Asphalt pavement is the most recycled material in America. You may have heard about asphalt recycling but aren’t sure exactly what it is or what it entails. Below you’ll discover everything you need to know about asphalt recycling and how you can get started.
Process
Milling is the first step in the asphalt recycling process. Asphalt milling is the process of removing part of the surface of a paved driveway, parking, lot, or street. After the asphalt is milled, a milling machine will grind the asphalt into smaller pieces that can then be repurposed for new paving projects.
If you are doing a full-depth asphalt removal, excavation tools and techniques will be used to rip and break up the pavement into smaller sections. Once these pieces are removed, they’re loaded into an asphalt recycling truck and transported to a recycling facility. At the facility, the large chunks of asphalt are broken down and ground into smaller pieces, and the result is asphalt aggregate.
Benefits
There are numerous benefits to recycling asphalt and using reclaimed asphalt for your paving projects.
Environmental Benefits
When you recycle asphalt, it lessens your carbon footprint. This is because recycling asphalt reduces the amount of new oil needed in a construction process, and saves on construction material waste. Additionally, recycling asphalt helps conserve natural resources since the same materials are being used over again.
Economic Benefits
Your business can save money by using recycled asphalt and participating in asphalt recycling. You don’t have to spend as much money on energy costs, material costs, and transportation costs whenever you’re dealing with recycled asphalt. The asphalt aggregate can also be multiple times, so your business doesn’t have to spend money for new materials for every project.
Material Benefits
Did you know that the quality of asphalt pavement improves when recycled asphalt is used? That is because recycled asphalt has added mineral fillers and organic fibers mixed in whenever it is recycled. Whenever you used recycled asphalt for your paving project, you can expect things like:
- A stringer cracking resistance
- Improved HMA mixes
- Improved asphalt stiffness
- Decreased susceptibility to rutting
Ready to Recycle Your Asphalt?
Get started recycling your asphalt today with LCI Recycling. We provide efficient and environmentally friendly MD asphalt removal and recycling services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next paving project.
