Transportation of hot mix asphalts

The transportation and delivery of the hot mix asphalts from the plant to the paver are carried out with haul trucks, which should be insulated and sheeted (use of tarps) to prevent heat loss and to protect the hot asphalt from bad weather conditions (mainly rain, winds and low air temperatures). Additionally, the floor and the walls of the haul trucks must always be clean and free of foreign materials to avoid intermingling and contamination, and flat and free of dimples. 

The haul trucks can be standard or semitrailer end-dump trucks, horizontal-discharge trucks or bottom-dump trailers. The end-dump trucks are the ones most commonly used throughout the world. The capacity of the standard end-dump truck is usually up to 20 tonnes, while the capacity of the semitrailer truck can go up to usually 25 tonnes. They discharge the hot asphalt directly to the paver hopper through an automatic tailgate opening by raising the truck bed. 

The transportation of the asphalt consists of three distinct stages the loading, the transportation to the site and the tipping into the hopper of the paver. 

During loading, the risk of asphalt segregation and the decrease of asphalt temperature should be minimised during loading. The first is ensured by loading as evenly as possible, that is, no asphalt piles with steep sides. The second is ensured by the quickest possible and uninterrupted loading. 

During transportation, the smallest possible asphalt temperature loss and asphalt protection from rain should be ensured. For this, as it was mentioned, the trailer should be covered with an appropriate moist insulator, especially during the days where ambient temperatures are low and there is the possibility of rain during the transportation. 

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Production, transportation, laying and compaction of hot mix asphalts 409 8.5 TRANSPORTATION OF HOT MIX ASPHALTS... 

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