January 10, 2022

The most manly substance - What Is Tarmac?

You may not notice it while you are traceuring or even tricking but tarmac is pretty much everywhere and it got me thinking. Well, what is tarmac? Where did it come from and what does it do? Well in nearly all urban environments, tarmac covers the ground and is present at most Parkour training grounds. If your big into flat ground tricking or just wondering like me what is tarmac read on and find out!

Maybe it might come in handy to answer a really specific pub quiz question.

History Of Tarmac

Photo Credit - Adobe Stock

Starting from the beginning, tarmac also known as tarmacadam was invented by Edgar Purnell Hooley. This happened in the year 1901 when he was only a 22-year-old man, what a lucky young lad! As he was out for a leisurely stroll one day, he was passing his local ironworks where he noticed that part of the road was smoother than the rest. Upon investigating he discovered that the workers had put what they described as asphalt. Hooley went away and investigated what this substance was. He then continued to experiment with the techniques that were used to create it, he then came up with what is now known as tarmacadam by adding slag from a blast furnace together with other materials which include coal tar. He had literally walked across what would be used on our roads and driveways for years to come!

What is Tarmac Made from and how is it made?

The process of making tarmac has changed through the years as processes become streamlined and more materials are available. Tarmac is first mixed at a batching plant. The tar is heated and mixed with the other materials which include limestone, sand, and aggregate. Thankfully due to the petroleum industry the most common material added into the mixture is bitumen. Bitumen is what the petroleum industry produces as a by-product of the oil distillation process. This mixture is what creates a tarmac mix. It is then chipped up into pieces of rocks that resemble what we would have in our driveway today. These are brought together to form what you would see on a road.

What Is Tarmac Used for?

Photo Credit - Adobe Stock

You may not notice it as you are travelling around, but it's right under your vehicle! The most common use for tarmac is on you guessed it our roadways.  Tarmac is what makes up the majority of what you see when driving around in your vehicle. These roads are created in a large part by what is called blacktop. Blacktop is what we call tarmac once it has been laid down. Another common use for tarmac is driveways! Using tarmac for your driveway is a stylish and especially popular choice all thanks to its incredible durability and low maintenance care.

Tarmac has multiple benefits and for these reasons, it is why it is so popular and commonly used!

Low Maintenance -

A lot of what makes tarmac so great is the fact that it requires very little to no maintenance whatsoever. Blacktop and tarmac both generally last anywhere from ten to twenty years before any touching up or fixing needs to be done.

Perfect for harsh weather -

Tarmac is what most people use if they live in an area where they experience multiple types of particularly harsh weather. Be it rainstorms or baking heat, tarmac will provide you with an easy and smooth surface that isn't too harmful to vehicles.

Low In Cost -

If you are looking to resurface your driveway you can't go wrong with choosing tarmac. With its low cost and extreme durability, what more could you ask for?

A Better Alternative -

Not only is tarmac low in cost, but it's also much better for the environment than many other types of driveways. Being environmentally friendly is what everyone wants nowadays.

Wrapping Up

Photo Credit - Adobe Stock

So, there you have it, now you are in the know what is tarmac, what it does and what makes it so great. If you are looking to resurface your driveway, we advise getting in touch with an expert tarmac driveway installer.  

While you are here why not visit our blog section and find out about 10 Exciting Variations on the Monkey Shoulder Cocktail!

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