Asphalt plants are one of the most popular, and well used, manufacturing plants in America. Asphalt is one of the most used materials in road construction, highway paving, and repairs than any other material, too. This makes for a healthy industry for those who investing on asphalt plants across the country. Let’s look at what asphalt plants do and why they’re important for our roadways.
What is an Asphalt Plant?
Asphalt plants focus on making asphalt, blacktop, and even asphalt concrete. Each plant can focus on one operation, but many focus on whatever is needed in that area. These plants sustain the surrounding areas, cities, and neighborhoods, along with offering jobs in the area for most of the year. Many of those working at asphalt plants have specific jobs and can make a full-time living processing, making and shipping asphalt.
Asphalt plants usually come in three types: Batch heater, continuous and semi-continuous. Continuous plants produce the most asphalt in general, with the batch heater contributing the lowest. Depending on where the plant is located in the country and the demand in the spring and summer months, some plants may produce much more than others may.
Since asphalt plants produce a high level of asphalt to be shipped out and used throughout the US, the quality of the product has to be ensured. If a faulty batch of asphalt, bitumen or aggregate makes it to a project, which means that the asphalt has to be repaved, laid or completely destroyed and started from scratch. This can be costly and often is traced back to the plant that produced a bad batch.
Quality standards among asphalt plants are some of the highest in the nations. Since asphalt is one of the top products manufactured in the country, along with some other countries in the world, you can imagine how quality has to be just as important as quantity. These standards ensure that road projects aren’t delayed, don’t have to be done again and can last until the next year when things can be repaired and replaced due to normal wear and tear.