Asphalt
The Materials Group has seven asphalt plants in Northeastern New York supplying the region with quality paving materials. Graymont produces both the standard Department of Transportation (DOT) mixes for driveways, parking areas and municipal roadways and also the new 'superpave' mixes for particularly demanding applications.
Hot mix asphalt or HMA (also referred to as asphalt concrete, hot mix or blacktop) is composed of aggregates bound together into a mass by asphalt cement. The aggregates total 93% to 97% of the total mixture by weight and are mixed with 3% to 7% asphalt cement. HMA is produced in a central mixing plant where aggregates are heated to a temperature of approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit and mixed with asphalt cement so that all particles are completely coated. The hot mix material is hauled in trucks to a paving site, dumped into a mechanical paver or spreader, placed in a smooth layer and compacted by rollers.
Asphalt pavements are constructed of one or more courses of HMA placed either directly on a properly prepared sub-base or over existing pavement surfaces. HMA pavements have no equal for economy and utility. They are durable and easily constructed with minimal disruption to road users.