Asphalt is also known as bitumen. Asphalt can occur naturally or more commonly produced industrially and used by road construction companies in Mauritius to shape road infrastructures.
Natural asphalt is produced from petroleum when it absorbs oxygen and the volatile constituents evaporate. The natural product served as construction material as early as 3000 BC in various ancient civilisations.
Asphalt is today technically produced in mixing plants. Depending on the composition or processing method, a distinction is made between rolled asphalt (asphalt concrete, stone mastic asphalt) and mastic asphalt.
How is asphalt used?
Asphalt is mostly used in traffic infrastructure – mainly for roads, paths and squares. Further areas of application are in structural engineering, for example as mastic asphalt screed, and the sealing of structures and landfills.
Asphalt pavements as it is principally used for are divided into various layers. There is an asphalt base course, an overlying asphalt binder course and a topcoat. This top layer is the thinnest of the layers produced, but it is most heavily burdened by road traffic.
How is asphalt composed?
A big part of the asphalt are stones that were mined and mechanically crushed in the quarry and sand. Experts call these mixtures “aggregate”. Depending on the type of asphalt and fiber materials are added. A small proportion in the asphalt is “bitumen”. Bitumen is made from petroleum and behaves much like an adhesive. Chemists call the constituents of bitumen “hydrocarbons”, which are organic compounds of carbon and hydrogen.
Bitumen is water repellent, physicists also call it “hydrophobic” (derived from the Greek: “hydro” for water and “phobos” fear – “water-fearing”). Bitumen must be heated for processing.
Where is asphalt produced?
Asphalt is produced in the asphalt mixing plants. One of the great advantages of asphalt is that it can be completely reused. That’s why used asphalt is used in an asphalt mixing plant. Modern mixing plants work computer-controlled and have their own quality assurance.
A new asphalt plant for Gamma Construction Ltd
Gamma construction Ltd has purchased a new Asphalt Plant SPECO MBM 1500. This fully automated Asphalt Plant will be operational soon.
This new plant can produce up to 120 tons per hour and will complement our innovation strategy as Gamma Construction Ltd will be in a position to produce special asphalts and also use recycled materials.
Contact us
Gamma Construction Ltd
Royal Road Chapman Hill,
Beau Bassin
Mauritius
Phone : + 230 460 8000
Fax : + 230 467 5656
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