How to make asphalt with your own hands

What is asphalt and how is it produced on an industrial scale?

The word “asphaltos”, which came to us from the ancient Greek language, means “mountain resin”. This name helps to understand what modern asphalt is made of. It can be natural and artificial. The first is a mixture of petroleum products and rocks.

People have noticed how nature, by passing oil through the ground, creates a substance that can become liquid and soft when heated, and hard and durable when it cools. They began to cover roads with this material, and humanity invented its synthetic analogue.

Artificial material is now actively used for road construction all over the world. It consists of the following components:

Sand . Acts as a filler. It is also used to increase the strength of the road.
Crushed stone. This is a reinforcing substance, thanks to which the finished frozen layers do not crack.
Bitumen resin. It is a kind of glue that binds all components of the coating.

In asphalt plants, the base components are first mixed and brought to a boil. Mineral materials are prepared separately, cleaned and dried. Bitumen is mixed with these components at a temperature of about 140 degrees. The mixture is delivered hot to the installation site.

How and from what can you make asphalt yourself?

Using a similar technology, you can make material for garden paths with your own hands. At home, it will not be possible to create asphalt that can become a surface for heavily loaded roads. However, such material is quite capable of strengthening garden paths or the entrance to the site. For it you need to find the following ingredients:

sand;
crushed stone or gravel;
bitumen resin in solid form.

In addition, you will need tools to produce homemade asphalt. You need to stock up on a wide container for mixing the components, a metal barrel, a bucket, a mesh for sifting sand, and a shovel.

Components and production of hot asphalt

The ingredients described above are suitable for hot asphalt. It is recommended to add polymeric materials to the mixture.

To create asphalt at your dacha, you will need the appropriate equipment: a hearth with a fire, a container for mixing components, tools for mixing asphalt. A metal barrel of machine oil or diesel fuel is suitable as an asphalt mixer. The asphalt cooking process can be seen in the video below. It consists of the following steps:

What is cold asphalt and how to make it?

A cold analogue of a homemade mixture for covering garden paths is a material that appeared in our country quite recently. Its main advantage is the ability to lay asphalt even in winter: it is suitable for work at 20 degrees below zero.

The composition contains special bitumen with a high degree of viscosity. In addition, the mixture contains high-quality plasticizers and modifiers that work on the “cold welding” principle. This material allows you to create paths in the country or near the house with a long service life.

It is impossible to make a cold mixture for paths with your own hands. This process requires the use of high technology. However, every summer resident has the opportunity to buy a ready-made mixture for cold asphalt paving.

New asphalt from old

With the right approach, new asphalt can be welded from old. Road workers throw out such material near areas being repaired. There is no need to pay for it, so making new asphalt from used asphalt is one of the most economical options.

To create a hot mixture you will need 100 kg of old coating, 10 kg of bitumen, and the same amount of resin. The process consists of the following steps:

Asphalt grinding. The mixture particles should not be larger than 40 mm. The crushed material is poured into a homemade hot “asphalt mixer”. 70 liters of boiling water and sand are added there.
Cooking new material. The contents of the barrel are heated to a boil and cooked for several hours.
Production of the binding component. Resin and bitumen, taken 10 kg each, are boiled in a metal bucket. The hot mixture is poured into an “asphalt mixer” and mixed. The finished asphalt can be immediately laid on the prepared area.

Applying markings and signs

Applying lines and marks with thermoplastic or paint will mark the asphalt surface and indicate any necessary warnings. For example, on the site in front of the house you need to mark out parking spaces for cars. Or put a warning sign about the danger for drivers. Thermoplastic is most suitable for these purposes since it is wear-resistant, has good adhesion to asphalt and has a long service life. Thermoplastic must be applied using special equipment, since it is necessary to constantly maintain a high temperature in the boiler and thoroughly mix the plastic mass.

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If it is not possible to use specialized equipment, then the following recommendations must be followed:

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The asphalt surface must be dry and clean, then the plastic will adhere securely to the surface.
The melting point of plastic is in the range from 140 to 180 ºС. After the plastic has melted, it must be constantly stirred to avoid the appearance of clots.
To apply thermoplastic, you need to use ready-made molds that will allow the plastic mass to harden on the asphalt.
The cooling time of thermoplastic is only a few minutes.

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We looked at two methods of laying asphalt, thanks to which you can obtain a high-quality and durable coating. The first method is beneficial when paving large areas. And the second is for arranging a household plot. In any case, a properly laid asphalt pavement will withstand heavy loads and will last a very long time.

Asphalt laying technology

Simply spreading a hot resinous mixture on the ground will not work. The area for asphalting should be prepared in advance. It is necessary to carefully consider where the paths will be located. It should be borne in mind that it is undesirable to plan them next to a vegetable garden or flower bed: the asphalt surface evaporates substances harmful to health. Crops will accumulate these fumes.

The asphalt is laid on a flat, compacted surface. Without the right foundation, you won’t be able to build a path.

Designing a site to be covered with asphalt

Considering the odors that asphalt emits, I recommend making an asphalt covering at the entrance to the house for a car. Similar paths can be laid between the buildings on the site: from the mansion to the summer kitchen, change house, garage, bathhouse, toilet, etc.

Before excavation work begins, markings are made and the thickness of the crushed stone that will serve as the base of the path is determined. For pedestrian paths, a layer of asphalt of 7 cm is suitable. The road for a car needs to be made more solid, at least 15 cm thick. The crushed stone base for such a road should have a height of about 40 cm.

Excavation work: soil removal, leveling and compaction

How to lay asphalt correctly?

Asphalt concrete, or asphalt, is a multi-component mixture of bitumen, sand, gravel or crushed stone. To improve its technical characteristics or to reduce cost, its composition may include additional fillers such as cement, crumb rubber, mineral and polymer additives.

The volumetric content of components in asphalt concrete and their names can vary over a wide range, but bitumen, as the main binder, is always present in this mixture.

The reliability of asphalt pavement depends on the use of high-quality components in the mixture, their uniform mixing, and maintaining temperature conditions during production and storage. In addition, the planned location for laying the asphalt pavement should be as close as possible to the place of its production, so that the time for transporting the material is as minimal as possible.

The advantage of asphalt paths

Speaking about asphalt, I would immediately like to say that this building material has more disadvantages than advantages in relation to a summer cottage.

Asphalting of a summer cottage

Asphalt pavement has only a few main advantages - low cost, high strength, simple creation technology and versatility. Often asphalt is chosen only because it has the lowest price compared to materials for paving garden paths such as paving slabs, paving stones, decking, natural stone, etc.

The disadvantages of asphalt are very significant factors that affect not only the landscape design of the garden plot. Among the most significant disadvantages are:

In hot weather, asphalt evaporates and exposes the human body to harmful substances. In addition, the unpleasant smell itself will not allow you to have a rich rest in the garden, which is what we need.
Asphalt coating has practically no decorative ability, so it is not only not suitable for decorating a site, but on the contrary, it will worsen the situation. Asphalt paths practically do not fit into garden styles, which is also very bad. The only exception is colored asphalt, to which various pigments are added, so that the coating can be not only the usual gray color, but also green, pink, blue, etc.
If laid poorly, asphalt quickly deteriorates in winter: water gets into the cracks, freezes, and when it freezes, it destroys the coating.
During the heat, the asphalt melts.

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As you can see, the disadvantages of asphalt pavement are more significant than the advantages, but despite this, it is recommended to build asphalt paths at functional nodes of the garden: for example, between the garage and the utility block. It is strictly forbidden to build asphalt paths near recreation areas, due to the harmfulness of asphalt.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

The main advantages of laying asphalt are:

affordable cost, especially in the case of small-scale applications;
possibility of fast preparation in factory conditions;
durability of the coating, subject to compliance with the manufacturing and installation technology;
the relative simplicity of laying asphalt in the presence of special equipment.

The disadvantages of asphalt and concrete are:

a sharp decrease in technical characteristics when heated under the influence of sunlight;
evaporation of bitumen when heated and the release of harmful fumes;
the need to maintain the required temperature until the asphalt pavement is laid.

At the same time, despite the presence of serious shortcomings, a price alternative to asphalt concrete has not yet been found. A path made from paving slabs will be noticeably more expensive.

Work to improve the quality and versatility of the material is being carried out as part of the selection of more effective mixtures. Good performance is achieved by adding polymer mixtures and reducing the volume fraction of bitumen.

Purpose of the constituent components

The first asphalt was made from natural bitumen. Then they began to use bitumen, obtained as a result of oil distillation, when heating liquid hydrocarbons. Today it is the most common binder for the production of asphalt concrete mixtures.

Sand, gravel or crushed stone in asphalt play the role of the main working fillers. Sand is necessary to more evenly distribute pressure within the asphalt layer and fill voids between individual stones. Together with bitumen, it binds larger fractions of stone, holds them and does not allow them to go up beyond the layer.

Fractions of gravel and crushed stone determine the group of asphalt concrete and its area of application. All asphalt pavements are conventionally divided into three groups according to density, depending on the size of the stones used:

dense, with a gravel fraction of 5-10 mm, for paving courtyards, sidewalks, paths and other surfaces with low load;
porous, with a stone size of 10-20 mm, for laying lower layers in multi-layer coatings;
highly porous, with a crushed stone fraction of 20-40 mm, for use on critical sections of highways.

This porosity distribution determines the ability of asphalt to transmit moisture and drain it into the drainage layer for further discharge into the ground. Therefore, highly porous material is more difficult to install, but its service life is much longer.

Finely ground chalk, limestone or sandstone are added as mineral fillers. They fill the last remaining voids and make the asphalt path more uniform. Moreover, the best mineral filler is made from sandstone, as a chemically neutral substance.

By adding crumbled rubber, crushed to sizes of 1.0-1.5 mm, ductility and hydraulic stability increase. Therefore, asphalt with it is often used to cover the roofing of workshops of industrial enterprises. Asphalt concrete with rubber crumbs is less likely to crack and has spring properties.

Polymer additives in the form of reinforcing plastic fibers significantly increase the strength of the material. This cooking technology is used only for the most critical areas. The strength of an asphalt path can also be increased by adding cement to it, but in this case you cannot use limestone as a fine filler.

Do-it-yourself asphalt production

Self-made asphalt does not allow it to be used for laying highways and city streets. However, such material can be effectively used for arranging garden paths or areas with low weight load during operation. To make your own asphalt you will need:

ordinary, even unwashed sand;
fine gravel or crushed stone;
solid bitumen resin with a melting point of no more than 120°C;
wide bucket or concrete mixer;
metal barrel and bucket;
shovel;
wide sieve or metal mesh for sifting sand.

Prepare a dry mixture of sand and gravel in a bucket or concrete mixer in a ratio of 1:2 by volume. Place the barrel on the stand and light a fire under it. Pour a bucket of water inside.

At the same time, place a bucket filled one-third with water on another fire. When the water in the bucket begins to boil, put bitumen in it to heat and melt. Pour the crushed stone-sand mixture into the barrel. Boiling water in a bucket and barrel will ensure that the temperature is maintained at 100°C.

Pour the crushed stone-sand mixture into the barrel and wait until the water boils. Boil the bitumen in water until the bitumen melts and the water gradually boils away. Then pour the molten bitumen into a barrel with a crushed stone-sand mixture and begin to actively mix. It is recommended to use a metal pipe or other durable object for mixing. At the time of pouring, there must be boiling water in the barrel; hot bitumen cannot be poured into cold water.

The ratio of the volume of bitumen to the volume of crushed stone-sand mixture is approximately 1:15. More accurately, the density of asphalt can only be determined visually.

In order to improve the plasticity of the asphalt mass, simplify mixing and facilitate subsequent laying, you can use special plasticizers or liquid detergent. The plasticizer is added in accordance with the instructions, liquid detergent at the rate of 1 glass per 40-50 liters of asphalt.

As soon as the water has boiled away, the homemade asphalt is ready and can be laid on the path. If by this time you have not completed the preparatory work, then add water to the barrel again. Please note that you can only add boiling water; cold water falling on a hot surface can instantly boil and lead to burns.

Composition and types of asphalt concrete

Asphalt concrete is an artificial material obtained by rational selection of mixture components and its compaction after laying. Depending on the incoming components, the ratio of their mass parts and physical characteristics, there are many types of asphalt, divided into brands and types.

The composition of any asphalt concrete includes:

mineral powders obtained by crushing rocks with a high content of carbon compounds (limestone or other fossilized organic deposits). The high content of such powders gives the material increased viscosity combined with strength. The property of such mixtures to dampen internal vibrations of structures without the formation of cracks in the coating allows the construction of road passages on road bridges. Successfully used for paving roads and sites
bitumen, contained in most types in small quantities (from 4 to 5%). The exception is cast mixtures containing ≥ 10% bitumen. Bitumen gives the mixture increased fluidity, facilitating its distribution over the coating area, and elasticity after compaction and hardening. The main use of cast asphalt is paving of areas with complex terrain and repairing road surfaces. Increased bitumen content is used for asphalts laid in harsh climatic zones, at low temperatures and the need to open traffic immediately after the completion of a section of road or bridge crossing;
sand is used in most types of asphalt concrete, the only exception being mixtures with a high gravel content. Natural sands are thoroughly cleaned, while artificial sands, obtained by crushing rocks, are immediately ready for use;
crushed stone or gravel, which plays the role of a protective component that forms the asphalt concrete frame to absorb significant loads.

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Based on the content of fillers, the following types are distinguished:

A - from 50 to 60% crushed stone;
B - 40...50% crushed stone or gravel;
B - gravel or crushed stone from 30 to 40%;
G - sand or screenings from crushing ≤ 30%;
D - content of natural or artificial sands up to 70%.

Depending on the largest sizes of mineral grains in the mixture, they are divided into the following classes:

coarse-grained first class - ≤ 40 mm. Used for paving highways with heavy traffic of heavy-duty vehicles and other highways of different classes;
second class - with small grains ≤ 20 mm. Installed on pedestrian streets and squares;
third - sand mixtures with grains ≤ 10 mm. Small fractions of grains are in close contact, which allows you to create perfectly smooth surfaces. The main purpose is pedestrian sidewalks, garden paths, improvement of courtyard areas and sports grounds.

The second brand is most widely used in asphalting roads, their repair and arrangement of private courtyards with the construction of transport entrances.

Depending on the laying temperature, asphalt mixtures are divided into 2 types:

Hot, laid with a temperature of ≥ 110 degrees. The hot mixture is transported by special transport, called Kocher, or in dump trucks with a heated body. If necessary, preparation for asphalting is carried out by softening the base under the influence of high temperatures. After leveling, the mixture is rolled with rollers. The resulting durable coating is most widely used in road work and landscaping of urban and suburban areas;
Cold ones, which are placed with temperatures ≥ 5 degrees. When preparing, bitumen with a reduced viscosity is used, which allows the mixture to remain in a loose state for a longer time, and after rolling it hardens faster. Most often, such asphalt concrete is used for pothole repairs, laying on sidewalks and courtyard driveways that are not subject to intense loads.

Any high-quality asphalt concrete can only be made from certified materials, therefore, when ordering, you must require quality certificates and a passport for asphalt concrete.

Laying asphalt pavement

Do-it-yourself installation work begins with making planning decisions and markings. At this stage of work it is necessary to clearly define:

with the location of the track;
its width and height above ground level;
with the type of curb and its installation height;
with places for laying drainage systems.

When determining the location of the path, you should take into account the presence of possible underground utilities, the location of garden trees and the direction of slopes for rainwater drainage. After making decisions, you need to drive pegs around the perimeter of the future asphalt pavement, defining its exact contours.

Along the marked contour, it is necessary to dig a so-called “trough” or trench, 15 cm deep. Lay a layer of geotextile non-woven fabric on its bottom, which will prevent the germination of weeds and allow moisture to freely drain into the lower layer of soil.

Asphalt laying scheme.

Install and secure the curb and fill the “trough” to the top with crushed stone. The surface must be thoroughly compacted. The durability of the asphalt pavement depends on the quality of the compaction.

Next, you should buy asphalt or prepare it yourself and lay it on top of crushed stone in a layer 4-5 cm thick at a time. Pre-leveling can be done with an inverted rake or a wooden mop.

During the leveling process, it is necessary to check for slopes using a building level. The best way to compact the asphalt concrete layer on a garden path is to use a vibrating rammer.

It should be noted that the process of laying asphalt with your own hands depends on weather conditions. These works should not be carried out at sub-zero temperatures or in damp rainy weather.

Features of autumn and winter technology

When the temperature tends to zero and goes into minus, cold asphalt reduces plasticity, which can negatively affect the final quality. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare the material as follows:

Before starting work, the bags of asphalt are kept in a heated room for at least two days. A temperature of at least +10°C will preserve the quality of the composition.
Before use, cold asphalt is slightly loosened.
The material itself and the installation site are heated (conveniently, for example, with a gas burner).

Asphalt path in front of the house Source na-dache.pro

Technology for recycling asphalt pavements

The need to save money when repairing and building new asphalt roads led to the development of an effective recycling system (reuse of materials). In this case, the asphalt removed from the road surface is processed, both in stationary factory conditions and in mobile equipment at the work site.

Using this technology, the asphalt concrete coating is removed using a special mechanism with a mechanical cutter - a remixer. Next, the removed material is crushed into a crushed stone fraction and can be used to prepare dry mixtures for the construction of road bases and fills for suburban highways and roads.

Asphalt base.

According to the second technology, the collected and crushed material is placed in a furnace and heated without fire to 170°C with the addition of the required amount of fresh bitumen and additives. This processing method is widely used when repairing city streets and courtyards, since the price, production and laying of asphalt in this case is much lower.

Recycling asphalt at home

An old road surface made from an asphalt mixture allows a home craftsman to arrange comfortable and neat asphalt pedestrian paths on his or her plot, which can easily replace paving slabs. This DIY asphalt can also be used, for example, to cover the floor in a garage or in front of it.

Only the top bitumen layer needs to be removed. The removed material must be broken into pieces as small as possible. The maximum fraction should not exceed 40 mm.

Next, prepare bitumen for mixing with the removed material in a ratio of 1:10 by weight as described above.

Concrete pavement, concrete road

Now let’s figure out how to make a road for your summer cottage with your own hands from concrete.

Crushed stone of fraction 20-40 is used as ballast for roads with concrete pavement; a leveling sand layer is not used. If heavy vehicles can travel along the road, it is advisable to reinforce the fabric with a knitted mesh with a mesh side of 250-300 mm made of AI reinforcement with a diameter of 6 mm. Or welded wire mesh with a mesh side of 150-200 mm and a wire diameter of 3-4 mm.

Scheme of road construction in a country house with concrete and asphalt surface

Inventory beacons made of galvanized steel are not used for the road surface, since over time the concrete around them deteriorates, and the beacons themselves, when worn out and broken, create a danger for the wheels. The concrete is laid on beacon slats, which are removed after the composition has set (usually the next day or a day later). The remaining grooves are sealed with concrete of the same grade using fine aggregate.

For the canvas, concrete of a grade of at least 200 is used with a layer thickness of at least 100 mm.

Methodology for checking the quality of asphalt road surfaces

Each manufacturer of building materials is required to issue the buyer of asphalt a certificate of product quality compliance with state standards. To do this, the plant must have a certified laboratory that can conduct the necessary set of tests. In addition, in all major cities there are independent laboratories for checking the quality of construction and manufacturing of materials.

At a construction site, testing occurs by drilling a core of a given diameter from the road surface and then restoring the road surface. Externally, the quality of the delivered asphalt can be determined by its temperature and the presence of a black, greasy film on the surface.

Hot asphalt and step-by-step instructions for its production

The main components of this material are crushed stone, ordinary river sand, bitumen resin, as well as polymer materials for laying on the surface. The last component is not always used, as it is expensive; it is used mainly in the construction of highways and highways. Despite the fact that all the components can be found in the shed, making a road surface at the dacha will be a little difficult. You should seriously prepare for this process

We need a container for mixing the “ingredients”, a fire (can be a fire) for 6-8 hours continuously, about 100 liters of water to cool the suspension, as well as one of the pastes to keep everything together. Its role can be played by resin or bitumen (preferred). Let's look at the manufacturing instructions step by step.

The first step is to make a prototype of a concrete mixer, since it would be irrational to “kill” an expensive and useful item. For our purposes, a metal barrel of oil or diesel fuel, in which a branded product is sold, is suitable. If you don’t have one, you can buy it for pennies (or borrow it for free) from any farmer or from the company itself that bottles oil into retail containers. They are often thrown into scrap metal as industrial waste. Close the lid and drill holes in the bottom center with an electric drill. We thread a metal rod (pipe, angle, square, etc.) and scald it using inverter welding so that there are no leaks anywhere. We weld an L-shaped twig to one of the edges, creating a “skewer”.

We pour crushed stone into our “concrete mixer”, add a little sand (2:1) and mix everything thoroughly. You cannot pick up wet building materials - they will immediately stick together, and it will be very difficult to pick them out from the metal walls.

In a separate container (it is best to take a 15-liter bucket), we need to heat the bitumen to a boil; for better elasticity, you can add shampoo to it. It will burn out later, but it will be much more convenient to stir. We also add polymers and plasticizers there.

You don’t need a lot of imagination here, just take and add boiling bitumen to a preheated barrel with crushed stone and sand. Important: do not mix if the barrel and all components are not warmed up - the bitumen will quickly cool down and mixing will be impossible. For convenience, you can first add 50 liters of water to a barrel and bring to a boil. After this, pour in bitumen and stir until the water evaporates.

The boiling point of water is 100 degrees, exactly what we need for bitumen to make it fluid and sticky. Remember not to overheat this material - it ignites at a temperature of 170 degrees, so watch the water. Just finished - pour it out!

The area in which you will pour asphalt must be thoroughly cleaned, preferably blown out with a compressor. After you pour in the hot mixture, you need to take a roller or any other tool (tamper) and compact the material. Be sure to wet the metal of the tool with water so that it does not stick to the bitumen during compaction.

If you follow the instructions, making asphalt at home will be safe, fast and even very interesting!

What is cold asphalt and what is its feature?

Quite recently, a rather interesting product came to the territory of Russia - polymer asphalt. Its peculiarity is that it can be laid at absolutely any temperature. Tests have shown excellent viscosity and adhesiveness even at -20C, which makes it possible to repair roads or make an entrance to a dacha even in winter.

It consists of fluid bitumen grade SG or MG 70/130, characterized by increased viscosity. It also contains special plasticizers and modifiers that act similarly to “cold welding”. Due to this, you can get excellent results even at subzero temperatures. The paths will have increased strength and will last much longer than regular asphalt. The technology has been implemented for more than 5 years in Russia, and now anyone can buy such material.

There is no point in looking for a method on how to make asphalt with your own hands, since cold technology implies a high-tech manufacturing process under pressure and is not available at home. Its cost is much higher than conventional road surfaces, so it is rarely used in industry. But every summer resident can buy the required quantity to make paths in the garden or a small driveway for a car. You can buy it in a regular store. Installation does not require special knowledge: you simply pour the mixture into the desired place and compact it in any convenient way, even with car tires.

Making asphalt concrete pavement at home, repair and installation

Asphalt concrete pavement is an excellent option for arranging roads for various purposes, sidewalks, paths, characterized by strength, reliability, and durability. Asphalt concrete has been used for a long time to make road surfaces, and over the years no worthy alternative to the material has been found.

Using dense asphalt M1200, you can cover roads with high loads; a less dense composition is relevant for arranging local areas (designing paths, sidewalks, etc.). In private construction, asphalt concrete is usually prepared and laid with your own hands, but with mandatory compliance with all rules, requirements of SNIP, GOST.

How to make new asphalt from old road surface

Another very popular method of improving a site without much capital investment is to use old road surfaces as the main raw material for making a new one. To do this, we need about 100 kg of old coating, which is thrown away during highway repairs, fresh bitumen, 10 kg of resin for elasticity and a concrete hardener. Let's look at what needs to be done step by step.

We make a concrete mixer using an electric drill, an oil barrel and a twig as described in the first section of the article.

Use a hammer to break up all the large pieces remaining from the old road. Check that the fraction of all components is fine, up to 40 mm. Add a little sand there and mix everything. We begin to heat the barrel with old asphalt and sand placed in it, fill it with 60-70 liters of water, bring it to a boil and “cook the soup.”

Now is the time to take care of the liquid part. Since the old road surface already contains some bitumen, we will need 50% less of it. That is, we take about 10 kg of bitumen and 10 kg of resin per 100 kg of material, heat it to a boil. Then we pour it all into a heated barrel with other components, mix thoroughly with a metal rod.

Homemade asphalt from free components is ready. Now all that remains is to pour it into pre-cleaned holes or onto a site prepared for laying. Such material will serve you for many years and will be no worse than “branded” material.

What is asphalt

Asphalt, or more precisely asphalt concrete, is a multicomponent material that includes the following ingredients:

Sand. It is necessary as a binder, and in some cases (when adding cement) it can increase the mechanical strength of the road surface.
Crushed stone. It is a reinforcing component and does not allow finished layers to crack under the influence of significant loads.
Bitumen resin. Acts as a paste for connecting all components, and also provides additional waterproofing of the canvas.

Sometimes polymer additives are introduced into asphalt concrete, which can ensure its high performance characteristics, but due to their high cost, they are used extremely rarely.

Preparatory part

In order for asphalt made by yourself to fully perform its assigned functions, it is very important to follow the technology for manufacturing the material and adhere to installation recommendations. The first step in this direction, of course, is preparation.

So, what we need is to prepare all the necessary components (sand, crushed stone, bitumen resin); to ensure the possibility of “cooking” the composition: you will need a large metal container and a heat source (usually a fire is used). And also stock up on a large volume of water as a means of protection (to limit combustion).

Now let's talk about everything in order.

The first thing you should take care of is to make a container for mixing the components, because using a traditional concrete mixer to produce asphalt is an unjustified luxury.

It is quite justified to use a metal barrel (150 - 200 liters) as a container, to the bottom of which it is necessary to weld an L-shaped handle and ensure the ability to rotate the device around its own axis. By the way, you can read about how to make a concrete mixer yourself here.

Next, you should pour the dry ingredients into a metal container (2 parts of sand + 1 part of crushed stone) and mix them thoroughly.

In parallel with this, construction bitumen should be melted in a separate container (usually a large bucket is used). When performing this work, you need to be very scrupulous and take into account the possibility of ignition of the resin (sand and water should be nearby if extinguishing is necessary).

Some experts recommend adding regular shampoo to the bitumen. It will facilitate the mixing process and will evaporate immediately after the resin boils.

The next step is mixing bitumen with sand and crushed stone, for which the heated resin is simply poured into a barrel with bulk substances and mixed thoroughly (by turning). However, when performing this part of the work, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the barrel and the components in it must be well heated. Otherwise, the material will quickly cool down, and high-quality mixing will not be possible.

Water is a good indicator of the readiness of the solution. After all, if you pour hot water into a barrel with bitumen, sand and crushed stone, and then heat the whole substance, you can achieve good results. Well, the readiness of the asphalt will be indicated by the complete evaporation of the liquid from the barrel.

Making asphalt at home

In modern individual construction, many people make asphalt concrete pavement on their own, and this is advisable - for arranging paths, sidewalks, driveways, etc., which will not withstand enormous loads, it is quite possible to make the mixture with your own hands and lay it correctly. Such asphalt concrete coatings demonstrate sufficient properties and characteristics and last for many years. There are several methods for preparing asphalt and each of them has its own application.

Classic method

The standard recipe involves preparing a mixture of quarry or river sand, crushed stone of a fraction of 30-40 millimeters, bitumen or bitumen resin, using an ordinary bucket and a metal barrel. Asphalt is usually prepared over a fire.

First, crushed stone and sand are poured in a ratio of 2:1, mixed thoroughly, filled with water and suspended over an open fire. At this time, they are preparing the bitumen base: melt the bitumen in a metal bucket, bringing it to a boiling point, pour a plasticizer into it (even a regular detergent or shampoo can do).

After heating the resin and boiling water in a barrel with crushed stone, they are mixed. Water is added to the mixture initially so that the sand and crushed stone do not overheat to a level of +100C. The mixture is stirred, allowing the water to completely boil away, after which the solution is poured hot.

Application of old coating

The old coating can act as a material for preparing a new mixture. The technology is similar to the option of preparing a new mixture, but has certain nuances. Thermal profiling can be carried out on an industrial scale - a technology in which the old asphalt pavement is dismantled, crushed, loosened, melted and used again.

Dismantling old asphalt concrete pavement with a sledgehammer and a special impact tool. Usually only a bitumen layer of asphalt is used, without disassembling the cushion.
Recycling of old pavement - first it is broken into small pieces with a maximum fraction of 40 millimeters, then it is filled with water, melted, and bitumen is added at the rate of 10 kilograms per 100 kilograms of old asphalt concrete mixture.
The subsequent stages are similar to the previous option - the bitumen is melted, mixed with asphalt, the water is evaporated and the path or sidewalk is poured.

Material laying process

Of course, pouring homemade asphalt concrete onto an unprepared base is not justified. Therefore, before laying the material, it is advisable to clear the work site of debris, dust, or even blow it with air.

After that, the heated asphalt is poured onto the required area and compacted using a hand roller or tamper. It should be noted that in order to minimize the adhesion of the material to the tool, it is advisable to moisten the latter with water.

After hardening, the asphalt is suitable for use.

Features of laying cold asphalt

Recently, more and more often, owners of suburban real estate are using cold-type asphalt to equip their home areas. This product is sold in ready-to-use form and is a mixture of flowing bitumen, polymer fillers and modifiers (ensure the hardening process). Moreover, this particular product can easily be laid at subzero temperatures, which cannot be done with traditional material. While the performance characteristics and price parameters of this material are very higher than those of conventional asphalt.

The method of laying cold asphalt is practically no different from the option described above and boils down to the fact that the finished material is poured out in the required place and compacted using tampers or car wheels.

When can installation be done?

Cold asphalt has one significant advantage over hot asphalt: it can be laid in any weather and sub-zero temperatures. Typically, mixtures are recommended to be used down to -5°C. But there are varieties that can be laid even at -15°C. This is possible thanks to the plasticizers added to them.

It is advisable that the surface of the pit be dry during repairs. Therefore, it is recommended to choose sunny weather for work. If repairs need to be done urgently, the wet bottom and walls can be easily dried with a regular hair dryer.

On the other hand, cold asphalt can also be laid during rain and in a hole with some water. Of course, in this case, the adhesion of the asphalt to the walls of the pit is worse, and the service life of the coating is reduced. But this is also an acceptable option, and a little moisture is not a problem.

Detailed instructions for repairing potholes with cold asphalt mixture are described below.

New asphalt from old

Recently, more and more often, after repairing the road surface by specialized services, old (cut) asphalt concrete is left behind. It turns out that you can also use it to make high-quality road surfaces. And all that is necessary for this is to break the pieces of old asphalt into small fractions and lay them in the required place in a layer of about 10 cm. Finally, the rocky base should be rolled with a road roller. It should be noted that these works should be carried out in warm weather so that the resin present in the cut asphalt melts a little and fills all the voids.

And in the end we offer the corresponding video:

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World experience

The new idea was picked up all over the world. Analogues of plastic roads have appeared in the UK, and in Europe, and in America, and in Asia, and even in Russia.

Some examples stood out in particular. It turned out that the idea of making roads from plastic began not with Toby McCartney, but with the Indian company KK Plastic Waste Management Ltd. Indian engineers patented their invention back in 2002. They now have a plant in Bangalore and it processes 30 tonnes of plastic waste per day. Over the entire period of its activity, the company has built 2,000 km of roads.

The Canadian company Green Mantra has become a leader throughout North America in its field. The engineers of this company have developed a technology with which asphalt will consist of 20% recycled plastic.

The international company Dow Chemical is active. In 2017, it entered into a cooperation agreement with the Indonesian government. Its goal is waste recycling, i.e. returning them to the production cycle. Crushed asphalt consists of plastic, bitumen and minerals. The proportions are kept secret. Dow Chemical built roads in two cities in India - Pune and Bangalore.