Hot mix asphalt is heated and poured at temperatures ranging from 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Chances are, this is the asphalt that has been used on projects around your home in the past and on the streets, highways, and interstates around it. It is a flexible mix that is highly weather resistant and able to repel water (which is why it’s such a popular choice!). Hot mix asphalt is used on days that are above 40 degrees only, because it cools down very quickly.

Asphalt pavement refers to any paved road surfaced with asphalt. Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) is a combination of approximately 95% stone, sand, or gravel bound together by asphalt cement, a product of crude oil. Asphalt cement is heated aggregate, combined, and mixed with the aggregate at an HMA facility.  The resulting Hot Mix Asphalt is loaded into trucks for transport to the paving site.  The trucks dump the Hot Mix Asphalt into hoppers located at the front of paving machines.  The asphalt is placed, and then compacted using a heavy roller, which is driven over the asphalt. Traffic is generally permitted on the pavement as soon as the pavement has cooled.