Reasons Why Bitumen Use in Road Construction

Because of its many qualities and advantages over other materials used to build pavement, bitumen is employed in the construction of roads. As a result of the manufacturing process, bitumen has several special qualities. The use of bitumen in flexible road construction as a raw material and in mixtures with other materials such as aggregates or pozzolans has some benefits that encourage its widespread usage in road building. An organic compound used as a binder, asphalt bitumen is created from the waste products of processed crude oil. It is employed in the construction of roads because it is simple to make, recyclable, non-toxic, and a powerful binder.

Bitumen is an essential component of road construction. It is a viscous, black and sticky substance that is used to bind the stones and gravel together to form a surface for vehicles to travel on. But what is bitumen, and why is it so important in road construction? We will respond to these queries and others in this blog post. We will explore the history of bitumen, its chemical makeup, and how it is used in road construction. We will also discuss the benefits of using bitumen in roads, bitumen driveways and some of the potential drawbacks. So if you are curious about bitumen - read on!

Bitumen Production Is Cost-Effective

A byproduct of the process used to distil crude oil is bitumen. The hydrocarbons that make up crude oil are what make it up. Petrol, diesel, high-octane fuels, and gasoline are the main items that are offered. Bitumen is discarded once these fuels are extracted from crude oil. Pure bitumen is produced after additional processing of the by-product to remove any impurities. Bitumen as a byproduct has survived for a while since the demand for the core product is so crucial to civilisation. Without requiring the use of any further new resources, this byproduct is used as a new building material.

Crude oil is processed using a distillation process that involves heating the oil in a sizable tank and gathering the vapours that are created at various temperatures. The concentration of highly flammable hydrocarbons in crude oil is considerable. Hydrocarbons are an organic substance created by the link between hydrogen and carbon. Diesel, gasoline, and other high-octane fuels are among the main end products of crude oil refining. A tar mixture is left behind after the crude oil has been refined to remove fuels, motor oils, and solvents.

Bitumen’s Versatility

It is discovered that the level, temperature, and length of the loading process all affect the physical and chemical properties of bitumen. The substance is viscoelastic and thermoplastic. These repercussions force us to really observe the flow of traffic on the road so that the qualities of a bitumen mix can be adjusted in accordance with the estimated stress levels. Based on the application for the road, the adaptability of bitumen leads to a wide range of bitumen mixes.

Bitumen's Melting Point

It is very commendable that bitumen has a good melting point since it makes it easier to prepare surfaces and increase wear resistance. In order to prevent it from melting too easily while paving the pavement, bitumen's melting point shouldn't be too high. The already cast road paving would not melt or deform at high temperatures since bitumen has a melting point. Along with this bitumen quality, the aggregate composition aids in reducing the impact of high temperatures in locations that experience them.

Bitumen has a melting point of about 240 degrees Fahrenheit, which is both high enough to be utilised safely for road designs and low enough to be warmed up quickly and efficiently. Highways can withstand high temperatures without warping even in regions of the world where the material can reach temperatures that make it viscous. This is due to the layers of aggregate rock that make up the roadways.

Bitumen May Be Recycled

Bitumen may be remelted to its initial state because of the favourable melting point of bitumen. Asphalt recycling process is what this is known as. Instead of being dumped in landfills, the broken bits of asphalt are transported to a recycling facility. Reusing this recycled mixture is possible. The mix is made alive again by mixing the old bitumen, if necessary, with fresh aggregates and bitumen.

It is simple to heat up the asphalt as part of an asphalt recycling process since asphalt bitumen has a low melting point. Older roadway asphalt will be removed and delivered to an asphalt processing facility rather than a landfill. The broken asphalt will be crushed up at the asphalt factory to provide a mix that is simple to measure and can be used to recycled roadway mix designs. To create a new asphalt compound that is equally durable as the old one, new bitumen and fresh aggregate rock are combined.

The Adhesive Property of Bitumen

Since it contains no hydrocarbons and is therefore non-toxic, as was said in the manufacturing of bitumen. In order to remove organic components and contaminants, the byproduct is refined to the highest degree. The elements in the road mix are kept bonded together under strong bonds by the bitumen's extremely adhesive nature. When the mix is ready, or when it is ready for vehicle movement, these grow stronger.

Asphalt bitumen is made of hydrocarbons and organic material with a high molecular density and is non-toxic. When these hydrocarbons are cold, they become sticky and create solid connections with solid surfaces. Crude oil deposits are created as a result of the breakdown of organic carbon. The organic life and plant matter that were present during the ancient and Jurassic eras helped to produce the earth's oil deposits.

The Colour Variety of Bitumen

Bitumen in its classic form is dark in colour. This is due to the dark colour of the thick organic substance that makes up bitumen. Now, bitumen can be coloured to our preference by adding specific pigments. It's coloured bitumen in these. It costs more than regular coloured bitumen. The drawback of coloured bitumen is that more chemical components and additives are needed.

Because of the rich organic ingredient that makes up traditional asphalt bitumen, the substance is dark in colour. There is also coloured bitumen that has colours added to the mixture. Due to the fact that less of its pigmentable counterpart is created during the crude oil distillation process and that it needs more resources and chemical additives to produce, it is more expensive than conventional asphalt bitumen.