What is tarmac?
While asphalt and tarmac may look the same on the surface they also have some significant differences.
People often refer to surfaces in different ways, such as bitumen asphalt or tarmac asphalt. No matter what surface you choose, there are many factors to consider when deciding on which one to choose.
Tarmacadam or tarmacadam is a strong, long-lasting surface. Tarmac is made from crushed stone that has been coated with tar. Tarmac is strong and water resistant. It provides good grip, as well as a beautiful finish. It is therefore most commonly used for tarmac driveways.
Today, tarmac has been replaced almost entirely with bitmac that is less prone than tarmac to being damaged from accidental spills of petrol or diesel.
Bitumen replaces the tar to create bitmac. This creates a new surface that is more like asphalt. The difference between bitumen or asphalt is the higher content of filler and sand in bitmac.
Asphalt is made up of a mix of aggregates, which are then bound together with bitumen. A surface that is created from combining different aggregates and using bitumen for binding them together.
Asphalt is an affordable option for large roads. It can be expensive for smaller surfaces. Asphalt tarmac can sometimes be confused with asphalt tarmac.
Asphalt is much harder wearing than tarmac. However asphalt is not as resistant the constant scuffing caused by car tires.
This is a significant difference when comparing bitmac and asphalt surfacing. Asphalt is more durable and requires less maintenance than tarmac.
Asphalt is kinder to the earth than tarmac. Asphalt can be recycled once it is worn down and used again. It is important to remember that driveways can be asphalt concrete, even though they are called asphalt driveways. This is an entirely different type.
Asphalt concrete is a mixture asphaltic cement with sand and/or grit that provides a hard wearing, long-lasting surface. These surfaces are typically more expensive and require more maintenance than asphalt or tarmac. Additionally, asphalt concrete can be more easily damaged by fluctuations in temperatures.