Road Resurfacing

Commercial Resurfacing

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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)

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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.