What’s the Difference Between Tarmac and Asphalt?
Tarmacadam, usually called tarmac is a strong and durable surface. Tarmac is made when a layer of crushed stone is coated with tar to create a strong, water-resistant surface. Tarmac enables for good grip as well as giving a good aesthetic to the finished driveway making it a good reason why it is most commonly used on tarmac driveways. However, tarmac has been commercially replaced with bitmac which is less prone to being damaged by accidental spills of diesel or petrol. Bitmac is manufactured by removing the tar and replacing it with bitumen. This creates a new surface which is more similar to asphalt. However, the difference between bitumen and asphalt is that there is a far greater concentration of sand and filler in bitmac. Asphalt has a much denser blend of aggregates bound together with bitumen. – a surface that is made by combining a certain blend of aggregates and using bitumen to bind them together.
Asphalt is a popular surface for roads because it is a cheap solution for surfacing large areas. In saying this, Asphalt can work out as an expensive option for smaller surfaces such as driveways. Despite sometimes being referred to as asphalt tarmac the two should never be confused for the same thing. The unique selling point for asphalt is that asphalt is extremely hard wearing, environmentally friendlier and requires a lot less maintenance in the long run. However, the main drawback is that it is not as resistant to the constant scuffing by car tyres and is the main thing to consider between bitmac and asphalt surfacing.
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