Asphalt (hot-mix)
Mostly stone: about 95% mineral aggregate by weight, held together by 4-6% bitumen, and it is the aggregate grading rather than the binder that determines whether a mix is quiet, grippy or long-lasting. Bitumen is viscoelastic, so the material has no single stiffness — it behaves like a stiff solid under a fast wheel and creeps like a thick liquid under a parked truck on a hot day, which is exactly why ruts form at bus stops and traffic lights. It softens rather than melts, with the binder's ring-and-ball softening point typically 45-70 °C.
Properties
- Density
- 2,350 kg/m³ (2,200–2,450) — 2.35 g/cm³
- Thermal conductivity
- 1.4 W/(m·K)
- Floats in water
- No
- Magnetic
- No
What it is used for
- Road surfacing and carriageways
- Car parks and driveways
- Airport runways and taxiways
- Flat roof waterproofing
How it compares
Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.
| Material | Density | Relative to water |
|---|---|---|
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| asphalt (hot-mix) ← | 2,350 kg/m³ | 2.35× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |
Does it rust?
Asphalt (hot-mix) contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.
Is it magnetic?
Asphalt (hot-mix) is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Common questions
- What is the density of asphalt (hot-mix)?
- 2,350 kg/m³ (2,200–2,450), or 2.35 g/cm³.
- Does asphalt (hot-mix) float?
- No. At 2,350 kg/m³ it is denser than water.
- Is asphalt (hot-mix) magnetic?
- Asphalt (hot-mix) is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Related pages
- Does asphalt (hot-mix) float? No
- Unidirectional carbon fibre composite 1,600 kg/m³
- Fibreglass (GRP) 1,900 kg/m³
- Woven carbon fibre composite 1,550 kg/m³
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place