to cool, it will become rigid and start to solidify. We’re lucky in Perth that our naturally warm climate allows us to use hot mix asphalt all year round, whereas some northern hemisphere countries are restricted to using hot mix asphalt only in the summer months.

Due to hot mix asphalt’s level of durability, resistance to weeds and water, and its smooth surface, it is the most popular choice for Eastern Australia airport runways, freeways, roads and carparks. This is why AUS chooses to use hot mix asphalt on our projects from large residential driveways, to shopping centre carparks, government and council projects and hardstands.