Why Asphalt Paving is better than cement

Asphalt, cement, and concrete are often used for making roads, driveways, and pavements. The major difference between concrete and cement lies in the weight, strength, and cost. Asphalt is bitumen mixture and used for coatings. It is often mixed with gravel to make asphalt roads and is easy to use and maintain. When it comes to durability, costs and maintenance, Asphalt paving is considered a lot better than cement paving. Cement and concrete were popular for parking lots and paving roads. However, asphalt paving is getting increasingly popular today.

Cement and asphalt paving

Natural cement is obtained by crushing the clay and carbonate stones that carry a small amount of carbonate of magnesia. Cement is an essential ingredient of concrete which is used for the construction of buildings, pavements, roads and various structures. The final setting time for cement can take about ten hours.

Asphalt is a petroleum product that is the result of the fractional distillation of petroleum crude. The complex organic material is used for sealing road joints and laying of roads. It is made of polar aromatics, Naphthene aromatics, saturated Hydrocarbons, and asphaltenes.

Asphalt is fast becoming the preferred choice because of its quick construction time and lower costs. Moreover, it is easy to handle and work with. An Asphalt pavement can be made and used the same day. With regular and timely maintenance, it can remain in good working condition for a much longer time. In comparison, cement and concrete are rigid to work with and very labor-intensive. However, the mix can be used in areas that require a strong pavement surface and where heavy trucks drive over.

The cement acts as the binder for the concrete, which is like crushed rock and sand. The cement holds the aggregate together; it gets stronger and stiff. However, if the surface beneath the cemented concrete layer is not smooth, it gets prone to cracking and breaking. Thus, one has to be more careful when working with cemented concrete. Asphalt is very flexible to work with and creates a strong surface that can withstand automobile traffic. It is both hard and durable and can put up with imperfections in the underlying surfaces. This is a quality that is missing in the mix of cement and concrete.

Another major advantage of asphalt over cement is that the damaged asphalt is easy to remove and replace. The construction and repair projects of Asphalt get over faster and open for regular traffic a lot faster. Maintenance and repair of pavement laid with asphalt are faster and less expensive as compared to a cement pavement. Moreover, Asphalt is 100% recyclable.

Damage Asphalt d areas can be easily covered with fresh asphalt. All one needs to do is apply a coat of new asphalt over the old, and one can get a smooth, even pavement with Asphalt resurfacing. Thus, the whole process is simpler, faster and cost-effective. One can look forward to substantial savings and long-lasting performance.

In a nutshell, asphalt is flexible and low-cost material for constructions and roads as compared to cement.

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