What is hot-mix asphalt made from?
Asphalt consists of two basic ingredients. The first is the aggregates which are a mixture of sand, gravel, and crushed rock. The second component is called asphalt cement. Asphalt cement is a heavy, viscous, petroleum by-product that makes up 5% of the asphalt mixture, while the remaining 95% is the aggregates. This mixture can change in ratio depending on the application. For example, asphalt you find on the highway has a much higher and larger crushed rock and gravel content, where as a residential driveway would have smaller crushed rock content and more sand.
