Understanding Foam Bitumen Stabilisation for Your Paving Needs

Understanding Foam Bitumen Stabilisation for Your Paving Needs

Understanding Foam Bitumen Stabilisation for Your Paving Needs

11 June 2020
 Categories:
, Blog


Paved roads are a necessity in residential and commercial settings. They not only enhance the beauty of the property but also make it easy for motorists and cyclists to access certain areas. Additionally, they can accommodate durable markings to help you direct traffic or warn people of impending danger as they move around the property. Certainly, you need a material and application method that works best for you if you are looking to have a durable paved surface on your premises. The following article details the attributes of foam bitumen, and the reasons it is the material of choice for your paving needs:

Defining Foam Bitumen

Foam bitumen is a product of adding a little water to hot bitumen. The hot bitumen is heated to a very high degree. Usually, standard bitumen can handle hot temperature and generate the material you need for paving.

Making Foam Bitumen – What Happens?

When the hot bitumen encounters small amounts of water, evaporation occurs instantaneously and a gaseous bubble emerges. The bubble is surrounded by an oil film that causes it to expand multiple times the original volume you had. A higher volume means that your foam bitumen composition is less viscous and mixes easily with other damp, cold materials used when making the pavement. Usually, the whole foaming process occurs in a controlled environment referred to as an expansion chamber. The chamber permits that injection of air and water into the heated bitumen at high pressure.

Laying Your Pavement with Foam Bitumen

The foam bitumen leaves the expansion via a special nozzle and flows down to the aggregate. The aggregate sits in a milling chamber where stabilisation of the contents happens. After stabilisation and proper rationing of the mixture, the paving contractor proceeds with normal construction of the stabilised pavement layers. The best contractors have the right expertise to deliver a foam bitumen layer that can stand up to high volumes of traffic shortly after laying it. However, the stabilised bitumen layers will need at least twenty-four hours before you can seal them with a suitable spray.  

The Upside of Foam Bitumen

Why should you use foam bitumen for your paving needs? First, the material delivers a flexible layer that stands the test of time. Its affinity to crushed rock and natural gravels enables it to form strong bonds that keep your pavements intact. Third, the stabilisation of the material reduces the chances of moisture damaging the paved surface, especially during wet seasons.

For more information about foam bitumen, reach out to a provider near you. 

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