Roads should be surfaced with a white coloured material

[pogofish]

I saw a programme tonight about climate change which mentioned that road surfaces were becoming warmer during the summer and melting or breaking up. Surely if roads were white they wouldn't get as hot.

That depends as much on the materials used for the surfacing as the tempratures themselves. Some are quite stable at temprature, other (cheaper usually) surfacing materials are not.

 

[zoltan]

Or you could do what they seem to do in ( much ) of ther rest of the world....paint the bottom 4 feet of the tree trunks that line the road with white emulsion.

does seem to make more sense than the relaying the whole fuckin road system so a few spliffed up kids in jazzed up Novas and drunk drivers can get home safely

 

[zoltan]

 

[WouldBe]

Well you are wrong. Most roads are done in bituminous macadam.

Bitumous macadam = tarmac

 

[Errol's son]

Bitumous macadam = tarmac

No bituminous macadam is binded with bitumen.

Tarmac is binded with tar.

We gave up using tar as a binder years ago.

Colloquially called bitmac or tarmac. The words tar or tarmac, though very frequently used, are incorrect as tar is no longer available. For coated materials, bitumen, derived from the distillation of petroleum crudes, has been in almost universal use as a binder for the last four to five decades

http://www.rjmaxwell.com/education/quarrying_process_and_quarry_products/

 

[Wide Eyed Angel]

Bitumous macadam = tarmac

Isn't tarmac a brand name?

Anyways, I'm not sure making roads white'd be a great idea, surely when it's tricky to see cause it's dark/bad conditions etc caution'd be no bad thing?

 

[cybertect]

If roads were surfaced with marshmallow, then it wouldn't hurt when you fall off your bike. Plus you could have pink or white colours.

 

[Errol's son]

Isn't tarmac a brand name?

Anyways, I'm not sure making roads white'd be a great idea, surely when it's tricky to see cause it's dark/bad conditions etc caution'd be no bad thing?

Tarmac is this co: www.tarmac.co.uk

They used to do Tarmac but now bitmac has replaced tarmac they don't really do it. But it is cos of this company that people still call it tarmac. A bit like how they call vacuums "hoovers" as Hoover makes vacuums.

 

[WouldBe]

No bituminous macadam is binded with bitumen.

Tarmac is binded with tar.

We gave up using tar as a binder years ago.

Tar and bitumen are both oil derivatives. Regardless of what you want to call it, it is different from concrete that you claimed roads are covered in.

 

[Errol's son]

I only brought concrete into the equation as I know a little about concrete and not much (but obviously loads more than you) about bitmac.

Regardless of whether it is cement or bitmac used as the binder, you still need an aggregate. Do you actually understand how concrete or bitmac roads are built?

And as I explained to the OP, white aggregates are expensive.

And you say "regardless of what I want to call it". Bitmac is what professionals call it; ie those who lay the black stuff. It is also what builders call it. It is what architects call it. So you are telling the professionals that we are wrong?

You haven't got a fucking scooby doo. And you think that they don't build roads out of concrete either??? Maybe you should look down at what you are walking on a bit more often. Are you blind or what? Your ignorance is fucking unbelievable.

Bitmac is more common than concrete in this country as a road surface but we still build some roads out of concrete.

 

[cybertect]

we still build some roads out of concrete.

Reigate-Wisley section of the M25 springs to mind for starters

 

[WouldBe]

Regardless of whether it is cement or bitmac used as the binder, you still need an aggregate. Do you actually understand how concrete or bitmac roads are built?

Yes, having made and laid my own concrete paths and driveway.

And you say "regardless of what I want to call it". Bitmac is what professionals call it; ie those who lay the black stuff. It is also what builders call it. It is what architects call it. So you are telling the professionals that we are wrong?

Most people still call it tarmac. It's name is irrelevant. Bitmac is made with aggregate and tar / bitumen. Concrete is made with aggregate, sand and cement. The two are completely different substances.

You haven't got a fucking scooby doo. And you think that they don't build roads out of concrete either??? Maybe you should look down at what you are walking on a bit more often. Are you blind or what? Your ignorance is fucking unbelievable.

Bitmac is more common than concrete in this country as a road surface but we still build some roads out of concrete.

All the roads and footpaths round here are bitmac. The only places I've come across concrete road surfaces are a stretch on the M62 near Hull and parts of the M5.

The whitish colour of concrete comes from the cement not the aggregate. Similarly the black colour of bitmac comes from the tar / bitumen not the aggregate.

 

[Errol's son]

The whitish colour of concrete comes from the cement not the aggregate. Similarly the black colour of bitmac comes from the tar / bitumen not the aggregate.

Concrete is generally not white. It is grey! You have to buy Snowcrete or similar to begin to make white concrete. But I can tell you that if you mix normal sand and aggregate with white cement you do not get white concrete. Even if you mix silver sand with Snowcrete you do not get white mortar. White cement with aggregates just produces a brighter (more vibrant if pigment is added) less natural colour. You have to use Dolomite (which is white crushed marble) with Snowcrete to get white concrete.

The whiteness (of Snowcrete) is produced due to white cement having a much lower content of iron and manganese oxide. It is these oxides that give cement its grey colour.

While the blackness of bitumen does provide most of the black colour of black bitmac, if you want to make colouured bitmac (ie bus lanes) you need coloured aggregate too. Otherwise as the binder is worn down the aggregate is exposed and is a different colour to the binder.

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=62-0071462899-1

This book will tell you most things that you want to know about concrete.

 

[ICB]

They're brighter, because they are a light source, and they're effective even if your headlights aren't properly aligned.

They're not brighter beause they're a light source, car headlights bang out some serious lumens and catseyes are efficient reflectors of those lumens.

We have something called an MOT test that means poorly aligned headlights aren't an issue whereas in the US you can drive around with your car falling to pieces and your windscreen smashed to fuck and no one really gives a shit, except your momma, maybe.

White roads, bad idea. Concrete roads, bad idea. High grip surfaces on dodgy corners and in advance of crossings, very good idea, more please.

 

[f for fake]

And you say "regardless of what I want to call it". Bitmac is what professionals call it; ie those who lay the black stuff. It is also what builders call it. It is what architects call it. So you are telling the professionals that we are wrong? QUOTE]

Calm down son, Im a builder and been in the trade for about 8 years and risen from the poor laboyr pushing the brush to running my own site. In all that time i have NEVER EVER called it Bitmac, even the lads laying the fecking stuff call it tarmac..

anyway, different areas call things different stuff, a hammer is called a brummie screwdriver where i live, in brum.

 

[Errol's son]

And you say "regardless of what I want to call it". Bitmac is what professionals call it; ie those who lay the black stuff. It is also what builders call it. It is what architects call it. So you are telling the professionals that we are wrong? QUOTE]

Calm down son, Im a builder and been in the trade for about 8 years and risen from the poor laboyr pushing the brush to running my own site. In all that time i have NEVER EVER called it Bitmac, even the lads laying the fecking stuff call it tarmac..

anyway, different areas call things different stuff, a hammer is called a brummie screwdriver where i live, in brum.

I do know some builders who call it tarmac still. The UK and Irish building trade don't like change which is why I still measure in inches. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr Murphy and Mr Conway (two big macadam contractors in south London) still call it Tarmac but they are very old school Irish. But every architect that I have worked with and the builders I have most respect for, all seem to call it bitmac.

www.pavingexpert.com

The guy behind this site calls it bitmac too and he is a proper hardscaping professional.

 

[f for fake]

The guy behind this site calls it bitmac too and he is a proper hardscaping professional.

so what

Call it what you want, like i said before ive met fellas who have done nothing apart from laying tarmac and still call it tarmac. Yes trade names stick and it fucking hard for it to change its name, JCB springs to mind when they should be called Back Hoe Tractors, or site masters in the JCB lot. But the public, non builders call them JCB as its the most common vehical that does the job and even tho other firms have there own version, people just go "oh look its a JCB" and dont bother to look at the name.

End of the day its what we drive on most of the time, concrete roads are rubbish as it is more solid that tarmac and does not give so the road is harder and more noisey.

When its been raining and its dark sometimes i cant see the road markings on roundabouts i drive over most days and i end up in the wrong lane, there the colours could be different by having the red hard wearing layers put down, and new white lines done after.

 

[WouldBe]

www.pavingexpert.com[/url]

The guy behind this site calls it bitmac too and he is a proper hardscaping professional.

The entry for bitmac on that site leads you to Tarmac.

 

[Pingu]

look lets just call it eric from now on

 

[f for fake]

Eric the lawnmower man

 

[Wolveryeti]

To make it easier to drive at night on dark country lanes or in poor visibility.

Not that it's ever going to happen at once as it would be enormously expensive but maybe as roads are repaired?

Great idea. I think we should also build a ladder to the moon. That would be awesome.

 

[pembrokestephen]

That depends as much on the materials used for the surfacing as the tempratures themselves. Some are quite stable at temprature, other (cheaper usually) surfacing materials are not.

Round my way, roads are "surfaced" by spraying them with bitumen and chucking chippings at then. Skid Pan Central for about a fortnight. Frankly, the ubiquitous cowshit has more grip.

 

[Errol's son]

so what

Call it what you want, like i said before ive met fellas who have done nothing apart from laying tarmac and still call it tarmac. Yes trade names stick and it fucking hard for it to change its name, JCB springs to mind when they should be called Back Hoe Tractors, or site masters in the JCB lot. But the public, non builders call them JCB as its the most common vehical that does the job and even tho other firms have there own version, people just go "oh look its a JCB" and dont bother to look at the name.

End of the day its what we drive on most of the time, concrete roads are rubbish as it is more solid that tarmac and does not give so the road is harder and more noisey. .

Nowadays, we use bitumen from the oil industry rather than naturally occurring tar, and therefore we now have bitumen macadam or, as we call it in the trade, bitmac.

(www.pavingexpert.com)

This is probably the most authorative site on paving in the UK, if not the English speaking world.

It is only the "tinkers" and "cowboys" in the industry who remain ignorant of this. I don't have a problem with people calling it tarmac but it is wrong as there is no tar involved anymore.

 

[Errol's son]

The entry for bitmac on that site leads you to Tarmac.

What do you mean?

The site has a link to the company Tarmac? That is fucking bizarre; a paving site with a link to one of the biggest players in the industry.

 

[WouldBe]

What do you mean?

The site has a link to the company Tarmac? That is fucking bizarre; a paving site with a link to one of the biggest players in the industry.

If you go to the site map, select 'B' then select 'bitmac notes' you get this.

Tarmac

Tar-coated aggregates
Ubiquitous. Bituminous macadam to give it its full title, is laid hot and rolled smooth. OK for roads, drives, larger footpaths and forecourts. Not suitable in gardens, where it is rapidly attacked by mosses. Vulnerable to oil or petrol spillages which dissolve the binder. Relatively cheap, usually black in colour but also available in red and even green!

 

[Errol's son]

If you go to the site map, select 'B' then select 'bitmac notes' you get this.

I think you will find that that page is aimed at consumers; joe public who could not all be expected to know the difference. If the site didn't explain that tarmac no longer exists many viewers would never know about bitmac. If you read all about tarmac/bitmac you will see that the author actually calls it bitmac once he has explained that tarmac is incorrect.