Road Resurfacing Service in London & Kent

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Tarmacadam, properly referred to as bituminous macadam or “Bitmac” for brevity, is thought to be the cheapest and quickest method of surfacing. Tarmacadam has become a popular, although technically incorrect term for both bitumen and asphalt which is used to surface pavements, highways and even internal floors.

Tarmacadam is a process binding together smaller aggregates as pioneered by the legendary Jon MacAdam in the 19th century. His work resulted in the development of tar-based macadam’s which became abbreviated to Tar-mac. Nowadays we use bitumen from the oil industry rather than naturally occurring tar and therefore we have bitumen macadam.

Tarmac is used in the construction and utility sectors due to its hard wearing properties. Cold weather, rain, high winds and thunderstorms will cause tarmac no issues, and it would take even the hottest weather to cause any damage. From bicycles to 40 tonne HGV’s, tarmac ensures a smooth ride every time.

Tarmac is also fantastic for the environment due to its ability to be recycled and reused and because of the size of its component aggregates, it won’t pollute any water systems as it has no real runoff, making it the perfect road laying choice for the environmentally conscious. As it solidifies quickly, you can guarantee that your job will not overrun, and it is usually able to be driven on within 6 to 8 hours of being laid, a vast improvement on concrete or ballast which have a much longer setting time.

Hot Rolled Asphalt (HRA)

Hot rolled asphalt, Commonly known as HRA, is a dense mixture of mineral aggregate, sand, filler and bitumen that complies with EN 13108 and the NRA Specification for Road Works. It is mainly used on public highways due to its durability, longevity and skid resistance. There is a high proportion of sand in the mix which creates a low percentage of air voids once compacted. The mortar of bitumen, sand and filler fines gives HRA its strength. When used on public roads high PSV chippings are applied to the hot-laid material and rolled in to form a skid-resistant surface. Hot rolled tarmac also has superior rut resistance, making it the obvious choice for roads with high traffic levels and a high proportion of heavy-duty vehicles. Another major benefit of hot rolled tarmac is it has a high aggregate loss resistance, so when large vehicles are turning the road maintains its integrity.

Stone Mastic Asphalt

Stone mastic asphalt also referred to in the industry as SMA was developed in Germany in the late 1960s. It is a dense wearing course with a high stone content. A few benefits of using this material include consistent appearance, decreased road noise levels and reduction in water spray from vehicles whilst also offering total waterproofing for roofing or tanking.

Open Graded / Porous Tarmac

Open-graded asphalt uses the latest technology and a modified binder. Using only crushed stone means that the open aggregate structure allows drainage and voids surface water. It is available in 6mm stone for driveways and 10mm stone for car parks, the material reduces direct surface water and eliminates the problem of both standing water and ice patches that can occur in cold weather conditions, making it the ideal solution for playgrounds and school or car park surfacing.

Get in contact with Swift Surfacing, one of the leading local tarmac companies in London and Kent

The cost of any road surfacing technique is dependent on various factors that could either make it more expensive or way cheaper than it should be. Some of these factors include location, materials, project scale, etc. Generally, though, tarmacadam is the cheapest and, without a doubt, the quickest among the aforementioned techniques.

All techniques – tarmacadam, Dense Bitumen Macadam (DBM) Hot Rolled Asphalt (HRA), Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) open graded/porous tarmac, and stone mastic asphalt can be used for residential driveways and sidewalks. The best choice for driveways stone mastic asphalt, owing to its durability. Porous tarmac is best for areas with higher levels of rainfall though, given that it aids drainage however is not as hard wearing as stone mastic asphalt.

All road surfacing techniques are durable enough to withstand varying ranges of extreme weather and traffic frequency. SMA and HRA are generally more durable than open-graded/porous tarmac while stone mastic asphalt is recognised for being incredibly resistant to rutting and deformation. All four materials, however, are stronger than both gravel and concrete.

No. In the long run, neither of these materials is expensive to maintain. This doesn’t mean they don’t require maintenance though

Each of them can be used in heavy traffic but some are more useful than others in certain scenarios and open graded/porous tarmac should be the least on your list when considering methods of road surfacing (because it is not as durable as others in general). For instance, SMA and HRA are strong and durable so they can be used on roads where there is frequent traffic. Stone mastic asphalt on the other hand is resistant to rutting and deformation, which makes it most appropriate for roads where heavy vehicles frequent.

Yes, and quite easily, mind you. It is worth noting though, that the method of repair would depend on the extent of damage and the kind of material that was used. Smaller damages only require minor patching of the cracks/damaged area, while bigger damages would require complete resurfacing.

To a large extent, this would depend on how the specific material is made. Tarmacdam isn’t harmful in itself, but it is made from bitumen which comes from petroleum and this may have a negative impact on the environment. However, this too depends on if the bitumen was processed sustainably and whether tarmacadam can be recycled and reused, a fact that shows promise in conservation efforts at reducing waste and managing resources. SMA and Open-graded/porous tarmac have high stone content and so have a lesser impact on the environment

This all comes down to opinion, for it is the way the material is used that makes it alluring to the eyes. DBM and HRA are usually smooth, level surfaces that can be laid in different colours. SMA has a higher stone content so may look more natural and then Open-graded/porous tarmac looks exactly like its name implies; open and porous, giving it a spongy look

SMA and HRA are best used in areas where there are a lot of slopes, and while Open-graded/porous tarmac can be used as well, its low durability and strength may present a problem.

The noise level of a road surfacing material is dependent on its components and its textures and is important for consideration because of its potential contribution to noise pollution and environmental safety. DBM and HRA have higher levels of noise due to the hard surface while SMA and Open-graded/porous tarmac have lower noise levels due to their porous and textured surfaces.

DBM and HRA do not have many water-draining properties due to the fact that they are hard and smooth. SMA and Open-graded/porous tarmac, on the other hand, both have porous surfaces so they allow water to drain and move within them pretty easily.

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