Depending on your project, you may run into issues if you choose to use traditional gravel. Sure, regular gravel is easy to come buy, and you’ve seen it used successfully elsewhere, so why bother looking into other asphalt options? Whether you consider another type of material, like asphalt millings, really depends on a few things, such as cost, sustainability and strength. If you want to avoid potential project downfalls, take a hard look at asphalt millings and consider it over traditional gravel.
Do you have plans for residential or commercial asphalt paving in Saratoga Springs, NY? If so, the following information is for you! Here are five reasons why you should use asphalt millings instead of gravel.
A brief overview of asphalt millings
Before proceedings, you might be wondering about asphalt millings. Well, have you been driving down a street and seen a construction crew working hard to remove old, worn-out layers of asphalt? This must be done before any new layers of asphalt can be applied. The old asphalt, however, can be reused on another project. It doesn’t have to get tossed into the landfill!
The recycled asphalt (also known as reclaimed, repurposed or RAP) is ground down into aggregate size. Only then can it harden and bind together. Now, you have asphalt millings to use as an option for a base material. Here are some benefits:
- Cost-effective: Asphalt millings are basically recycled asphalt pavement from older asphalt projects. Old asphalt is crushed into small, gravelly pieces, which are then reused in new asphalt projects. No new materials are needed or need to be transported, so the cost is significantly lower than that of fresh asphalt material.
- Eco-friendly RAP: When you use asphalt millings in your project, no new materials need to be produced, which makes for a more environmentally friendly process. Asphalt is a non-biodegradable material—therefore, it will simply go to waste and take up space in the landfill of it’s not repurposed. Reduce the amount of non-biodegradable garbage in our landfills by reusing old asphalt.
- Bonds well: Reclaimed asphalt contains tar, an element that helps asphalt millings bond better than most other types of loose-fill materials. When properly compacted and moistened, RAP will bond so well that it creates semi permanent surfaces that stay in place while reducing dirt, dust and mud.
- Strong and adaptable: You shouldn’t assume that reclaimed asphalt is weak and not able to stand up to the elements very well. The reality is that RAP, when applied correctly, holds up impressively under flooding, pooling and snow. Snow melts off of it faster, and ice has a harder time forming.
- Little to no maintenance: If you want to install a material that requires very minimal maintenance and is less susceptible to the elements, then asphalt millings are for you. Asphalt millings require no resurfacing, refinishing or replacing. The substance hardens over time and only gets stronger in the process. And since it produces less dirt and dust, cleanup is a breeze.
Contact Asphalt Industries to learn more about asphalt millings and asphalt paving in Saratoga Springs, NY!