Macadam, blacktop, bitumen, and tarmac are all different words for what we commonly call asphalt. Asphalt paving is beneath your feet and tires for a good portion of the day, but many people don’t think twice about it. Here’s a brief guide about the material’s interesting history.

How It’s Made

Asphalt is a naturally occurring substance. It’s a petroleum-based product that forms in natural deposits in asphalt lakes, also known as tar pits. In other forms, it’s mixed with sand and limestone to form rock asphalt. It can also be mined, processed, and refined.

Asphalt in Ancient Civilizations

The first use of the material is thought to have been by the Sumerians in 3000 B.C.  They used the tar-like substance as an adhesive for jewelry and tools adorned with gems and metal.

Ancient Greeks used it for a variety of purposes, including art, embalming, and caulking. Its sealing properties made it ideal for lining baths, reservoirs, and aqueducts. The first roads that used asphalt were in Babylon in 625 B.C.

Europe & America

John Metcalf of England and Thomas Telford of Scotland were the first to use it as a road paving material. Metcalf used asphalt on 180 miles of road in Yorkshire. He found it was durable and allowed the rain to drain off the road efficiently.

John McAdam, a trustee of the Scottish turnpike in the 1800s, also recognized the material’s excellent drainage qualities and used it to pave the turnpike to keep the natural soil underneath as dry as possible so that it would not erode.

Paving roads became popular in the U.S. in the late 1800s as automobile traffic increased. A road in front of the Newark, NJ, city hall was covered with asphalt mixed with sand. Paving grew in popularity, and a natural sheet form was laid on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., to greet visitors to the White House.

Today

Asphalt is the most recycled product in the U.S. In fact, 99% of all asphalt paving is recycled. Of the 2.3 million miles of roads in the U.S., 90% are paved with asphalt.

The material reduces highway noise by three to five decibels and allows vehicles to get better fuel consumption compared to other paving materials. As asphalt pavement becomes smoother, the cars that travel on them become more fuel-efficient.

C.B. Paving Inc. in Bulverde, TX, is the asphalt paving expert of south-central Texas. They’re a fully insured contractor that can refresh your driveway, parking lot, ranch road, or subdivision. Accurate estimates, prompt service, and complete satisfaction have made them the area’s leading paving company for 40 years. Call (830) 980-2880 for an estimate on your project, or visit their website to learn more about their services.