When it comes to asphalt paving projects, both hot mix and cold mix asphalt offer durable, long-lasting solutions. However, cold mix asphalt has some key advantages that make it an attractive option for many paving jobs. Below we’ll outline 5 benefits of choosing cold mix over traditional hot mix asphalt.
1. Lower Costs
One of the top reasons to consider cold mix asphalt is significant cost savings compared to hot mix. Cold mix eliminates the need for specialized hot mixing equipment, extensive labor, transport fees, and temperature maintenance during paving. It uses locally available aggregates rather than processing quarried rock. These factors combine to create notably lower material and installation costs overall.
2. Fast Installation
With hot mix asphalt, the temperature must be carefully regulated during transport, paving, and curing, which slows down the installation process. Cold mix asphalt can be placed and compacted rapidly with minimal wait time. Contractors can pave long driveway and parking lot sections in the same day. The speedier installation gets your paving project completed promptly.
3. Year-Round Paving
One major limitation of hot mix asphalt is it can only be installed in warm, dry weather. If temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius, the hot mix will cool and harden improperly. Cold mix asphalt has no temperature restrictions, allowing paving projects to continue in rainy or cold conditions year round. No need to postpone projects due to weather.
4. Minimal Odor and Emissions
Heating aggregates to produce hot mix asphalt generates foul-smelling smoke and fumes containing VOCs and other harmful emissions. The use of unheated local aggregates means cold mix asphalt produces very minimal odor and emissions during paving, reducing environmental impact.
5. Safe Installation
Hot asphalt requires trucking extremely hot material to the site at temperatures over 150 degrees C, then workers must handle and compact the scalding material quickly before it cools. This poses serious risks of burns. Cold mix asphalt remains at ambient temperatures, allowing for much safer handling without burn hazards during paving and compaction.
Conclusion
Thanks to benefits like faster turnaround, lower costs, minimized odor, year-round installation, and safe application, cold mix asphalt offers a compelling paving solution for many projects. Contact a cold mix asphalt to evaluate whether cold mix is right for your upcoming driveway, parking lot, or road paving needs.
FAQ
Does cold mix asphalt last as long as hot mix?
Yes, when properly formulated and installed, cold mix asphalt has a comparable durability and lifespan to conventional hot mix asphalt.
Can cold mix asphalt be used for roads and highways?
It is best suited to secondary roads, driveways, parking lots, walking paths, rural roads, and low-traffic applications rather than highways.
What is the curing time for cold mix asphalt?
Cold mix asphalt cures more rapidly than hot mix and achieves sufficient strength to open to traffic within a few hours after rolling/compaction rather than days.
Is special equipment needed to install cold mix asphalt?
No, it can be installed using the same conventional paving equipment and procedures as hot mix, without requiring specialized heating and production plants.
Can cold mix asphalt be recycled like hot mix?
Yes, cold mix asphalt can be repeatedly reclaimed, reheated, and incorporated into new batches of fresh asphalt just as hot mix can.
Choose the advantages of cold mix asphalt for your next paving project. Contact the experts at High Roads today to learn more!
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